The government is working towards making India a global automobile hub within the next five years, says Nitin Gadkari. The intent is to transform the country into a manufacturing hot spot for global auto manufacturers, with a focus on the electric vehicle segment.
The union road transport and heavy industries minister said that the centre was already planning policies to support the industry towards this aim. “The future is very bright and India has the potential to become the largest electric vehicle market in the world, as the government continues to push for EV adoption,” Gadkari said.
The aim aligns perfectly with Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ push, a new post-pandemic updated version of the govt’s own ‘Make in India’ initiative. Many fiscal and stimulus measures have aimed to turn India into a manufacturing hub, a shift from the domestic economy’s focus on the services sector. The services-centric economy model is one of the reasons for India’s acute lockdown economic pains, it is believed.
The push to become a manufacturing hub, for EVs and otherwise, works well with the present anti-China sentiments all over the world, with many multinationals looking at either moving their manufacturing businesses out of China or at having a China-plus-one strategy. In fact, China presently has a stranglehold on the global electric mobility ecosystem, being not only the biggest manufacturer of electric buses and other vehicles but also of batteries and charging solutions. Even some of the raw materials required in the EV supply chain are solely available from the mainland communist nation.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the business chamber FICCI, Gadkari said that while Indian manufacturers have the capability to make EVs, it is also about creating more jobs and opportunities for exports. He pointed out to the govt’s e-highway project between Delhi and Mumbai where e-buses and trucks would run.
“Delhi-Mumbai corridor will become the lifeline of India and we plan to install new electric roads. Electricity as a fuel is available in the country, hence mass rapid transport on electricity is the most important solution for the country,” he said, adding, “E-mobility is going to be the future mode of transport, with greater efficiency and less impact on the environment.”
