India's EV transition Must be Inclusive, Economically Sustainable: HD Kumaraswamy

India's electric mobility transition must be inclusive and economically sustainable with a focus on affordability and scalability across both urban as well as rural markets, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy said on Monday.

Speaking at the launch of the industry-led platform, Light Electric-Vehicle Acceleration Forum (LEAF), Kumaraswamy, the Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, said going forward, the focus must move beyond just adding more charging points.

"What we need now is reliability, ease of access, and, most importantly, interoperability. We must ensure that India's EV transition remains inclusive and economically sustainable," he said.

The minister further said, "Our approach should continue to focus on affordability for consumers, viability for industry, and scalability across both urban and rural markets." Light electric vehicles will remain central to this as they serve as the primary mode of transport for millions of Indians, he said.

Looking ahead, Kumaraswamy said India has a real opportunity to lead, not just domestically but globally.

"If we can develop cost-effective and scalable solutions here, we can take them to our emerging markets across Asia, Africa and Latin America that share similar mobility needs," he added.

The minister reiterated that ultimately the success of this transition will depend on strong partnerships between the government and the industry.

He assured that the government will continue to provide policy support, enable innovation and strengthen manufacturing ecosystems.

"At the same time, industry collaboration like what we are seeing through LEAF will be critical in delivering real impact on the ground," Kumaraswamy said.

LEAF has the potential to become more than just a platform. It can serve as a model on how collaboration can drive meaningful change across the entire ecosystem, he added.

LEAF is a neutral, industry-led consortium focused on advancing the EV charging ecosystem to accelerate the adoption of electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers.

The initiative is jointly driven by Hero MotoCorp Ltd through its Emerging Mobility Business Unit, IPEC India and Ather Energy Ltd.

"Delivering a seamless and interoperable charging experience at scale will require alignment on shared approaches, which LEAF aims to enable," LEAF founding members -- Kausalya Nandakumar, CBO - Emerging Mobility Business Unit, Hero MotoCorp, Ravneet S Phokela, CBO, Ather Energy, and Zohra Khan, CEO, IPEC India collectively noted.

India has the potential to emerge as a global leader in light electric mobility, and initiatives like LEAF are key to unlocking this potential by building a more cohesive and scalable public charging ecosystem, they said.