Recently, MoRTH of India Nitin Gadkari said that India's EV market has a potential to touch INR 20 trillion, and would likely to create nearly 50 million jobs across the ecosystem by 2030.New Delhi: Prime minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is aiming to facilitate indigenously-developed technology to become Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) in the growing electric vehicle (EV) sector by cutting dependence on the China-led supply chain.
"We have launched a major program in developing the technology and components for electric vehicles or e-mobility that includes three verticals," Department of Science & Technology (DST) secretary, and chief executive of Anusandhan National Research Foundation Abhay Karandikar told ETAuto.
Established through the ANRF Act, 2023, which came into effect in February 2024, the foundation's board, headed by the prime minister, offers high-level strategic directions for innovation, promoting research and development (R&D), and entrepreneurship in multiple areas.
It has a mandate to prepare a roadmap for short, medium, and long-term for seeding and growing research activities in academic institutions.
The government's research arm, according to the top official, aims to nurture and develop a homegrown ecosystem including innovative battery technologies, power electronics, and charging infrastructure.
Abhay Karandikar, Department of Science & Technology (DST) secretary, and chief executive of Anusandhan National Research Foundation"So we have launched the program in all these three segments to propel indigenous manufacturing of electric vehicles and components which are now imported and we are currently dependent upon supply chains from China and other countries," Karandikar added.
Recently, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India Nitin Gadkari said that India's EV market has a potential to touch Rs 20 trillion, and would likely to create nearly 50 million jobs across the ecosystem by 2030.
With a vision to elevate the proportion of electric vehicle (EV) sales to 30% in private cars, 70% in commercial vehicles, 40% in buses, and 80% in two-wheelers and three-wheelers by 2030, India has an ambition of as many as 80 million EVs, hitting roads by 2030.
The Indian EV battery market is likely to surge to USD 27.70 billion by 2028, which may fuel demand for establishing at least 1.32 million charging stations by 2030, according to industry estimates.
"We have received proposals for research and development (R&D), and after review, we will fund and we want to do it through industry-academia partnership," he said, adding that the industry should at least fund 10% of the spend so that it could have a role to play.
"This is a very transformative program. So in Anrf, we are now seeing this to be a transformative step. Rs 14,000 crore allocation has been done for five years so that's about Rs 2000-2800 crore yearly. We are expecting that it will drive the R&D culture in the country," the official said.
Karandikar further said that the foundation has set the next three years as a short-term target to at least develop battery technology components, and five years would be a long-term goal where the country could be able to develop innovations in charging infrastructure and power electronics.
The newly-formed Anrf subsumed the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), established in 2008.
