Need Electric Vehicles policy for India-specific transportation model: Niti Aayog

Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar today said there is need for a policy to promote electric vehicles (EVs) in India and the think tank is well-placed to develop it.

India cannot completely depend on market or ministries working in silos to deliver a transportation model for future that meets the country's ground reality, he added.

"We need a policy to put in all together (charging infrastructure, battery swapping) and we can't just have people running around on their own and ministries working in silos," Kumar said here at the India Energy Forum-ORF.

He further said, "I think Niti Aayog will be well-placed to develop this policy, and I hope that will be the task we will fulfil going forward."

"There has been a lot of work in the government, cabinet note has been prepared... We are close to identifying principal driver of this policy," he added.

Stating that India needs to move to zero-emission vehicles as soon as possible, the Niti Aayog vice chairman pointed out that India can be a leader in electric mobility going forward as the country produces lots of car.

"We have vehicle manufacturing capabilities. We are the strongest software producing economy in the world, it can help us in making modern, efficient, shared electric mobility transport system," he said.

Noting that nearly 90 per cent of the vehicles on roads were two-and three-wheelers, Kumar said, "We will have to focus first on how to get our major transport vehicle segment, which is two/three-wheelers and public transport buses, to shift to electric mobility and not worry too much about cars."

He also insisted that the government will have to play an important role in encouraging EVs.

"The government can be big aggregator of electric vehicle demand... I think municipality and state governments should also encourage electric vehicles," Kumar observed.

He further said that EV movement or zero-emissions vehicle movement can also be a driver of innovations in this country.