Ajay Singh
Sustainability Practitioner and Water Conservation Advocate
Ajay Singh is a mechanical engineer, sustainability practitioner, and water conservation advocate with over three decades of experience in the Indian Railways. After serving for 34 years in the Indian Railways Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), he took voluntary retirement in 2023 to focus full-time on sustainable water management, groundwater conservation, lake restoration, and environmental sustainability. His work combines engineering, public policy, manufacturing sustainability, and environmental stewardship, with a particular focus on making institutions and campuses water secure. He has led sustainability initiatives across Indian Railways, authored guidance documents on sustainable manufacturing and water management, and teaches sustainability, urban water systems, and environmental management at universities and Indian Railways training institutions. He is also actively involved in lake conservation, environmental education, and public awareness on water through research, teaching, and community engagement.
Past Positions:
- Chief Mechanical Engineer (Environment & Heritage Management), South Western Railway
- Chief Mechanical Engineer (Planning), Rail Wheel Factory, Bengaluru
- Chief Workshop Engineer & Chief Environment Officer, Rail Wheel Factory
- Secretary to General Manager & Chief Public Relations Officer, Rail Wheel Factory
- Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer, Northern Railway
- Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer, Northern Railway
- Director (Mechanical Engineering - Development), Ministry of Railways, Government of India
- Professor (Information Technology), Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE)
- Senior EDP Manager & Head IT, Rail Wheel Factory
- Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer, Rail Wheel Factory
- Held various engineering and management positions in Southern Railway (1993-1999)
Educational Qualifications:
- Sustainable Groundwater Management (NPTEL-SWAYAM), Indian Institute of Technology Madras (2025)
- Workshop on Impact of Railways on Wildlife, Wildlife Institute of India (2023)
- Strategic Management Programme, Indian School of Business (2015)
- Advanced Management Program - Customer Strategies, INSEAD (2011)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering), Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE), Jamalpur (1993)
- Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi (1988-1989)
- AISSCE (Science), Kendriya Vidyalaya, BHU, Varanasi
Selected Publications / Reports:
- Singh, A. (2023). Sustainable Water Management at Rail Wheel Factory, RWF Yelahanka, Bengaluru. Urban Waters Bengaluru.
- South Western Railway. (2023). South Western Railway Sustainability Handbook 2023. (Contributor/Lead Author).Singh, A. (2022).
- Sustainability in Manufacturing - RWF Case Study. Indian Railways Institute of Logistics & Material Management Journal, 24(1).
- Rail Wheel Factory. (2017). Environment Handbook. Ministry of Railways. (Lead Contributor).
- Singh, A. (2015). Steam Heritage Shed Rewari, Northern Railway. Shubh Yatra (Air India In-flight Magazine). http://shubh-yatra.in/emag/october15/#/ShubhYatra/72Ministry of Railways. (2009).
- Report on Implementation of End of Train Telemetry System on Indian Railways. (Co-authored).
- Singh, A. Railway Heritage Photo Essay: Death of a Species - The WDS4B Locomotives of Indian Railways.
- Google Arts & Culture / Rail Enthusiast Society.Ministry of Railways.
- Report on Standard Specification for Data Formats Related to Wayside Identification and Detection Equipment. (Co-authored).
