When the idea of transforming the Indian Railways into a 100 per cent electrified service was first mooted in 2017, there were protests from all corners. Some analysts said the target was unviable, and others pointed to the risks of grid failure. The strongest opposition came from US major General Electric, which was worried about the fate of the $2.5-billion diesel locomotive manufacturing contract that it had signed with the government in 2015 to deliver 1,000 locomotives over 10 years under the signature “Make in India” project.