PRIME Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal to Indians to reduce petrol and diesel consumption is reinforcing a broader shift in the country’s mobility strategy, with Japanese automakers, a major presence in the country’s market, taking a technology-neutral approach.
During his monthly radio address in May, Modi urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption by using public transport, carpooling and electric vehicles, saying lower fossil fuel consumption would strengthen India’s energy security and economic resilience.
The policy message came as India, the world’s third-largest crude oil importer, is simultaneously promoting electric mobility, ethanol blending, natural gas, biogas and flex-fuel technologies to diversify its energy sources. Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, said India’s transition would require multiple technologies rather than relying on a single solution. “There are many technologies available today and each has its own advantages and limitations.
Since every country has unique resources, infrastructure and customer needs, no single technology can address them all,” Rahul Bharti, senior executive officer for corporate affairs at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, told Kyodo News.
Kyodo
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