India Set To Become Global EV Manufacturing Hub: NITI Aayog

A total of 33 states and UTs in India have their own EV policies which apart from providing an EV ecosystem are also focussing on attracting investments in the EV sector, Sudhendu J. Sinha, IRTS, Adviser (Infrastructure Connectivity & Electric Mobility), NITI Aayog.

Speaking at PHDCCI’s India Electric Vehicles Conclave, Sinha said that in India while the Central Government has been running various programmes and schemes like FAME I & II, the State Governments drive their own policies.

“While adoption of EVs started at a very slow pace in 2014-15, now the momentum has picked up and we have 7,000 electric buses running in India. The Government has also roped in 16 IITs and National Research Labs to carry our R&D in EVs, Batteries, Charging equipment. The recent announcement in Budget about scheme for one crore homes having solar rooftops will further give an impetus to the Battery sector and in these homes solar power will be used for EV charging,” he said.

He informed that as per the latest Economic Survey, by 2030 India will become a global EV manufacturing hub and expressed hope that soon we will become a major EV exporter as well.

Bhaskar Rajah, Regional Energy Team Leader, USAID, US Embassy, informed that the USAID has been supporting India’s EV journey since the last 20 years. USAID has a big focus on decarbonisation of transport sector in South Asia and they have proposed various innovative methods like demand aggregation of EV buses to reduce costs. He expressed hope that India will soon start exporting EVs to African countries.

Pawan K. Tibrawalla, Co-Chair, Renewable Energy Committee, PHDCCI emphasised on partnerships for facilitating EV adoption in India and appealed that all stakeholders, including the government, industry, academia, and civil society, should come together and work in synergy to drive the EV transformation. We must promote domestic manufacturing of electric vehicles and their components. This will not only boost employment opportunities but also reduce our dependence on imports and strengthen our economy. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and other initiatives aimed at promoting indigenous manufacturing should be further reinforced to create an environment conducive to the growth of electric vehicle manufacturing in India. Dr Ranjeet Mehta, Executive Director, PHDCCI also spoke about the significance of EVs in India’s journey towards reduction of emissions.