“India aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, and Uttar Pradesh is striving to become a hub for electric vehicles (EV) manufacturing. The UP government is providing subsidies on all types of electric vehicles to promote electric mobility for environmental reasons,” said Chief secretary Durga Shanker Mishra on Wednesday.
He was addressing a workshop on ‘EV Charging: Way Ahead’ organised by Uttar Pradesh Renewable and EV Infrastructure Limited at Hotel Hyatt Regency, Lucknow. The chief secretary said that the future belongs to electric vehicles. He emphasised that as the demand for EVs continues to rise steadily, there is a corresponding need to enhance EV charging infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh.
The chief secretary mentioned that Hinduja Group is setting up a new integrated commercial vehicle plant focused on green mobility for manufacturing Ashok Leyland electric vehicles at Kanpur Road, Lucknow, with production expected to commence within two years. Similarly, Tata Motors also has a plant established there.
“The government’s efforts aim to establish a well-organized infrastructure for electric vehicle manufacturing and charging to meet the targets of manufacturing and incentivizing electric vehicles in the state in the coming years,” he said.
Mishra emphasised the importance of providing facilities such as cafes, entertainment, seating, and relaxation areas at charging centers, as charging electric vehicles takes time unlike petrol or diesel refueling. It is necessary to establish such facilities every 25 kilometers on highways and expressways.
He mentioned the promotion of electric vehicles in Ayodhya to combat pollution and the goal to make 30% of vehicles in the state electric by 2030, for which a policy was introduced in 2022, including provisions for subsidies on electric vehicle purchases.
India’s G-20 Sherpa and former CEO of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant highlighted the opportunities for electric vehicles in the state and presented a comprehensive plan for the 100% electrification of 10 cities in Uttar Pradesh by 2030 and making them the cleanest cities of India. These cities include Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Agra, Ghaziabad, Noida, Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Meerut and Gorakhpur.
Kant said, “UP has done transformational work in several areas. It is now poised to be the champion of EV mobility.” He underscored the efforts of the Indian government in promoting electric vehicles and commended the Uttar Pradesh government for its exceptional efforts, including the formation of a new company for EV infrastructure – Uttar Pradesh Renewable and EV Infrastructure Ltd.
Additional Chief Secretary and Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC) Manoj Kumar Singh stated that the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the state is rapidly progressing, which will attract large investments and generate employment. During his address in the inaugural session, Singh underlined the most encouraging features of EV Manufacturing Policy of Uttar Pradesh; FDI, Fortune 500 Global & Fortune India 500 Companies and also mentioned how Ashok Leyland’s EV Manufacturing Plant at Lucknow got its shape. It is worth mentioning that Ashok Leyland has announced that it will invest around INR 1,000 crore in this facility over the next few years.
He also chaired a panel discussion on ‘Initiatives of GoUP for Electric Mobility Development and Manufacturing’.
Prior to this, UP Power Corporation Limited Chairman Ashish Kumar Goel in his welcome address stated that the Government of UP intends to create electric vehicle charging infrastructure statewide to promote electric mobility on the fast track. The aim of today’s workshop was to formulate a policy for a vital, better, and useful network for electric vehicles in the state, based on the suggestions received during the workshop for the newly formed company UP Renewable and EV Infrastructure Ltd.
Reji Kumar Pillai, President, India Smart Grid Forum presented the status of electric mobility and the vision for UPREV. “Presently 758 electric buses and 6229 electric cars and 582 public charging stations (PCS) are operational in UP,” he said.
UPPCL MD Pankaj Kumar thanked the dignitaries during vote of thanks. The workshop was attended by senior officials from the Government of India, state government, and the state’s energy sector, along with industry representatives. On the occasion, officials from other departments and dignitaries from the private sector also shared their experiences and provided their insights aiming for further improvements and advancements in the state’s EV Mobility ecosystem.
