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Nitin Gadhkari
In a big step towards greener transport, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari stated that electric vehicles (EVs) in India might be priced up to par with their petrol-fed rivals.
Addressing an industry conference on Monday, Gadkari stated price parity between EVs and traditional autos is imminent over the next four to six months, as per Free Press Journal.
The need for this shift?
The minister highlighted the need for this shift, referencing India's gigantic fuel import bill as a source of economic and environmental strain.
“India’s annual fuel import bill of ₹22 lakh crore is a significant economic strain and an environmental problem,” he said, in a bid for accelerated adoption of clean mobility solutions.
Automobile industry targets for 5 years
Minister Nitin Gadkari has also outlined his vision for the Indian automobile industry, whilst setting an ambitious target for it to become the largest in the world within the next five years.
“The industry has already grown from ₹14 lakh crore to ₹22 lakh crore since I took office,” he said, noting that India now ranks third globally, behind only the United States and China.
Helping rural economies
He also highlighted the important role of farmers in India's transition to energy and pointed out how various biofuel initiatives are helping reshape rural economies.
He pointed out: “Farmers have earned an additional ₹45,000 crore by producing ethanol from corn, which helps reduce the reliance on traditional fossil fuels."
Though electric mobility is the most immediate priority, Nitin Gadkari also championed hydrogen as "the fuel of the future."
The planning & budget
He introduced the development of India's first "hydrogen highways" initiative, with a plan to install hydrogen refuelling stations on strategic national corridors to facilitate long-distance, hydrogen-fuelled freight transport.
He ended by underlining the imperative of mitigating India's reliance on imported crude oil, which presently supplies 87% of the country's energy requirements.
“A budget of ₹500 crore has been approved for these trials, which will involve 37 vehicles running on ten different routes,” he said. The project will be supported by the creation of 9 hydrogen refuelling stations, laying the groundwork for a cleaner logistics network.
Nitin Gadkari also emphasised the importance of reducing India’s dependence on imported crude oil, which currently accounts for 87% of the nation’s energy needs.
“We must take strong steps to ensure energy self-reliance,” he said. In doing so, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a sustainable, economically resilient future.