Govt Plans to Make India 100% Electric Vehicle Equipped Nation by 2030
car&bike Team
1 min read
Mar 27, 2016, 05:20 PM
The success for electric cars in India has been largely elusive due to the lack of infrastructure and the high cost of acquisition, which has made these cars a rare sight on our roads. However, you might soon be able to get an electric car without burning a hole in your pocket. In a recent statement, Minister of Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy, Piyush Goyal said that the Indian government is working on a scheme to provide electric cars on a zero down payment option.
The government is aiming to make the country, a 100 per cent electric vehicle nation by 2030. Elaborating on the proposal, Piyush Goyal stated that the government is working on the viability of providing an electric car for zero down payment. While the acquisition cost will be free, people can pay the installments out of the savings on petroleum products. The scheme will be self financing as per the minister and will not need any support from the government or any other kind of investment from other people. The aim is to make India, the first country of its size to have 100 per cent electric cars by 2030.
Also Read: Review: Mahindra e20
Quite an ambitious target, the government is optimistic about achieving the large figure but also acknowledges that innovation and scale will be important elements in making this proposal a reality. Not to forget, the move towards electric and hybrid vehicles will also help reduce fossil fuel dependency, which will help decline oil imports, leading to extensive monetary savings. As a result, the ministry is also working to see if the savings can be monetized to provide cheaper electricity for charging these cars.
The move will trigger a host of manufacturers to introduce electric cars in the country. Given the high costs and almost negligible demand at present, only a handful of electric and hybrid cars are sold in the country. The proposed scheme could see car makers like Nissan, Toyota among others introduce their respective electric offerings. Last year, the government introduced its Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric vehicles (FAME) initiative, in order to provide subsidies on electric and hybrid cars, which encouraged even mass market players like Maruti Suzuki to introduce hybrid technology on their vehicles.
The growing inclination towards environment-friendly fuels has also triggered several domestic start-ups to manufacture electric vehicles, the latest of the lot being Ather Energy. However, it would be too early to comment on how quickly will the government push the proposed scheme into place. A meeting in the first week of April is said to be held on the matter, in order to see if the ambitious scheme can, in fact, be pushed into place.
The government is aiming to make the country, a 100 per cent electric vehicle nation by 2030. Elaborating on the proposal, Piyush Goyal stated that the government is working on the viability of providing an electric car for zero down payment. While the acquisition cost will be free, people can pay the installments out of the savings on petroleum products. The scheme will be self financing as per the minister and will not need any support from the government or any other kind of investment from other people. The aim is to make India, the first country of its size to have 100 per cent electric cars by 2030.
Also Read: Review: Mahindra e20
Quite an ambitious target, the government is optimistic about achieving the large figure but also acknowledges that innovation and scale will be important elements in making this proposal a reality. Not to forget, the move towards electric and hybrid vehicles will also help reduce fossil fuel dependency, which will help decline oil imports, leading to extensive monetary savings. As a result, the ministry is also working to see if the savings can be monetized to provide cheaper electricity for charging these cars.
The move will trigger a host of manufacturers to introduce electric cars in the country. Given the high costs and almost negligible demand at present, only a handful of electric and hybrid cars are sold in the country. The proposed scheme could see car makers like Nissan, Toyota among others introduce their respective electric offerings. Last year, the government introduced its Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric vehicles (FAME) initiative, in order to provide subsidies on electric and hybrid cars, which encouraged even mass market players like Maruti Suzuki to introduce hybrid technology on their vehicles.
The growing inclination towards environment-friendly fuels has also triggered several domestic start-ups to manufacture electric vehicles, the latest of the lot being Ather Energy. However, it would be too early to comment on how quickly will the government push the proposed scheme into place. A meeting in the first week of April is said to be held on the matter, in order to see if the ambitious scheme can, in fact, be pushed into place.
Related News
Latest Cars
Upcoming Cars
Latest News
car&bike Team | Feb 6, 2026Indian Motorcycle Parts Ways With PolarisAs America’s first motorcycle brand prepares to celebrate its 125th anniversary, Indian Motorcycle has parted ways with former parent Polaris to become an independent company.1 min read
car&bike Team | Feb 6, 2026BMW F 450 GS Based Sportbike Spotted On TestThe upcoming supersport machine is expected share the same parallel-twin engine with the upcoming BMW F 450 GS.1 min read
car&bike Team | Feb 6, 2026Tata Sierra Bookings Cross 1 Lakh Mark; Production Ramped UpWith bookings now in six-digit territory, Tata Motors is moving ahead with a phased ramp-up in production, while working through supplier-related constraints.1 min read
car&bike Team | Feb 6, 2026Mahindra To Set Up Its Biggest Automobile Plant In Nagpur; Production To Begin In 2028The new facility will support next-generation platforms from the brand and will be capable of manufacturing multiple powertrains including ICE, EV & future technologies1 min read
Jaiveer Mehra | Feb 5, 2026Honda Dio 125 X-Edition, Shine 125 Limited Edition LaunchedBoth special editions get a variant-specific colour scheme and graphics.1 min read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Feb 5, 2026Tata Punch EV Facelift To Be Launched On February 20The electric version of Tata’s SUV-esque hatchback will be launched on February 20, 2026, and, like the petrol-powered version, it will receive a range of visual and feature upgrades.2 mins read
Bilal Firfiray | Feb 4, 2026Volkswagen Tayron R-Line Review: Sensible Flagship For IndiaVolkswagen has introduced a made-in-India flagship SUV that offers space, comfort, performance, and German driving finesse in a practical three-row package. But is the Tayron R-Line good enough?6 mins read
Preetam Bora | Feb 2, 2026TVS NTorq 150 Road Test Review: Bigger, Better & More Efficient!We test the new TVS NTorq 150 out in the real world to get a sense of what it offers in terms of performance, dynamics and fuel economy.7 mins read
Bilal Firfiray | Jan 21, 2026Tata Punch Facelift Review: New Turbo Engine; Same Old SoulWith the update, the Tata Punch facelift retains its character of being a healthy runabout, which is perfect for Indian roads. But have these changes made it any better?7 mins read
Amaan Ahmed | Jan 17, 2026Bajaj Chetak C25 First Ride Review: Basic, Likeable E-Scooter For First-Time RidersThe Chetak C25, in quite a few ways, is poles apart from the larger and more powerful 30 and 35 Series models, but in its mannerisms, it is very much a Chetak.8 mins read
Bilal Firfiray | Jan 9, 2026Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder: 10,000 km Long-Term ReviewAfter spending over three months and 10,000 km with the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid, we were impressed by its real-world mileage, seamless hybrid, practical comfort, and Toyota reliability. Is it the best C-SUV then?5 mins read