Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy interacted with electric vehicle (EV) beneficiaries, distributors and industry stakeholders from across India at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The interaction was organised by the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) to gather experiences, perspectives and insights on EV adoption and usage across different segments of electric mobility.
The programme was attended by senior officials, automobile industry representatives, EV manufacturers, distributors, dealers and beneficiaries from different parts of the country. Key industry representatives included Kamran Rizvi, Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries; Dr. Hanif Qureshi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries; Sai Giridhar, President of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA); Sushant Naik, Chairman–EMG, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM); and Anjali Singh, President Designate, Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA).
During the programme, Dr. Hanif Qureshi highlighted the government’s policy support for electric mobility and stressed the importance of localisation in developing a resilient and self-reliant automotive ecosystem. He noted that initiatives including the PM E-DRIVE Scheme and PLI-Auto are supporting EV adoption, charging infrastructure and domestic manufacturing of critical EV components.
Kumaraswamy highlighted India’s ongoing transition towards sustainable and self-reliant electric mobility and emphasised the need for an inclusive, affordable and economically sustainable EV ecosystem. He spoke about the PM E-DRIVE, PLI-Auto and PLI-ACC schemes, which support EV adoption, charging infrastructure, advanced automotive technologies and battery-cell manufacturing. He also called for cooperation among government, industry, distributors and EV users to develop a seamless and globally competitive electric mobility ecosystem.
EV beneficiaries from across India also shared their ground-level experiences of using electric vehicles. Their discussions covered different mobility segments, including electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers. Sunita Chaudhary, an e-3W driver, highlighted the benefits of lower running costs and reduced driving fatigue, while other beneficiaries shared experiences related to personal mobility, livelihoods, public transport and freight movement.
The interaction also highlighted major government initiatives supporting India’s electric mobility transition, including FAME I and II, PLI-Auto, PLI-ACC, PM E-DRIVE, PM-eBus Sewa (PSM) and the Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Scheme. Kamran Rizvi highlighted electric mobility as an opportunity for India to strengthen its position in the global EV sector and called for greater focus on cost competitiveness, technology and global capabilities. The programme reinforced efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing and build a sustainable and self-reliant electric mobility ecosystem.
