Gujarat Chief Secretary JN Singh too said the state is going to take a lead in the e-mobility sector.
The Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR), which is coming up near Ahmedabad, can lead the country’s EV sector from the front, opined NITI Aayog’s CEO Amitabh Kant here on Saturday. He said the declining cost of key components for e-vehicles (EVs) including that of lithium-ion batteries and the rapid scaling of manufacturing of these components in India can make EVs the most cost-effective solution for intra-city travel.
Gujarat Chief Secretary JN Singh too said the state is going to take a lead in the e-mobility sector. He said Dholera is going to be a grand success as the government is making a huge investment in the region to develop infrastructure, including six-lane highway connectivity with Ahmedabad airport.
Addressing a conference on sustainable mobility through video link, Kant said the country’s EV focus should mainly be on two-, three-wheeler vehicles and public transport. “We have a gameplan to drive electric vehicles, particularly two-, three-wheelers, public transport and manufacturing of batteries in India. Our objective is to first work on about 80% of components of two-, three-wheelers and buses and also push manufacturing of batteries in India,” Kant said.
“Recently, we had the Global Mobility Summit, where PM Modi outlined the future of mobility in India based on seven Cs — Common, Connected, Convenient, Congestion-free, Charged, Clean, and Cutting-edge (technology).”Kant further said India’s per capita car ownership is very low. “It is around 20 per 1,000 persons as compared to 900 in the US and 800 in Europe. India’s low per capita car ownership provides the chance to pursue a different model from the western world. Our emphasis must be on shared, connected electric transportation,” he added.
The IAS officer said India has a great scope for manufacturing of batteries for EVs, which alone cost around 40 per cent of the vehicle cost. With companies expressing interest in investing in the manufacturing of EV components, Kant said Dholera will be a front leader for the EV sector in the country.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Chief secretary JN Singh said plans are afoot to generate around 5000-MW solar power from the coastal parts of the area out of which around 250 MW plant will be ready soon. He also said Tata Chemicals is in an advanced stage of discussion for setting-up a lithium-ion battery manufacturing unit.
Source: dnaindia
