NITI Aayog, WRI launch forum for decarbonisation of transport sector
The forum launched by NITI Aayog and WRI aims to create a platform to initiate dialogues for the development of uniform policies and help achieve specific results in reducing carbon emissions from the transport sector by promoting electric vehicles.
Indian government’s think-tank NITI Aayog, in collaboration with World Resources Institute (WRI), launched the Forum for Decarbonising Transport in the country on Tuesday.
“Through this forum, the WRI India team, along with NITI Aayog and other project partners, will work in close coordination with all the stakeholders to formulate strategies and develop appropriate business models to accelerate electric mobility in India,” read the official government statement.
It further said that the forum aims to create a platform to initiate dialogues for the development of uniform policies and help achieve specific results in reducing carbon emissions from the transport sector.
India is currently engaged in building a domestic renewable automotive industry with the aim to become the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturing and supplying hub. Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari recently told HT Auto EV Conclave that battery electric vehicle and fuel-cell vehicle technologies are all set to overtake fossil-run vehicles in the country by 2050.
NITI Aayog CEO (chief executive officer) Amitabh Kant said the launch of the forum was a defining milestone for the electric mobility ecosystem in the country. “This will help in the development of innovative business models for targeted results and the holistic growth of the electric mobility space in India. Through effective collaboration, cooperation and convergence, we must work together to usher clean mobility in India,” he added.
Explaining the need of the stakeholder forum in decarbonising transport, Amit Bhatt, executive director of the Integrated Transport division of WRI India said, “The Forum for Decarbonisation of Transport will act as the conduit for bringing diverse voices and needs to adopt an integrated approach for greening the transport sector in India.”
The forum is a part of the Nationally Determined Contribution -Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) project which focuses on developing a coherent strategy of effective policies and the formation of a multi-stakeholder platform for decarbonising transport in the region. It is a joint programme of seven organisations that will engage China, India, and Vietnam in promoting a comprehensive approach to decarbonising transport in their respective countries. The project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
NITI Aayog has been at the helm of the promotion of electric vehicles and sustainable mobility through the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage.
The launch was held virtually and inaugurated by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant. Dignitaries from various ministries and NDC-TIA project partners, along with stakeholders from the mobility and the energy sector, were present during the launch.
The Indian government last year rolled out a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for various industries including an outlay of over ₹57,00 crore for the automobile and auto-component industry over a period of five years. Around ₹18,000 crore was approved for development of advanced cell chemistry battery storage manufacturing. Gadkari said these incentives further aim to encourage indigenous development of EVs so as to bring down their upfront cost.