E-Mobility India Forum is all set to launch on 7th October 2021 at Le Meridien, New Delhi. Top EV brand leaders and government dignitaries at the panels will share their perspectives on India’s transition to EV and the opportunities and challenges that lie along the path of achieving this objective.
Due to the growing sensitivity towards a clean environment and the Indian government’s push to promote zero-emission vehicles, the e-mobility sector is gradually strengthening its grip on the Indian automotive ecosystem. However, there is still a long way to creating an expansive EV ecosystem.
“The Indian automotive ecosystem is heading for a major transformation, driven by the rise of electrically powered vehicles. And Through the launch of E-Mobility India Forum, Messe Frankfurt India aims to provide a platform where automotive players can gauge the potential of the domestic EV segment and gain a deeper understanding of several key dynamics and industry prospects that will shape the future of e-mobility in India,” stated, Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd.
The panellists of E-Mobility India Forum 2021 will comprise of C-suite executives, business heads and decision-makers from top EV brands and officials from the Indian government, including Mahesh Babu, CEO, Switch India and COO, Switch Global, Sudhendu J Sinha, Advisor, Infrastructure Connectivity and Electric Mobility vertical, NITI Aayog, Sunjay Kapur, Chairman, SONA Comstar Ltd and President of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), Balbir Singh Dhillon, Head, Audi India, Sandeep Bangia, Business Head – EV Charging Ecosystem Home Automation, ESCO, Tata Power, Sulajja Firodia Motwani, Founder and CEO, Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions Ltd, B. C. Datta, Vice President – Corporate Affairs and Public Policy, Ola Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd, Anant Nahata, Managing Director, Exicom Power Solutions, Atul Arya, VP – Mobility, Head – Energy System Division, Panasonic India, Akilur Rahman, CTO, Hitachi ABB Power Grids India, Guruprasad Mudlapur, CTO, Bosch Ltd, Nishant Arya, Vice Chairman, JBM Group, Vivek Sharma, Senior Director, Energy and Natural Resources, CRISIL Infrastructure Advisory, and Kaushik Madhavan, VP – Mobility, Frost & Sullivan, to name a few.
Expressing his support towards the forum, Sunjay Kapur, Chairman, SONA Comstar Ltd and President, Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), shared: “Auto sector environment, supply chain, infrastructure, customer outreach and communication require a complete overhaul with the focus now shifting towards EV and Green mobility. India stands at the cusp of a revolution that can completely alter the mobility scenario in the country. Looking at this grand opportunity, the E-Mobility India Forum provides an apt platform to discuss the way forward for the EV industry and help bring various EV players and stakeholders together to create an ecosystem for the future of EV in the country.”
A wide array of topics have been lined up to be discussed across multiple sessions, which will present a collective and deep-seated view on the present and future of the e-mobility segment in India. The topics will include: Future of mobility post the conversion to EV; EV Incentives, Policy, Challenges & Government Support in accelerating electrification; Opportunities & Challenges for Auto OEMs; Accelerating EV Component Manufacturing Growth through Make in India; EV Infrastructure & Innovative Business Models, and Interactive Session with EV Startups and Future Guidance.
As one of the key panellists, Sudhendu J Sinha, Advisor, Infrastructure Connectivity and Electric Mobility vertical, NITI Aayog, shared about the benefits and opportunities accompanied with the development of EV infrastructure: “Presently, automobiles comprise nearly 50% of manufacturing in India. The sector is significantly important as the focus of India’s Transformative Mobility paradigm shifts in terms of shared, connected and electric to meet our global obligations and reduce the negative impact on the cost of importing oil and increasing air pollution in building a self-reliant India. The country’s transition to an electric mobility system can save $330 billion (Rs 20 lakh crore) by 2030 on avoided oil imports alone. India’s per capita car ownership is low, with less than 20 vehicles per 1,000 citizens (compared with 800 per 1,000 in the U.S. and 85 per 1,000 in China), though without intervention, this number is likely to increase. This gives an opportunity to shift to EVs earlier and avoid issues of “lock-in” by increase ICE vehicles.”
“There are immense opportunities in the manufacturing of electric vehicles, components, batteries, EV chargers, charging infrastructure including battery swapping, network service providers for charging infrastructure etc. At NITI Aayog we are taking all measures to boost innovation, efficiency, investments in the Automobile sector, especially to bring down the initial upfront cost of EVs to the consumers. We have dedicated National Mission on Transformative Mobility & Battery Storage that works with Central Ministries, State Governments, Industry and Academia on various policy initiatives to support the ecosystem. Needless to say, a transformed mobility future will require participation and collaboration across diverse stakeholder groups,” Sinha elaborated.
To provide a secure in-person experience, the forum will be held under the safety protocols of ‘MFI SafeConnect’, developed by Messe Frankfurt India in accordance with the government’s health and safety guidelines. The launch of E-Mobility India Forum will be an invaluable event for automotive stalwarts to gain a strong view on the dynamics of EV adoption and expansion in India.
