Modi Says India’s Electric Vehicle Policy Will Focus On Public Transport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India plans to come up with a stable policy soon for electric vehicles and alternative fuel-driven transport.

“Policies will be designed as a win-win for all who wants opportunities in the automobile sector,” Modi said at Global Mobility Summit in New Delhi today. Public transport, he said, will remain the focus of the electric mobility push.

Charged mobility is the way forward for India, Modi said, adding that the nation wants to drive investments across the value chain from batteries to smart charging to electric vehicle manufacturing. “India’s entrepreneurs and manufacturers are now poised to develop and deploy break-through battery technology.”

The automobile industry awaits clarity on India’s electric vehicle ambition as Asia’s third-largest economy looks to cut dependence on fossil fuels to lower import bill and emissions. India now aims to turn at least 15 percent of its vehicles electric in five years, Nitin Gadkari, Union minister for road transport and highways, said yesterday. That country targets 30 percent electric mobility by 2030.

Modi said mobility is the next frontier “in our fight against climate change”. “We need to encourage pedestrians and cycling,” he said, adding that creating a common public transport will be cornerstone of his mobility initiative. “Our focus will go beyond cars to other vehicles such as scooters and rickshaws.”