Minister for Heavy Industries H. D. Kumaraswamy highlighted the Government’s focus on Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat, stressing the importance of advanced manufacturing sectors for India’s future growth. Electric mobility plays a central role in this transformation by reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels, cutting emissions, and creating new opportunities for Indian industry and innovators.
The Minister detailed the Government’s initiatives, citing the FAME-II scheme’s support for over 16.71 lakh electric vehicles and the establishment of more than 9,000 public charging stations. Additionally, schemes like PM E-DRIVE and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Auto are driving electric vehicle adoption and promoting domestic value addition.
Kumaraswamy also mentioned the PLI-ACC scheme aimed at establishing 50 GWh of Advanced Chemistry Cell battery manufacturing capacity in India. He highlighted the Rare Earth Permanent Magnet (REPM) scheme to boost indigenous manufacturing of critical components for electric vehicles, wind turbines, defence systems, and electronics.
Addressing environmental concerns, the Minister emphasized the need to focus on electrifying the commercial vehicle segment due to its significant contribution to transport-related pollution. He announced plans to set up over 70,000 charging stations nationwide under the PM E-DRIVE scheme to bolster electric vehicle adoption in this sector.
During his symposium visit, Kumaraswamy toured exhibition stalls, interacted with industry stakeholders, startups, and researchers, and explored emerging technologies enhancing passenger safety and mobility efficiency. He inaugurated new facilities at ARAI’s Mobility Research Centre in Takwe, expressing confidence in strengthening India’s testing and certification infrastructure.
Appreciating the involvement of MSMEs and startups in SIAT, the Minister credited ARAI’s outreach initiatives for fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the automotive sector.
