Electric vehicles are the beginning of silent revolution in India: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Electric vehicles are the beginning of “silent revolution” in the country, which will help to meet India’s net zero target by 2070.

“Be it 2 wheeler or 4 wheeler, they don’t make any noise but this silence is not only about its engineering, but it is also the beginning of a silent revolution in the country”,  Modi said, while addressing a programme marking the commemoration of 40 years of Suzuki in India.

During the Climate Summit COP26 in Glasgow in November last year, Prime Minister announced India’s commitments to meet net zero target by 2070.   He also announced that India  will achieve 50% of its installed electrical capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.

Prime Minister said as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen the EV ecosystem, the Prime Minister said that various incentives are being provided to Electric Vehicle buyers.

The government has taken numerous steps such as rebates in income tax and simplifying the loan process.

“To boost the supply, work is also being carried out at a fast pace to introduce PLI schemes in automobile and automobile components manufacturing”, the Prime Minister said.

A lot of policy decisions have also been taken to prepare a robust electric vehicle charging infrastructure. “A battery swapping policy has also been introduced in the 2022 Financial Budget”, the Prime Minister said. “It is a certainty that with the strengthening of supply, demand and ecosystem, the EV sector is going to progress”, he added.

The Prime Minister remarked that India has announced in COP-26 that it will achieve 50% of its installed electrical capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030. “We have set a ‘Net Zero’ target for 2070”

Expressing happiness that Maruti Suzuki is also working on things like biofuel, ethanol blending and hybrid EVs,  the Prime Minister also suggested that Suzuki start work on projects related to compressed biomethane gas.  

The Prime Minister also wished that a better environment be created for healthy competition and mutual learning.

“It will benefit both the nation and the business”, he said. “It is our goal that India becomes Aatmnirbhar for its energy needs in the next 25 years of Amrit Kaal. As a major part of energy consumption is in the transport sector, innovation and efforts in this sector should be our priority. I am confident we will be able to achieve this”, he concluded.  

During the event, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stones of two key projects of the Suzuki group in India – the Suzuki Motor Gujarat Electric Vehicle Battery Manufacturing Facility at Hansalpur, Gujarat and Maruti Suzuki’s upcoming vehicle manufacturing facility in Kharkhoda, Haryana.

The Suzuki Motor Gujarat Electric Vehicle Battery Manufacturing Facility at Hansalpur, Gujarat will be set up with an investment of around Rs 7,300 crores to manufacture Advance Chemistry Cell batteries for Electric Vehicles.

“The vehicle manufacturing facility in Kharkhoda, Haryana will have the potential to manufacture 10 lakh passenger vehicles per year, making it one of the largest passenger vehicle manufacturing facilities at a single site in the world. The first phase of the project will be set up with an investment of over Rs. 11,000 crores” as per statement.