Sustainable Mobility: IESA Report on Emerging Reality

New Delhi, Oct 23 (PTI) Environmentally sustainable mobility is no longer a distant goal, but a rapidly emerging reality, and there is a growing consensus among equipment manufacturers, governments and consumers on the issue, IESA said in a report.

India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), in its Automotive Electrification in India Market Report, highlighted key electrification trends in the country's automotive industry.

As the world's fourth-largest automobile producer, India possesses the scale and potential to become a global leader across the automotive value chain.

The Indian automotive sector stands at a pivotal juncture, with electrification and a renewed focus on sustainable mobility reshaping not only vehicle power trains but the entire ecosystem, the report said.

"While petrol and diesel power trains continue to dominate, the increasing prevalence of sustainable mobility fuels, driven by enabling policies and growing awareness, underscores a growing consensus among OEMs, governments, and consumers that environmentally sustainable mobility is no longer a distant goal, but a rapidly emerging reality," IESA said.

States are actively supporting a transition from conventional to alternative fuels by encouraging local EV manufacturing, investing in charging infrastructure, and developing dedicated mobility clusters and ecosystems, it added.

These efforts highlight the importance of a well-coordinated policy approach that aligns central and state-level strategies to facilitate greater adoption of electric vehicles.

The report further emphasises that India's transition is unique due to its multi-fuel and multi-path approach.

While there is a clear focus on e-mobility, significant traction is also visible in compressed natural gas (CNG), hybrid, flex-fuel, and even hydrogen-powered mobility, each driven by specific use cases, it pointed out.


IESA president Debmalya Sen said, "Enabling policy plays a crucial role in navigating the shift towards environmentally friendly mobility and influencing consumer awareness and demand. Interestingly, while the overall adoption story is clearly defined, regional trends at the state level are highly uneven. States like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu dominate electric vehicle sales, accounting for over half of national volumes".

This shift towards sustainable mobility, however, is not uniform across the country, he noted.

Some regions are advancing directly to Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) adoption, propelled by proactive EV policies, robust manufacturing ecosystems, and investments in infrastructure, he said.

Other states are progressing through a phased approach, relying more on alternative fuel vehicles to bridge the gap.

This multi-adoption approach reflects the varied levels of market maturity, readiness, and local priorities across states, Sen stated.

As the market continues to evolve, a balanced emphasis on both demand- and supply-side interventions is required, IESA suggested.

As India advances toward its Net Zero goals, it is crucial to facilitate a level playing field for environmentally friendly technologies, keeping the principle of technology neutrality in mind and encouraging the adoption of all technologies that align with the nation's decarbonization objectives.

IESA is a premier industry body dedicated to promoting energy storage, e-mobility, and green hydrogen adoption in India.

It works with policymakers, industry stakeholders, and research institutions to accelerate market development through policy advocacy, business networking, and thought leadership.