India needs at least 1 mn fast chargers to adopt EVs by 2030: Amitabh Kant

NEW DELHI — The G20 sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant has said that India needs at least one million fast chargers to adopt electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030.

In a post on X, he said that instead of importing, the country needs to push localisation content in manufacturing, with megawatt-hour charging for buses and commercial vehicles.

“All EV players & startups instead of creating tech silos must work together to build an interoperable fast-charging network. This is critical for providing impetus to the EV movement in India,” Kant wrote.

According to Counterpoint Research, India’s EV sales nearly doubled in 2023 and are likely to grow 66 per cent this year, driven by rising consumer interest, government initiatives and infrastructure development.

Speaking at Ather Energy’s community day event, Kant said that India is already the biggest exporter of two-wheelers in the world.

The future is electric in India which has seen a meteoric rise in EV adoption and homegrown companies should now aim to make electric two-wheelers for the global market, he added.

At the event, the former NITI Aayog CEO also mentioned that the transformation of India’s automotive sectors is key as it contributes 7 per cent to its GDP, 35 per cent to manufacturing GDP and 8 per cent to total exports.