NITI Aayog discourses on policy enablers for e-mobility at G20 ETWG

On the side-lines of the 4th Energy Transition Working Group (ETWG) meeting under India's G20 Presidency, the country apex policy think-tank NITI Aayog has organized a one-day conference titled "Policy Support & Enablers to Accelerate India's Electric Mobility" at Goa. 

NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Shri Suman Bery, India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, Chief Minister of Goa Dr. Pramod Sawant, and other prominent dignitaries were present on the occasion. The event was supported by WRI India and Asian Development Bank. 

The conference served as an important platform to convene national and international stakeholders, who engaged in critical discussions and exploring viable financing, regulatory, and policy avenues to catalyze India's electric mobility strategy and growth in the coming years. 

In his inaugural address, Suman Bery, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, highlighted the transformative potential of the Indian EV industry and its positive impact on both the economy and the environment. He emphasized the role of electric mobility in accelerating India's economic growth along low-carbon pathways and facilitating the nation's net-zero vision for 2070.

In-depth discussions revolving around key themes including EV ecosystem in different states and National Electric Bus Programme was witnessed at the conference. 

Moreover, high-level dialogues and G20 talks centered around EV Finance Innovations and the Future Electric Mobility Landscape offered valuable insights for stakeholders to navigate the evolving electric mobility ecosystem in the country. 

Amitabh Kant, who made a special address at the conference, commented, "EVs have arrived, soon petrol and diesel based ICE vehicles would be dead. We need to target 100 percent electrification of 2W and 3W for India by 2030. India is also looking to procure 50,000 electric buses by pooling demand from 30+ cities". 

"We need consistent long term policy and low cost financing for accelerating e-mobility transition. India also needs to build on the ACC and EV PLI to develop the complete supply chain for advanced battery manufacturing. We need to stop worrying too much about raw materials as sufficient value additions can be done in India even if we import critical minerals. We need to develop circular economy framework", he added.

He further emphasized the seven Cs framework for EVs envisioned by the Prime Minister- Common, Connected, Convenient, Congestion-free, Charged, Clean, and Cutting-edge. To achieve this vision, he stressed the importance of a low-cost financing framework, a robust charging infrastructure, and collaborative efforts among central, state, and city authorities, all underpinned by a consistent policy framework.

"This is India's biggest opportunity to become global champion. We need companies to set vision of setting 50GWh+ individual manufacturing capacities for getting to global scale", he said. 

At the conference, Goa CM Pramod Sawant announced new EV mandates for his state. Starting from 2024, all new tourist vehicles in the state will be mandated to be electric, signifying a significant leap in Goa's journey towards sustainable mobility. 

Additionally, permit holders overseeing multiple vehicles, including rental cars and bikes in Goa, have pledged to electrify 30 percent of their fleet through retrofitting by June 2024, contributing to the state's electrification efforts, he declared.