EXCLUSIVE: Nine months on, India's SMEC policy for electric car manufacturing remains stalled

India's much-anticipated new EV policy is caught in a curious state of limbo, it seems; awaiting clarity about the fate of the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars (SMEC) policy. This scheme, designed to make India as a global EV hub, was unveiled with much fanfare in mid-March this year, but its operational guidelines remain elusive, even after nearly nine months. The delay has cast a pall of uncertainty over the entire EV sector, leaving industry players anxiously awaiting a definitive roadmap.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries, in a response to Autocar Professional obtained via a Right to Information (RTI) query, stated that key elements of the scheme—including the formation of an inter-ministerial sanctioning committee —are still pending.

Until ...