Electric mobility is a 'strategic imperative' for Viksit Bharat:  Senior policy maker

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Electric mobility is an “economic, environmental, and strategic imperative” for India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, NITI Aayog member Rajiv Gauba, said on Wednesday at launch of second edition of the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) report. 

Gauba was addressing a NITI Aayog Workshop on State EV Policies, and highlighted that the global transition to electric mobility is well underway.

He called India's EV transition an imperative highlighting the government's efforts to cut oil dependence and curb urban pollution.

Gauba noted that 29 of India's 36 States and Union Territories have now notified EV policies, with IEMI scores showing broad-based improvement; the highest state score rising from 77 to 84 and the median score from 36 to 40 over the past year.

India currently imports nearly 89 per cent of its crude oil requirements, he said, adding that rising car ownership would increase that dependence unless electric vehicles are adopted more widely.

He noted that the automotive sector contributes around 7.1% of GDP and supports nearly 1.9 crore jobs, underscoring the importance of keeping the sector aligned with the global transition to electric vehicles. Gauba also highlighted the significant public health costs of vehicular emissions in cities such as Delhi.

He underlined the rapid expansion of the EV charging ecosystem, with oil marketing companies and private players driving the development of charging infrastructure.

The newly launched Unified Bharat e-Charge app is expected to further strengthen this ecosystem by making charging infrastructure more accessible and convenient for users, the statement from NITI Aayog said.

Electric cars accounted for around one-tenth of new car sales in the US in 2025, more than a quarter in the EU, and over half in China and that these shares are expected to rise significantly across the world in the years ahead, Gauba noted.

He pointed to the recent West Asia crisis, noting that it could become a major inflection point for electric mobility, similar to oil crises of the 1970s having accelerated the global push towards greater fuel efficiency.

He outlined the government support already in place for the sector, totalling over Rs 92,000 crore, through schemes such as FAME, PM E-DRIVE and PM E-bus Sewa, along with two production-linked incentive schemes for Automobiles & Auto Components and for Advanced Chemistry Cell battery storage.

—IANS

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