Ashwini Vaishnaw, the 39th Railway Minister of India has been one of the most notable alumni of our alma mater.He is a gold medallist of JNVU Jodhpur, where he pursued his BTech in Electronics and Communication. After completing his MTech from IIT Kanpur, he became an IAS officer of the Odisha cadre at the age of 24.

During his stint as a civil servant in Odisha, he shot to fame for his work during the Super Cyclone in 1999. Vaishnaw, who served as both the Collector of Balasore and Cuttack, consistently kept a close eye on the US Navy website to stay informed about the cyclone's progress. His regular updates to the Chief Secretary's office played a crucial role in shaping the relief efforts. Additionally, he received recognition for his efforts in developing the Public Private Participation framework for the infrastructure sector.

During his stint in Odisha, Vaishnaw came in touch with Ashok Saikia when the latter was a joint secretary in Vajpayee’s PMO. In 2003, he was sent on Central deputation where he joined as a deputy secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. His closeness to the late Prime Minister can be gauged by the fact that he continued to be his private secretary even after the former Prime Minister demitted office in 2004. Then he went on to pursue MBA from the reputed Wharton Business School in 2008 after serving as the Chairman of the Mormugao Port Trust in Goa for two years.

Driven by an insatiable curiosity and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, this visionary individual chose to transcend the boundaries of stability and security to immerse themselves in the dynamic tapestry of corporate intricacies. Their decision wasn't merely an abandonment of the past but a purposeful pursuit of a broader perspective, a desire to understand the multifaceted dynamics that shape not only businesses but also the lives of countless individuals. In doing so, he quit the civil service, even though he knew that he wouldn't get the retirement benefits as he hadn’t completed twenty years of his service.

He remained in the corporate sector till 2012 during which he led many top corporations by being the Managing Director in GE Transportation and Vice President in Siemens Locomotives before quitting to turn entrepreneur. He set up Three Tee Auto Logistics Private Ltd and Vee Gee Auto Components Private Ltd, both automotive components manufacturing units in Gujarat.

The trust held in Mr. Ashwini Vaibhaw is very much reflected by the fact that in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, his candidature was proposed by the BJP and backed by the Chief Minister of Odisha, Mr. Navin Patnaik. Just two years later, his experience and understanding of the field landed him with the responsibility of holding multiple ministerial positions in the Indian government. Since 2021, he has been serving as the Minister of Railways, Minister of Communications, and Minister of Electronics & Information Technology.

Among his accomplishments as a cabinet minister, he has successfully achieved:

1. Railways
            - He has worked for the redevelopment and modernization of the railway infrastructure and passenger
              services. Over 250 stations have been redeveloped or are under redevelopment as of December 2023.
            - As of March 2023, over 3,000 km of railway tracks have been upgraded to a higher standard, thus
              improving the the speed and safety of train operations.
            - Constructed several Dedicated Freight Corridors, including the Eastern and Western ones.
            - Since Vaishnaw took office, the average punctuality rate for trains has significantly improved and is
              currently well beyond 90%.

2. Electronics & Information technology
            - As of 2023, over 200 million households have been connected to the internet under the BharatNet
              program.
            - UPI transactions have exceeded 10 billion per month in 2023.
            - India's electronics manufacturing output has grown from $55 billion in 2017 to $80 billion in 2023.
            - Growth of India's IT industry revenue from $150 billion in 2017 to $230 billion in 2023 has made it the
              world's second-largest exporter of IT services.
3. Communications
            - The government raised over $20 billion from the 5G spectrum auction in 2022, which led to the rollout of
              5G services in major Indian cities.