The domestic automobile industry on Friday opposed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) expert committee’s proposal to mandate only electric vehicle (EV) sales in Delhi-NCR after April 1, 2030 demanding a scientific study to justify the move.
According to multiple sources who attended the meeting, industry representatives faced sharp remarks from the committee’s chair, Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala of IIT-Madras, who allegedly maintained that no scientific study was required before proceeding with the proposal.
“Industry leaders and experts present were not even given a chance to speak. Our unanimous demand for a scientific assessment to determine the contribution of vehicles to pollution fell on deaf ears,” an executive who attended the meeting said.
Data Disconnect
The executive argued that a study conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in 2018 showed that cars account for just 3.4% of transport-related pollution. However, since then, the industry has undertaken significant technological upgrades, including the transition to BS6 emission norms, implementation of CAFE 2 standards, and ethanol blending.
The executive added that with further regulations such as CAFE 3, WTPL and BS7 on the horizon, a fresh scientific study to reassess vehicular contribution to pollution is well justified.
Another executive from an OEM stressed that the committee’s EV-centric approach overlooks alternative technologies such as hybrids and flex-fuel vehicles, despite the current policy framework promoting a multi-technology pathway toward cleaner mobility.
The meeting was attended by major automakers including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata, Toyota, Honda and Kia, among others. Representatives from the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, NITI Aayog, ICAT, ARAI, TERI and AIIMS, and IIT were also present.
A technical expert who attended the meeting also supported the call for a scientific assessment, noting that such a study would help shape a more informed and balanced policy. The expert added that they, along with other government officials, were not given a chance to speak. “It was supposed to be a stakeholders’ meeting, but it felt more like a lecture, with one professor speaking and no questions taken,” the expert said.
According to a source, Jhunjhunwala also urged automakers to introduce cars priced below ₹5 lakh and improve the quality of EVs offered in the country.
Infrastructure Gaps
When industry representatives flagged charging infrastructure as a key barrier to large-scale EV adoption, the committee chair said a “right to charge” framework would be mandated to ease deployment. However, he did not agree to conducting a study to assess how many chargers would be required if all new vehicles sold were electric.
Under the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) plan, all new taxis sold in the NCR region will be required to be electric from April 1, 2027. This will be followed by a mandate for all new buses from April 1, 2028, and by 2030 the requirement would extend to all new vehicles, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
Experts cautioned that such tight deadlines and swift policy shifts raise concerns not only for OEMs but also for consumers. They warned that abrupt mandates, introduced without a clear and long-term roadmap, could disrupt jobs, investments and revenues across the broader automotive ecosystem.
