With the Centre making its intent on electric vehicles clear, state governments are swinging into action to lure the new investments that automakers will pump into manufacturing them.
Three weeks ago, Karnataka became the first state to roll out an electric vehicle policy to encourage manufacturing, while Telangana, another state with an automobile manufacturing base, is learnt to be working on its policy.
Gujarat, a prominent state for auto manufacturing, has already attracted investments worth over Rs 5,000 crore, making it the envy of other states. This includes a Rs 4,000 crore investment commitment from the JSW Group for electric cars and a Rs 1,151 crore plan by Suzuki to set up a lithium-ion battery unit with Toshiba and Denso.
Tata Motors, which has bagged the country’s biggest tender for 10,000 electric cars, will manufacture these vehicles (electric Tigor) at its Sanand plant in Gujarat. With these developments, Gujarat will have a natural lead over competing states.
Manoj Das, principal secretary (industry and mines) with the Gujarat government, told an English daily that the state is evaluating various options and a policy for electric vehicles is “under consideration”.
By Baishakhi Dutta
