The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) hosted the 3rd Global Electrification Mobility Summit (GEMS) on the second day of the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024 at Pragati Maidan. The Summit themed विद्युतीकरण (Electrification): Electrifying India’s Journey towards Sustainable Mobility succeeded in its endeavour to create a platform, bringing everyone on board to take the journey of electrification forward in its true sense. With this, SIAM engaged with governments, corporates, and stakeholders in an effort to address environmental issues, aligning with its objective of Building the Nation Responsibly.
In his address, Chief Guest Kamran Rizvi, Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries said. “I compliment SIAM for organizing this meeting on electrifying India’s journey; it is a timely initiative. Disruption is happening in electric vehicles and our automakers have performed brilliantly over the years. Government initiatives like PLI and FAME have forced people to think differently and created opportunities. Today, we are at a transition point, and this is our opportunity globally. We are willing to sit down with the industry and create a 10-year blueprint for the auto industry to understand the global market, produce global-quality products, create synergies within the industry, and promote R&D, to leave a mark on a global level.”
Sharing his thoughts, Vivek Kumar Dewangan, Chairman & Managing Director, Rural Electrification Corporation said,” India is one of the few G20 countries that kept its commitment to reducing its emissions intensity of the GDP. When we look at greenhouse gas emissions, the major contributor is the transportation sector. This sector, along with electric mobility, will play a role in bringing down emissions.”
Talking about EV expansion in the country, Sudhendu J Sinha, Advisor, NITI Aayog shared, “The government is committed to expanding EVs in terms of manufacturing and battery infrastructure. A huge commitment to research and innovation can take the purpose of electric mobility ahead. I am confident that industry, academia, researchers, and thought leaders will propel it forward.”
Dr. Hanif Qureshi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, added, “We are part of the grand vision of our Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi to see our country as a developed nation. The auto sector is a significant part of the economy, and its contribution is set to grow. In the FAME scheme in the last 10 years, there has been growth promoting the accelerated development of electric vehicles. We have a task before us, and collaborative efforts from all stakeholders are required.”
Addressing the gathering, Vinod Aggarwal, President SIAM, and MD & CEO, VECV said” The last year, 2023, has been a good year for the auto sector. The industry is set to grow even faster, leading the overall economic growth. The Prime Minister has given the vision of ‘Panchamrit’ and the auto industry is working in tandem to meet India’s sustainability objective. FAME 1 and 2 have helped push the electrification agenda and with tremendous support from the government and initiatives from the industry, we are moving towards the electrification of the automotive industry.”
The event commenced with a special session titled ‘Pivoting ways for the growth of electrification in Amritkaal of India’ and was moderated by Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM.
Sharing his thoughts, Sushant Naik, Chairperson SIAM Electric Mobility Group & Global Head, Govt & Public Affairs, Tata Motors said, “The global megatrend called ‘net zero’ is driving the world now. The transport sector contributes 18% to CO2 emissions, hence the buzzword is EV penetration. The world is aggressively moving towards electric vehicles. India has taken a very holistic approach to EVs with government support. We will see the dream coming true of 30% EVs by 2030.”
The session was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Navigating the landscape of e-mobility future in India.’
K N Radhakrishnan, Chairman, SIAM 2W CEOs Council and Director & CEO, TVS Motor said, ” I would like to thank the government for the PLI and Fame schemes that have kick-started the EV transformation. The most important aspect is technology and continued support from the government is necessary. Investment in technology development, supply chain, and assistance in building a talent pool are important. EV presents a huge opportunity, and India can become a significant exporter.”
Speaking during this session, Niranjan Gupta, CEO, Hero MotoCorp, added, “EV is a marathon, not a 100-meter sprint. It’s not just about sustainability but also affordable mobility. Collaboration is the only way forward in the EV chain. I want to thank the government for actively promoting localization through the PLI and Fame schemes. We need to focus on bringing the price down and making EVs available and affordable for more people.”
Speaking during this session, Amit Kalyani, Joint Managing Director, Bharat Forge Ltd, said, “India should diversify advance chemistry cell options and reduce dependency on only one type of fuel cells of electric mobility.”
The event hosted another thought-provoking session on ‘Policy, Regulatory Support and Enabler to Accelerate Electric Mobility by Strengthening Charging Infrastructure Solutions & Standardization and Global Insights on E-Mobility: EV Strategies and Imperatives for India.’ It was moderated by Ms. Suman Mishra, Co-Chairperson SIAM Electric Mobility Group and MD & CEO, Mahindra Last Mile Mobility.
Sharing his thoughts, Edwin Bastiaensen, Secretary General, IMMA said, “To work on electrified mobility, we need to share challenges and work together to solve issues. I think India has a huge opportunity in this sector as it is an exporter to lower and medium economy countries. “
Akash Passey, President, ZF Group India added,” The entire EV ecosystem is undergoing a change. We have evolved our transportation and the coming years will make it completely electric. Earlier, whatever was made in India was considered basic, but today is different. We want to be the best and meet the standards that can be exported to other parts.”
Talking about EV financing, Sameer Aggarwal, CEO, Revfin, added, “The challenges that we face with electric vehicles are because the segment is not fully developed, including the non-existence of a secondary market and the availability of infrastructure for financing EVs. We can create partnerships between all stakeholders to mitigate all risks associated with the financing of EVs.”
Further, Animesh Sinha, Chief of Marketing & Sales (Automotive & Special Products), Tata Steel shared, “Recycle and reduce need to be focused upon for India to move towards green steel production. OEMs, consumers, and the government have to play a collaborative role in this transition.”
Amit Bhatt, Managing Director of the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) said, “If we have to achieve net zero by 2070, we have to think about how we can deliver to this target. I think this target relies on the decarbonization of the transportation sector, and electrification is the way forward.”
Later, V Manjunath, UL Standards & Engagement on ‘Global best practices & standardization for EV Batteries and imperatives for India,’ said, “For us to adopt a sustainable approach in India, we have to look at the global standards that have been established and consider how to adopt them. “
Pawan Mulukulta, Executive Director, WRI India shared, “Charging for two-wheelers with standardization of connectors, and an open digital network for customers to access charging and awareness, especially related to charging infrastructure, can help penetrate the electric two-wheeler and three-wheelers in India.
Ravindra Mohan, Director, Chargezone shared about the challenges and constraints on expanding the charging ecosystem in the country and suggested ideas on how it can be debottlenecked with certain measures.
Towards the end, Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director of SIAM, delivered his concluding remarks and said,” This marks the era of a new India, with the auto industry at the forefront of its growth. The sector holds a pivotal position in the journey towards decarbonization and sustainable mobility. Through this event, SIAM’s endeavors to involve the industry, policymakers, and stakeholders will play a vital role in realizing India’s sustainability goals, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2070.”
The successful organization of the 3rd edition of GEMS showcased SIAM’s commitment to promoting electric mobility in India and its dedication to working with all relevant stakeholders to fulfill India’s sustainability promises. The event concluded on a high note, facilitating a rich and insightful exchange of ideas, best practices, and strategies.
