He has the ability to instantly go to the heart of issues and deconstruct them.
Mr Prabhu has a big challenge ahead in implementing trade reforms to regain the lost export momentum, says Jayanta Roy.
Suresh Prabhu, the new railway minister, described his charge as being 'the engine of growth'.
Prabhu proposed an unprecedented 50% hike in investment.
What the railways need to do is to establish a clear link between higher fares and better service, says T N Ninan.
Prabhu said he was 'extremely pained by the unfortunate accidents, injuries to passengers and loss of precious lives'.
He has now to show that he can take on the vested interests within the railways which are resisting change through corporatisation
Suresh Prabhu must first work to repair damage to railways.
As the NDA government completes two years in office, there are more questions on Swarupa Dutt's mind than answers.
Big challenge to garner sizeable additional resources.
In the history of Indian railway budgets, Suresh Prabhu will perhaps be the first railway minister not to have announced either a single new train or a new railway line
How the 4 ministries have performed
The Union government is reportedly considering doing away with the practice of presenting a separate Railway Budget.
The railways have been able to project improvement in finances.
The railways continue to lose market share with an actual fall in the number of passengers and stagnant freight tonnage, says Subir Roy.
'While Piyush Goel, Dharmendra Pradhan, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and a clutch of former bureaucrats including R K Singh, Hardeep Singh Puri and K J Alphons are loyal BJP members, none of them fit the mould of party apparatchiks.' 'In fact, many of the latter kind have been shown the door or have been given reduced charges.' 'That goes to show the prime minister's comfort level in dealing with professionals and administrators and the trust he reposes in them,' says Shreekant Sambrani.
The question is whether Prime Minister Modi can convince the world's investors that India is the ultimate investment destination of 2018, says Kanika Datta.
Mr Prabhu has set the railways on a course of investing big .
In its sway over national politics now, the Modi-Shah BJP is what the Congress was under Indira Gandhi. Why would they indulge coalition partners, their greed and egos now, asks Shekhar Gupta.
Leaders from all political parties congratulated the saffron party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The idea of modernising railway stations under a PPP arrangement was aired several years ago by the then railway minister, Lalu Prasad, who visualised attracting Rs 15,000 crore (Rs 150 billion) investment in 22 stations.
Around 250 financial market players will participate in a closed door meeting with Narendra Modi on February 27.
The purposeful Narendra Modi who won the election has been replaced by a prime minister who looks quite lost, says T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan
The best way for the railways to become more professional will be to get corporatised.
India as a large country should have inter-modal connectivity, which will help us make travel easier, safer and seamless. That is how you will also gain. You will gain more money, make more revenues, says Praful Patel.
'Till the time the MSM and Modi don't trust one another, expect more Nirmala Sitharamans springing out from nowhere,' says Sudhir Bisht.
'Will 'Make in India' be able to harness the demographic dividend so it does not become a disaster?' 'Will 'Digital India' live up to the lofty promises the government and private sector made as part of its recent launch?'
