Minister calls for design-led e-mobility push
Union Minister for Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday urged the automotive industry to focus on design and domestic value addition to drive India's electric vehicle transition, saying the success of the country's electric mobility cannot be measured only by the number of electric vehicles sold.
Speaking at the annual session of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) in New Delhi, Kumaraswamy said the next phase of India's mobility transition should focus on building scale, deepening localisation, accelerating innovation and establishing the country as a globally competitive hub for advanced and green mobility technologies.
"Our success cannot be measured only by the number of electric vehicles sold. It must also be measured by how much technology is designed in India, how much value is added domestically, how many MSMEs participate in the new supply chains and how effectively Indian products compete in global markets," the minister said.
Call for bolder investment
Kumaraswamy called on automobile and auto component makers to invest more boldly in cleaner, more efficient and emerging technologies, with the objective of not only making products in India but also developing them for global markets.
"India should not merely participate in the global mobility transition; India should help lead it," he said.
The minister said government schemes are supporting investment, domestic value addition, advanced technology, manufacturing, and the transition to cleaner mobility. He observed that India's green mobility transition is gathering momentum.
PLI scheme progress
Kumaraswamy said the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the automobile and auto component industry is showing encouraging results. As of June 30, 2026, approved applicants under the scheme had reported investments of Rs 45,477 crore, creating more than 67,000 employment opportunities, he said.
"The Ministry of Heavy Industries will continue to work closely with ACMA, SIAM, and industry stakeholders to improve scheme implementation, resolve operational issues, and create an enabling environment for investment and innovation," Kumaraswamy said.
Industry's role in national growth
The minister said the automotive and auto component industry is central to India's industrial growth, supporting millions of livelihoods and anchoring a large micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) ecosystem. The sector also has a multiplier effect across industries such as steel, electronics, engineering, chemicals, logistics and services.
According to Kumaraswamy, these efforts would be important as India works towards the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the Viksit Bharat initiative.