The Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Arjun Ram Meghwal, inaugurated the 3rd International Electric Vehicle (EV) Conclave at the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) in Gurugram, earlier this week.
According to a press release, the Conclave was held to create a knowledge-sharing platform to ensure the flow of information at all levels in the Indian automotive sector.
The EV Conclave organised by ICAT, in association with the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), has transformed itself into a global event since its inception in 2017. Owing to the growth of electric mobility and to meet the demands of the automotive sector, the EV Conclave is organised with to focus on new trends and challenges in the field of electric mobility.
At the Conclave, the Minister said that the Electric Mobility Mission will be implemented in phases based on feedback from the auto industry. According to an official release, the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 is a National Mission document providing the vision and the roadmap for the faster adoption of electric vehicles and their manufacturing. It is designed to enhance national fuel security, provide affordable and environmentally friendly transportation, and enable the Indian automotive industry to achieve global manufacturing leadership.
Under the NEMMP, the government developed the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, or FAME, scheme.
FAME provides incentives to create demand and encourage the establishment of an electronic vehicle ecosystem and infrastructure. It also supports the development of electronic automotive technology through R&D.
The second phase of FAME-India intends to boost the implementation of electric vehicles in the public transport sector in the country and seeks to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles through interventions in demand and supply.
300,000 electric vehicles have already been sold under the scheme.
Furthermore, as OpenGov reported earlier, in this year’s Union Budget, the scheme will receive the provision of IN ₹10,000 crores (about US $1.4 billion) for electric mobility. Also, as India aims to become a global electric vehicle manufacturing hub, the GST rate on EVs will be lowered from 12% to 5%. The government is implementing an additional income tax deduction of about US $2,184 on interest for loans taken to purchase electric vehicles.
The Minister promised the government’s support to the industry on policy matters to ensure the smooth and efficient transformation of the automotive industry from conventional internal combustion (IC) to electric powertrain.
For India, switching over from IC engine-based vehicles to new technologies cells is essential. This change is expected to reduce high import costs of fuel, the country’s dependence on fossil fuel resources, environmental degradation, and the effects of climate change.
More than 200 delegates from over 80 organisations attended the Conclave. The next Conclave will be organised on July 2020, the release said.
At the event, an exhibition was organised in which component manufacturers, system suppliers, and service providers showcased their products and services to promote self-reliance, encourage designers, and promote innovations in the electric vehicle industry.
The Minister also inaugurated various new facilities including a Photometry Lab for General Lighting and Power Train Engine Test Cell (ETC)- Expansion. In the expansion of the Photometry Lab for general lighting, several performance and safety testing facilities like a mirror goniometer and LED testing facilities were also inaugurated. Powertrain ETC lab expansion includes two transient and five Eddy current dynamometers-based test cells for the functional validation of engines.
