NITI Aayog member Rajiv Gauba on Wednesday, 16 September declared electric mobility an “economic, environmental, and strategic imperative” for India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, speaking at the launch of the second edition of the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) report in New Delhi. His remarks came during a NITI Aayog Workshop on State EV Policies, where he underscored that the global shift to electric vehicles is already well underway and that India cannot afford to be left behind.

India’s EV Policy Landscape

Gauba noted that 29 of India’s 36 States and Union Territories have now formally notified EV policies — a significant expansion in regulatory coverage. IEMI scores reflect broad-based improvement across states, with the highest state score rising from 77 to 84 and the median score climbing from 36 to 40 over the past year alone. This progress signals growing administrative momentum, even as implementation gaps persist in several regions.

The Oil Dependence Argument

A central theme of Gauba’s address was India’s acute vulnerability to global crude markets. India currently imports nearly 89 per cent of its crude oil requirements, he said, warning that rising car ownership will deepen that dependence unless electric vehicles are adopted at scale. The automotive sector, he added, contributes approximately 7.1% of GDP and supports close to 1.9 crore jobs — making alignment with the global EV transition not just an environmental choice but an economic one. He also pointed to the significant public health burden of vehicular emissions in cities such as Delhi, where air quality remains a persistent crisis.

Global EV Trends and the West Asia Factor

Drawing on international comparisons, Gauba highlighted that electric cars accounted for roughly one-tenth of new car sales in the United States in 2025, more than a quarter in the European Union, and over half in China — with all three shares projected to rise sharply in the years ahead. He pointed to the recent West Asia crisis as a potential inflection point for electric mobility globally, drawing a parallel with the oil shocks of the 1970s that accelerated the push for fuel efficiency across major economies. This framing positions geopolitical instability as a catalyst rather than merely a risk.

Government Support and Charging Infrastructure

Gauba outlined the scale of government backing already in place for the EV sector, totalling over ₹92,000 crore across schemes including FAME, PM E-DRIVE, and PM E-bus Sewa, along with two production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes covering Automobiles and Auto Components and Advanced Chemistry Cell battery storage. On the infrastructure side, he highlighted the rapid expansion of the EV charging ecosystem, driven by both oil marketing companies and private players. The newly launched Unified Bharat e-Charge app, according to a NITI Aayog statement, is expected to make charging infrastructure more accessible and convenient for users across the country.

What Comes Next

With IEMI scores improving and state-level policy coverage widening, the focus is expected to shift toward execution quality — particularly on charging density, battery recycling norms, and localisation of EV supply chains. Industry observers note that while the policy architecture is strengthening, bridging the gap between notified policies and on-ground outcomes remains the defining challenge for India’s EV ambitions ahead of 2047.