Sulajja Firodia Motwani bats for five-year 'demand-generation scheme' to maintain EV momentum

Sullaja Firodia Motwani is of the opinion that the industry needs a 'five-year demand generation scheme' that will keep the momentum for electric vehicles.

This, even after the FAME 2 scheme comes to an end to continue the growth momentum to ensure that 30 percent of all sales of automobiles sold by 2030 are electric vehicles. 

Speaking at the 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, the Vice Chairperson of Kinetic Green and Chairperson of FICCI's Mobility Forum said that FICCI, as part of its E Mobility 2047 road map, had outlined a 40 percent reduction in India's oil import bill and the government must invest with further incentives for EV manufacturers so the existing OEMs and component manufacturers continue to invest in infrastructure and provide the charging point operators to add more charging stations enriching the EV ecosystem.

She added that FICCI, as part of its E Mobility 2047 road map, had outlined a 40 percent reduction in India's oil import bill and the government must invest with further incentives for EV manufacturers so the existing OEMs and component manufacturers continue to invest in infrastructure and provide the charging point operators to add more charging stations enriching the EV ecosystem.

"Global economies are making huge investments for the transition to green and clean mobility and I am confident that with the government's vision, India will not miss the bus," Motwani said.

Outlining the road map for its growth, she added that the "Indian industry has made a good beginning. EV policies like the FAME scheme and PLI schemes  have been very favorable, including Gujarat's state EV Policy." 

Sharing Sullaja's perspective on how India is becoming a powerhouse for Electric vehicles Tarun Mehta, Co-founder and CEO of Ather Energy, said India's two-wheeler technology is cutting edge. 'This is the place where start-ups like Ather have led the way in R&D and innovation, which the world has to see and come to India and be part of this revolution," he added. 

Talking about the sweet spot in EV manufacturing ecosystems, Mehta  said that "The sweet spot is when technology can pair that with a large Giga manufacturing scale, which will meet the potential of the Indian automotive industry for epic growth in the industry."

Talking about the role of policies in giving a fillip to the growth of EVs, he indicated that "policies like PLI can play a critical role if they encourage start-ups to invest in technology-based manufacturing."

"In India, we are seeing an ecosystem of EV manufacturing, from batteries to cells and components. Increasingly, I am seeing various states like Gujarat sharing the same vision as EV manufacturers, which is no mean feat," he added. 

Concerning Gujarat, Ather Energy Co-founder said the state has shown time and again that it has one of the most conducive environments for the growth of manufacturing and its ecosystem and Ather is looking forward to partnering with the state and driving this growth."