Kamran Rizvi, the secretary of the Ministry of Heavy Industry, spoke on the ongoing transition caused by electrification and the importance of industry adapting to this change. In order to support India’s development, he emphasized the Ministry’s efforts to encourage cost-effective manufacturing and increase local value addition, particularly in the electric vehicle (EV) sector. He underlined that building a competitive and enduring global presence requires the nation’s industrial strength.
Amardeep Singh Bhatia, the secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), highlighted the role the department plays in fostering an environment that supports industrial development. He discussed initiatives like the National Industrial Corridor Program, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, and reforms aimed at simplifying company operations. He also emphasized efforts to support foreign direct investment (FDI), smart industrial township development, and sector-specific parks, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities that are supporting industrial growth and urbanization.
Anant Goenka, vice chairman of the RPG Group and vice president of the FICCI, expressed optimism that private investment will meet domestic demand. He highlighted the potential of sector-specific industrial parks to increase manufacturing competitiveness by drawing on lessons learned from India’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and other similar global experiences.
According to Manish Sharma, chairman of Panasonic Life Solutions India & South Asia and chair of the FICCI Committee on Electronics and White Goods Manufacturing, supply chain corridors are just as important as industrial corridors. He claims that the PLI schemes have significantly improved product customisation, localization, and private sector investments, and that they would likely increase demand in the years to come.
Sulajja Firodia Motwani, the chair of the FICCI Committee on Electric Vehicles and the founder and CEO of Kinetic Green Energy & Power Solutions Ltd., noted the growing use of EVs in the automotive sector. She recommended initiatives such as creating a robust action plan to increase demand, putting in place a graded PLI 2.0, examining tariff and duty structures, and accelerating research and development in order to establish India as a significant player in both EV production and consumption.
