India’s debate over the future powertrain pathway is largely settled, according to Shenu Agarwal, President-designate of SIAM and Managing Director & CEO of Ashok Leyland.
Speaking exclusively to Autocar Professional at the SIAM Annual Convention 2026, Agarwal says India will have to follow a multi-fuel pathway, with electrification, CNG, LNG and eventually hydrogen playing increasingly important roles, while some diesel continues to remain.
The bigger challenge, he says, is defining how India makes this transition efficiently. Multiple technologies create complexity for OEMs, component suppliers, policymakers and customers, making a clear roadmap for adoption and localisation critical.
Agarwal also outlines three priorities for the industry: a regulatory roadmap that strengthens global competitiveness, deeper localisation of new technologies and higher R&D investment. He discusses India’s potential to become the world’s largest automotive production hub, the role of exports and why AI could define the next phase of the Indian automotive industry.
Watch the full conversation with Autocar Professional’s Mukul Yudhveer Singh.