Combustion engines are dead, future of mobility is electric: Amitabh Kant

Former CEO of Niti Aayog, Amitabh Kant believes the internal combustion engines are dead and the next big disruption in the mobility industry is taking place through electrification. He also urged the Indian automobile industry to work towards a 100 per cent transition towards electric mobility two and three-wheelers.

Kant wrote on his social media platform that he spoke about this at the Ather Community Day on April 6, where the EV startup launched its latest electric scooter Ather Rizta. He said that internal combustion engines are dead and the future is all electric and all companies must work towards that or risk losing their market share. He also said that the transformation of the Indian automotive sector is key to economic growth, as the sector contributes seven per cent to its GDP, 35 per cent to manufacturing GDP and eight per cent to the country's total exports.

During the fireside chat with Ather Energy CEO and co-founder Tarun Mehta, Kant also shared his suggestion for the industry players. He advised the electric two-wheeler manufacturers to not burn cash to sell their respective products, and not sell cheap with discounts. He also advocated for the manufacturing of top-class engineered products, which will add great value for customers. “Never burn cash to sell your product, don't sell cheap with discounts and create a low-value brand. Build a top-class engineered product which will add great value for customers, be the pride of Make-in-India and be a global brand," he added.

While the Indian electric vehicle market has witnessed steady growth over the last few years, the availability of a robust public charging infrastructure to support this EV fleet is not adequate. Despite the consumers showing more openness towards the adoption of electric mobility, charging infrastructure remains a concern for them. Speaking on this, Kant said that India needs at least 10 lakh fast chargers across the country to support EVs by 2030. “All EV players and startups instead of creating tech silos must work together to build an interoperable fast-charging network. This is critical for providing impetus to EV movement in India," he added.