While professing his unrelenting support to every effort made in the direction of bolstering India’s “swadeshi’ production, Union Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs minister Nitin Gadkari shared how the country’s automotive sector and several others are increasingly becoming self-reliant.
He expressed that the country is all set to become an EV manufacturing hub.
While addressing a virtual programme organised by the Swadeshi Jagran Manch on Sunday, Mr Gadkari emphasised upon the need to bolster exports while cutting down reliance on imports, and he expressed his belief on how India was headed on the right track.
“I feel imports need to end and exports should be increased through the promotion of import-substitute goods,” said the Union minister, adding that an alternative fuel economy worth INR 5 lakh crore could be created with the help of rural participation.
The Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs minister also shared a critical point about how India is at the cusp of becoming one of the most pertinent players in electric vehicles.
He added that the country would become the world’s largest e-vehicle manufacturing hub in the next five years with products ranging from two-wheelers, three-wheelers and cars to construction equipment.
Mr Gadkari shared how the country has been aiming at strongly embracing electric vehicles, which also goes in line with the government’s ambitions of making the country a 100% electric-vehicle nation by the year 2030.
However, to implement this vision into reality, infrastructure development will have to gather momentum while on the other hand, local manufacturing will need to look at bringing costs down to make such products more affordable for mass adoption.
The minister had previously called for car makers to build flex-engines in a bid to promote alternative fuel.
“Government has taken a decision that the companies with a worth of more than INR 250 crore can start their own petrol/diesels pumps but the condition is that they should have alternative fuel pumps also,” he said.
He also called for the use of flex-engine technology that is currently being used in other countries.
“We are going to increase the production of biofuel given (there is) surplus foodgrains. I request you all (car makers) to bring in flex-engine technology which is a proven technology and already your brand companies are using all these technologies in Brazil, in USA and in Canada”, the Union minister said.
