Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways & MSME, on Friday, said that the government is working towards making India a global automobile manufacturing hub in the next five years. The government is already making policies to support the industry, he added.
Gadkari made the comments while addressing the virtual ‘Electric Mobility Conference 2020’, organized by FICCI Karnataka State Council, Gadkari said, “The future is very bright and India has the potential to become the largest Electric Vehicle (EV) market in the world as the government continues to push for EV adoption,” he added.
The Union Minister also called the auto industry to reduce costs of the EVs in order to boost sales He stressed that the quality of the vehicles should also be maintained. He said he hoped that higher output in the automobile industry would be able to cater to the rapidly growing market. He added that Indian manufacturers have the capability to make efficient EVs that can not only create more jobs but also provide opportunities for exports.
“e-Mobility is going to be the future mode of transport with greater efficiency and less impact on the environment. Import of crude oil and air pollution are two major concerns for the country. We need to have an integrated approach for EVs,” Gadkari added.
“We are going ahead with a pilot project; the 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 added.
EV makers, he said, must decentralize their supply chains and companies need to focus on procuring raw materials and production of battery cells locally on a continued basis. Road transport in the country is undergoing a shift and he urged everyone to adopt eco-friendly mobility solutions.
