Industri Kereta Api
Indonesian state-owned rolling-stock manufacturer producing passenger trains, locomotives, freight wagons, multiple units, rail buses, and selected electric buses.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
PT Industri Kereta Api, commonly known as INKA, is Indonesia's state-owned rolling-stock manufacturer. Established in 1981, the company was created to develop domestic railway-manufacturing capability and to transform the former railway workshop in Madiun, East Java, into an industrial production facility. Its principal customers have included Indonesia's national railway operator and government transport agencies, while its export customers have included railway organizations and transport companies in Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand. INKA's core business covers the design, manufacture, refurbishment, and maintenance of railway vehicles. Its portfolio includes passenger coaches, economy and executive-class cars, electric multiple units, diesel multiple units, locomotives, freight wagons, container and flat wagons, rail buses, airport railway vehicles, light-rail vehicles, and inspection or specialized railway equipment. The company has been an important supplier to the Indonesian railway system since the 1980s, supporting the expansion and modernization of intercity, commuter, airport, and urban rail services across Java, Sumatra, and other Indonesian regions. The company's early development focused on conventional passenger coaches and freight cars. It later expanded into electric multiple units through licensed cooperation with Japanese manufacturers and subsequently developed greater local production capability. During the 1990s, INKA broadened its engineering base through projects involving long-distance trainsets and locomotives, including cooperation with General Electric. Its export program also grew during that decade, beginning with freight wagons for Malaysia and later extending to Thailand and other markets. INKA has worked with international technology and manufacturing partners while progressively increasing its own design and production capabilities. Its railway products have incorporated steel and stainless-steel car bodies, modern traction systems, air-conditioning equipment, and configurations adapted to local operating conditions. The company has also produced rolling stock for Indonesia's airport rail link, Palembang LRT, Jabodebek LRT, and national commuter services. It has supplied diesel multiple units and rail buses for regional services and has produced specialized freight equipment for coal, containers, and other cargo. Although railway vehicles remain its defining business, INKA has pursued adjacent transport activities. These have included the proposed GEA small vehicle, CNG-powered Inobus buses for urban public transport, the Kancil compact vehicle project, and electric-bus development. These initiatives reflect an effort to apply the company's manufacturing and engineering capabilities beyond rail, although the available reference material does not establish all of these activities as continuing major businesses. INKA operates manufacturing facilities in Madiun and Banyuwangi. In 2020, INKA, Indonesia's national railway operator KAI, and Stadler Rail were reported to have planned a Banyuwangi facility for crash, tilt, and rollover testing in accordance with International Union of Railways standards. The company's more recent work has included additional commuter rolling stock for Indonesia, passenger and freight vehicles for overseas customers, and continuing development of locally produced railway and electric-transport products. Ownership and governance remain associated with the Indonesian state; the available reference material identifies the Indonesian government as the majority owner through Danantara but does not provide a complete current corporate ownership schedule.
History
INKA was established by the Indonesian government in May 1981 as part of a national strategy to create domestic railway-manufacturing capacity. Its formation involved the transfer of management of a railway workshop previously operated by PJKA, the predecessor of Indonesia's national railway operator, in Madiun, East Java. The formal workshop handover took place on 29 August 1981. The site was subsequently developed from a maintenance-oriented facility into a manufacturer capable of producing complete rolling stock. In 1982, INKA began building passenger coaches for the Indonesian railway network and produced an Indonesian-made enclosed box wagon. By 1985, it was manufacturing steel economy and executive passenger coaches, both with and without air conditioning. These products established the company as a significant domestic supplier and gave it a base for more technically demanding projects. INKA entered electric multiple-unit production in 1987 by assembling Rheostatic EMUs under license through cooperation with a Japanese consortium led by Nippon Sharyo. Full production of Indonesian-made EMUs followed in 1994 through cooperation involving BN-Holec. During the same period, the company expanded its product range into long-distance trainsets. It developed trainsets for the Argo Bromo and Argo Gede services in 1995 and produced further Argo Bromo Anggrek trainsets in 1997. International work became an increasingly important part of the company's development. INKA exported freight wagons to Malaysia in 1991 and supplied hopper wagons to Thailand in 1998. In 1996, cooperation with General Electric through PT GE Lokomotif Indonesia supported locomotive production, including locomotives exported to the Philippines. The company also exported train-car bodies and related structures to Australia in 2004 and supplied passenger coaches to Bangladesh in 2006. A larger Bangladesh order followed in 2016. The company continued to diversify its Indonesian railway portfolio in the 2000s. It introduced the EA201 electric multiple-unit series for the KRL commuter system in 2001, developed regional rail buses such as Kertalaya and Batara Kresna, and began diesel multiple-unit production in 2007. Its projects also included economy-class air-conditioned trainsets, GE C20EMP locomotives, freight wagons for coal and container traffic, and specialized railway equipment. During the 2010s, INKA became involved in several prominent Indonesian transport programs. It supplied vehicles for the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Rail Link and produced light-rail vehicles for Palembang. It subsequently completed the first Jabodebek LRT series. The company also introduced I-COND train air-conditioning equipment and expanded into buses, including CNG-powered Inobus products and the E-Inobus electric-bus concept. INKA's railway activities continued to include international projects. Its reported work for the Philippines included PNR 8000- and 8100-class diesel multiple units, PNR 8300-class coaches, and CC300 diesel-hydraulic locomotives. In 2020, INKA, KAI, and Stadler Rail were reported to be establishing a Banyuwangi facility for rolling-stock crash, tilt, and rollover testing under International Union of Railways standards. In 2023, INKA produced 133 flat wagons for KiwiRail in New Zealand. A later commuter project listed in the reference material is the iE305 series for KAI Commuter in 2025, while an underframe project involving GE-UGL C44 ESACi was listed for 2026. INKA has operated manufacturing facilities in Madiun and Banyuwangi. Its principal role remains the design, production, refurbishment, and support of railway vehicles for Indonesia and selected overseas customers. The company has also explored automotive and bus manufacturing, including a proposed GEA national-car project and the Kancil small vehicle, but railway rolling stock remains its defining business. The available reference material does not identify current individual executives or provide a complete current ownership breakdown. It describes INKA as state-owned and identifies the Indonesian government as the majority owner through Danantara.
- 2023
KiwiRail flat-wagon order
[1]INKA produced 133 flat wagons for New Zealand's KiwiRail.
- 2019
Jabodebek LRT and E-Inobus
[1]INKA completed the first Jabodebek LRT series and introduced an electric-bus product under the E-Inobus name.
- 2018
Palembang LRT
[1]The company launched light-rail vehicles for Palembang.
- 2017
Airport rail-link vehicles
[1]INKA completed railway vehicles for the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Rail Link.
- 2015
I-COND launch
[1]INKA launched train air-conditioning equipment under the I-COND brand.
- 2007
Diesel multiple units and regional rail buses
[1]The company developed its first cited diesel multiple-unit products and received projects for regional rail buses.
- 2001
EA201 commuter EMU
[1]INKA introduced the EA201 electric multiple-unit series for Indonesia's KRL commuter system.
- 1996
Locomotive cooperation with General Electric
[1]INKA produced locomotives through PT GE Lokomotif Indonesia and participated in exports to the Philippines.
- 1994
Indonesian EMU production expands
[1]Full production of Indonesian-made EMUs began through cooperation involving BN-Holec.
- 1991
First reported Malaysian freight-wagon export
[1]INKA exported freight wagons to Malaysia.
Products and positioning
A state-backed Indonesian rolling-stock and transport-equipment manufacturer serving domestic railway modernization while competing for selected international rail and public-transport contracts.
Railway passenger vehicles · 1982
Passenger coaches
Passenger coaches are one of INKA's longest-established product categories. The company has produced Indonesian economy and executive coaches, including air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned steel cars, and has supplied coaches to KAI and overseas railway customers. Later products have used more advanced steel and stainless-steel construction and have been configured for intercity, commuter, and government transport programs.
Railway multiple units · 1987
Electric multiple units
INKA entered EMU production through licensed Japanese cooperation in 1987 and expanded Indonesian production during the 1990s. Its EMU work has included the EA101 and EA201 series, later commuter vehicles, and the EA203 series associated with the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Rail Link. The company has progressively incorporated local manufacturing, modern traction equipment, and steel or stainless-steel car bodies.
Railway multiple units · 2007
Diesel multiple units
INKA developed diesel multiple units for Indonesian regional passenger services beginning with projects ordered in the 2000s. The MH102 series was associated with services in Aceh and eastern Java. The company later produced diesel multiple units and coaches for Philippine National Railways, including vehicles identified in the reference material as PNR 8000 and PNR 8100 classes.
Railway traction equipment · 1996
Locomotives
INKA has produced diesel and diesel-hydraulic locomotives through domestic manufacturing and international technology cooperation. Its notable projects include the CC203 locomotive program developed with General Electric and the CC300 diesel-hydraulic locomotives supplied for the Philippines. Locomotive work complements the company's passenger-car and multiple-unit businesses.
Rail freight vehicles · 1982
Freight wagons
Freight equipment has been a core INKA category since the company's early years. Its portfolio has included enclosed box wagons, coal wagons, hopper wagons, container wagons, flat wagons, reefer-bogie flat cars, and other specialized freight structures. Customers and projects have included Indonesian mining and railway operations as well as export programs for Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Australia, and New Zealand.
Light-rail vehicles · 2018
Palembang and Jabodebek LRT vehicles
INKA produced urban light-rail vehicles for Palembang and subsequently developed an improved series for the Jabodebek LRT. The Palembang vehicles were designed for a third-rail urban system, while the Jabodebek program represented a larger metropolitan transport application serving the Jakarta region.
Bus · 2011
Inobus
Inobus is INKA's bus-related product line, including compressed-natural-gas articulated and single buses developed for Indonesian public transport. The reference material identifies ATC 320 articulated buses and SGL 290 single buses, as well as a proposed ATC 340 variant. The company later connected the Inobus platform to electric-bus development through the E-Inobus name.
Electric bus · 2019
E-Inobus
E-Inobus is an electric-bus initiative launched by INKA in the late 2010s. In 2022, INKA and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember were reported to be continuing work on five Red and White electric buses. The vehicles were subsequently associated with conversion for Indonesian public-transport operations, although the reference material does not establish the current commercial scale of the product.
Railway climate-control equipment · 2015
I-COND
I-COND is a train air-conditioning product introduced by INKA in 2015. It represents the company's effort to supply railway subsystems in addition to complete cars, locomotives, and multiple units.
Brand decisions
2022
Continue Red and White electric-bus developmentProduct launchBackground
INKA and Indonesian technical institutions were developing locally produced electric buses for public transport.
Action taken
INKA and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember continued production work on five Red and White electric buses.
Aftermath
The buses reached a reported finishing stage and were later associated with conversion for Trans Metro Pasundan and Trans Semanggi Suroboyo services.
2020
Plan a rolling-stock testing facilityStrategyBackground
Indonesia needed domestic testing capability for modern rolling stock and internationally recognized safety validation.
Action taken
INKA, KAI, and Stadler Rail announced plans for a Banyuwangi facility for crash, tilt, and rollover testing to International Union of Railways standards.
Aftermath
The plan indicated an effort to deepen Indonesia's railway engineering and certification infrastructure; the available material does not confirm the facility's completed operational status.
2018
Supply vehicles for Palembang LRTProduct launchBackground
Indonesia was developing urban rail systems for major cities and required locally produced light-rail vehicles.
Action taken
INKA produced and launched LRT vehicles for Palembang.
Aftermath
The project strengthened INKA's position in urban rail and preceded the improved Jabodebek LRT vehicle program.
1996
Broaden locomotive capability through GE cooperationStrategyBackground
INKA sought to expand beyond coaches and wagons into locomotive manufacturing and international railway projects.
Action taken
The company participated in locomotive production through PT GE Lokomotif Indonesia in cooperation with General Electric.
Aftermath
The cooperation supported CC203 locomotive production and exports to the Philippines.
1987
Enter electric multiple-unit productionProduct launchBackground
Indonesia required modern electric commuter rolling stock while INKA was still developing its manufacturing capabilities.
Action taken
INKA assembled Rheostatic EMUs under license with a Japanese consortium led by Nippon Sharyo.
Aftermath
The project became a foundation for later Indonesian EMU production and commuter-train programs.
1981
Create a national rolling-stock manufacturerStrategyBackground
Indonesia's national strategic planning under President Suharto called for domestic railway-manufacturing capability and reduced reliance on imported rolling stock.
Action taken
The government established INKA and transferred the former PJKA workshop in Madiun to the new company.
Aftermath
The workshop developed into Indonesia's principal state-backed rolling-stock manufacturer and a supplier to both domestic and foreign railway customers.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/industri-kereta-api · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled