Gadkari retains Transport Ministry; HD Kumaraswamy gets Heavy Industries

Nitin Gadkari will continue as the Minister for Road Transport and Highways for the third consecutive term, while Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy has been appointed as the new Minister of Heavy Industries in the newly elected government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Gadkari, the senior BJP leader who won from the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra with a margin of over 1.37 lakh votes, would be the longest-serving road transport minister.

In addition to the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Kumaraswamy, the former Karnataka Chief Minister who has been elected to Lok Sabha from the Mandya constituency in Karnataka this time, has been appointed as the Minister of Steel.

The previous minister of heavy industries Mahendra Nath Pandey was not elected back to the Lok Sabha this time as the BJP leader lost from the Chandauli parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and the Ministry of Heavy Industries are among the two crucial ministries related to the automotive sector.

The transport ministry deals with matters relating to road transport such as motor vehicle legislation and safety standards, while the heavy industries ministry handles incentive schemes such as PLI for Automobiles and Auto Components, and the PLI for Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery storage, as well as the Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Hardeep Singh Puri will continue as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas for the second term. Former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal, who has been elected to Lok Sabha from Karnal this time, is the new Minister of Power.