Railway Electrification and Women Entrepreneurs Make News in Gorakhpur
Ashoka Buildcon Limited has received a Rs 290.23-crore order from North Eastern Railway to design, supply, and commission traction substations on the Gorakhpur Cantt–Chhapra Gramin section, advancing rail electrification in the region. Meanwhile, fertilizer company HURL held its Apna Samvaad community event in Gorakhpur, bringing women entrepreneurs known as Drone Didis to the centre stage to share their success stories.
Ashoka Buildcon Bags Rs 290-Crore NER Traction Substation Order for Gorakhpur-Chhapra Section
Ashoka Buildcon Limited has received a Letter of Acceptance, dated 9 October 2026, from North Eastern Railway for the design, supply, erection, testing, and commissioning of traction substations and associated switching posts. The order is valued at Rs 290.23 crore, inclusive of GST, and will be executed in engineering, procurement, and construction mode. The project involves the installation of a 2×25 kV AT traction feeding system and covers the Gorakhpur Cantt–Chhapra Gramin section of the Varanasi Division of North Eastern Railway. The work forms part of the capacity upgradation of electric traction power supply installations on the section. The contract has a completion period of 24 months from the date of commencement. A performance bank guarantee of 5% of the contract price is required, and the defect liability period is two years. The order comes on the heels of Ashoka Buildcon's acquisition of a 100% equity stake in Sakoli Power Transmission Limited, a project-specific special purpose vehicle for an intra-state transmission project in Maharashtra, which was handed over on 23 September 2026 by REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of REC Limited. The Gorakhpur-Chhapra section order was awarded by a domestic entity on EPC mode. [6]
Drone Didis Take Centre Stage at HURL's Apna Samvaad Event in Gorakhpur
HURL's Apna Samvaad event in Gorakhpur brought women entrepreneurs known as Drone Didis to the centre stage, giving them a platform to speak about their success stories and their experiences in rural entrepreneurship. The interaction highlighted the growing role of women-led enterprise in the region and the impact of Drone Didis in agriculture and rural development. HURL, which operates in the fertilizer sector, organised the Apna Samvaad event as a community engagement initiative in Gorakhpur. Drone Didis are women entrepreneurs who have taken up drone technology in agriculture, emerging as a significant force in rural development and innovation in the region. The Apna Samvaad event offered these women the space to share their achievements, challenges, and insights with an audience gathered for the occasion. The gathering underscored the importance of community events in celebrating and encouraging women-led enterprise and the contributions of Drone Didis to their communities. The event reflected HURL's commitment to engaging with the communities in the Gorakhpur region and to supporting women who are driving change through enterprise and technology. The event was reported on 5 October 2026 by Indian Chemical News. [8]
Sources: [6] Power Peak Digest · [8] Indian Chemical News