PRESS RELEASE

New Delhi, May 19, 2022

SMEV hosted the first edition of the National Conference and Awards for the EV industry under the theme of ‘EV Industry @ 2030: Future Roadmap’. The conference was inaugurated by Dr. M N Pandey, Hon'ble Union Minister, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Gov. of India, and saw the participation of dignitaries from multiple organizations working towards the larger ‘No Emission Mission’.

The conclave witnessed a series of panel discussions on Policy Initiatives Transiting Towards the EV Mission; Manufacturing ecosystem, Standardization of EV Charging infrastructure, and EV Financing elaborating on the challenges and opportunities for the sector.

Chief Guest Dr. M N Pandey, Hon'ble Union Minister, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Govt. Of India says "The whole world believes that a strong leader is leading India. By 2030, the resolve that we have put in front of the world to reach India's zero carbon emission will put the world's faith in us. The government has had good projects running for the last few years FAME 1, FAME 2, or PLI scheme, it is progressing ahead with the enthusiastic cooperation of all Industry players. 60% of the consumers of the country say that an e-vehicle is out of their budget. In the direction of removing this difficulty, our government has made many schemes, within which we have increased the scope of exemption so that more people buy EVs. In view of the response of FAME 2, the government has started working more rapidly in this direction."

Guest of Honor Gen. (Dr.) V K Singh, Hon'ble Minister of State, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Govt of India comments, " Let's look at the future - AI industry will prosper and our industry might suffer problems if we stay wedded to what is available today. So there is a need for us to synergize this thought process. SMBs are concerned that we need to not only look at the charging facilities but building a plug-and-play battery system that provides a recycling ecosystem. We'd like to see things as we're all accepted by the project before we start giving any tax concessions or assistance for the larger manufacturing. We are also cognizant of the fact that recently we have had issues with the electric batteries, especially to healers. From the ministry side, we are taking actions to further lay down guidelines."

Naveen Munjal, President SMEV, said, "The Government has a strong vision of electrifying mobility in India by targeting 70% of commercial vehicles, 30% of passenger cars, 40% of buses, and 80% of the two-wheelers to be electric by 2030. It has introduced numerous policies like PLI and PLI(ACC) for vehicles, batteries, and chipset manufacturing to accelerate EV adoption and localization. The growing EV industry also opens opportunities for battery assembly, battery metal manufacturing, BMS, IoT and spark technologies, telematics, charging infrastructure, swapping infrastructure, financing, etc. The technology is evolving rapidly and, we already have various chemistries of lithium, followed by sodium ion or sodium-sulfur or solid-state along with talks on hydrogen fuel cell technologies to power the EV sector. While the future is definitely bright, green, and clean, additional research and collaborations are required to build a robust EV ecosystem in the country."

Sohinder Gill, Director General SMEV said, “This EV disruption is here to stay and is the next big trend in mobility that can’t be reversed or decelerated. All of us are chiseling this future for generations to come. And what more can we have than the nation’s objective of self-reliance and the crying need for global sustenance as a part of our business fabric. We shall be by remembering our children or maybe grandchildren for the fresh air that they breathe, and also for making India stronger intrinsically and economically. The days to come will echo the fond memories of this struggle, its challenges, and the success of this journey. As we pursue our goals, let’s not forget to Innovate India-specific solutions, collaborate with partners, contribute to category growth, communicate and educate, and compete in a fair and just manner."

The conference also saw the distribution of prestigious awards to industry stalwarts leading the EV revolution in the country. Tata Nexon bagged the Best electric car of the year, whereas Ather 450X and Nexcharge were graced with Best electric bike and Top EV battery manufacturer respectively. ABB India received the Best EV Charger manufacturer of the year, while TATA Autocomp bagged the Best Electric Vehicle component manufacturer of the year awards. Finally, Ather Energy and Log9 Materials were awarded the Best EV startup and best EV tech company title.