SIAM Launches Sustainable Mobility Week in New Delhi with Focus on Multi-Fuel Transition

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Monday inaugurated its Sustainable Mobility Week in New Delhi, a multi-day initiative designed to bring together policymakers, industry representatives, researchers, and international stakeholders to address sustainability challenges across the mobility sector. The programme, running until February 19 at India Habitat Centre, covers decarbonisation, road safety, circularity, and material compliance.

The week opened with the 4th edition of the International Symposium for Thriving Eco-Energy in Mobility (ISTEM), themed "Partnering for a Sustainable Future: Accelerating India's Multi-Fuel Mobility Transition." The symposium convened government officials, industry executives, and representatives from international organisations to examine pathways for scaling clean and diversified mobility in India.

Alongside the symposium, SIAM unveiled the Sustainable Mobility Zone, a public exhibition featuring 11 vehicles and a cross-section of next-generation mobility technologies. The showcase includes electric and hybrid systems, hydrogen solutions, CNG and LNG platforms, ethanol and biofuel-compatible vehicles, as well as recycling technologies and enabling infrastructure. The zone was inaugurated by Ashwini Srivastava, Joint Secretary (Sugar), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution; Abhay Bakre, Mission Director, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy; and H.E. Kenneth Félix Haczynski da Nóbrega, Ambassador of Brazil to India.

Speaking at the inauguration, SIAM Executive Director Prashant K. Banerjee pointed to India's achievement of 20 per cent ethanol blending as evidence of what multi-stakeholder collaboration can deliver, and cited Brazil's biofuel experience as an important reference point. He described mobility as a sunrise sector and underlined the role of biofuels, hydrogen, and gas-based fuels in India's decarbonisation strategy.

Government representatives addressed key dimensions of the clean fuel transition. Srivastava highlighted the progress of India's ethanol blending programme in reducing crude oil imports, cutting emissions, and supporting the agricultural sector. Bakre noted improvements in EV adoption since 2017-18 and spoke of advances in methanol engines, green energy corridors, and hydrogen pilot programmes. He said declining costs and improving deployment quality would expand hydrogen's role in the mobility mix over time.

The Brazilian Ambassador drew parallels between Brazil's ethanol experience and India's trajectory, noting that supply resilience strengthens when multiple clean fuel pathways are pursued simultaneously. He referenced the upcoming COP30 summit in Belém and pointed to growing India-Brazil collaboration on sustainable fuels and mobility standards.

Three thematic sessions covered barriers to alternate fuel adoption in India's mobility ecosystem, innovations in clean mobility technology, and strategies for scaling alternate fuels. Sessions featured presentations and panel discussions with participants from Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, Cummins, Maruti Suzuki, Praj Industries, NTPC, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, and other industry and policy organisations.

SIAM Sustainable Mobility Week will continue over the following three days. The 2nd Summit for Automotive Future Advancement in Road Safety (SAFAR) is scheduled for February 17, followed by the 4th International Conference on Sustainable Circularity (ICSC) on February 18, and the 1st International Conference on Automotive Material Compliance & Sustainability (AMCS) on February 19.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) is the apex national body representing major vehicle and vehicular engine manufacturers in India. Registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, SIAM works to strengthen the automobile industry's contribution to the Indian economy, support its social obligations, and advance road safety, environmental improvement, and user protection. It holds registration under the Income Tax Act, 1961 as an institution with charitable purpose.