In a landmark event today, Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, unveiled the “E-Mobility R&D Roadmap for India” at Vigyan Bhawan Annexe. The meticulously crafted roadmap identifies the technological advancements necessary for India to become self-reliant (Atmanirbhar) in the e-mobility sector over the next five years. The report categorizes research projects into four critical areas: Energy Storage Cells, EV Aggregates, Materials and Recycling, and Charging and Refueling.
The hybrid-mode event witnessed the attendance of government officials, members of the Consultative Group on e-Mobility (CGeM), industry representatives, think tanks, and media personnel.
Prominent attendees included Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Dr. Reji Mathai, Director General of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Pune, and Dr. K. Balasubramanian, Director of the Non-Ferrous Materials Technology Development Centre (NFTDC), Hyderabad.
In his keynote address, Prof. Sood underscored India’s ambitious goals of achieving a 45% reduction in emission intensity by 2030 and attaining energy independence by 2047, with a commitment to net-zero emissions by 2070. He emphasized the necessity of wider electric vehicle adoption, indigenous energy storage system manufacturing, and renewable energy generation to support charging infrastructures. Prof. Sood highlighted the current import dependency in the e-mobility value chain and the urgent need to bolster domestic R&D capabilities in the automotive sector.
Dr. Preeti Banzal, Adviser at the Office of PSA, provided an overview of their efforts to strengthen the R&D ecosystem in the automotive sector. She mentioned that in August 2022, the Office of PSA constituted the Consultative Group on e-Mobility (CGeM) to devise technical roadmaps for transitioning from fossil fuel-based transportation to electric mobility in India. The roadmap document was prepared by ARAI under the guidance of CGeM.
Prof. Karthick Athmanathan, PSA Fellow and Professor of Practice at IIT Madras, summarized the e-mobility R&D roadmap, explaining its strategic focus on achieving energy independence, market leadership, and leveraging existing infrastructure. The roadmap prioritizes research projects based on their potential impact, feasibility, and ability to utilize available resources.
During the Q&A session with the press, it was highlighted that the e-mobility R&D roadmap aims to position India as a leader in the global value and supply chains within the next five to seven years by addressing critical research gaps and fostering innovation.
In his concluding remarks, Prof. Sood emphasized that the automotive sector, a significant contributor to India’s GDP, must align its growth with the nation’s Net-Zero vision. He stressed the importance of cultivating an R&D and innovation-driven culture in the sector to ensure sustainable and progressive development.
