Telangana govt support to be the game changer in EV sector’

State’s fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to further improve the use case for adoption of electric vehicles, says industry

Hyderabad: Telangana is emerging as a major electric vehicle (EV) hub in the country attracting several electric mobility companies to set up their manufacturing base as well as introduce their latest products, backed by government support.

Among several companies that are looking at the State, Gurugram-based Evolet India is exploring possibilities to set up an assembly plant in Telangana as well as manufacturing options to make e-buses, to create additional capacities beyond its Haryana unit.

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Evolet India CEO Prerana Chaturvedi told Telangana Today, “One of the major advantages of Telangana is its prime geographic location, which presents a logistics and economic sense to EV makers. The State government is pushing the entire ecosystem around electric vehicles, by providing land, skilled manpower and subsidies. Telangana is also opening the door to receive supply as the first customer, being the frontrunner in EV adoption. This will be the game changer.”

Many EV makers are lining up their product launches in the State. Bengaluru-headquartered Ather Energy plans to deliver its latest scooter 450X in Hyderabad from November onwards, marking its foray into this growing EV market. Charging infrastructure will be created in the city from this month onwards.

Tarun Mehta, CEO, Ather Energy, said, “We find Hyderabad as a very strong market for electric vehicles, with a lot of customer interest. The city has a lot of young customers and people here understand and appreciate new technology. Not all cities in India are like this.”

“Hyderabad has a lot of tech crowd and people have a broad world view on environmental impact, technology, new brands and startups. I am surprised, we did not launch our vehicles in Hyderabad earlier,” Mehta added.

Policy push

Being one of the very few States in India with a dedicated Electric Vehicle (EV) and Energy Storage Systems (ESS) policy, Telangana is offering both incentives to manufacturers to set up their facilities as well as customers with the benefit of subsidies if they become early adopters of EVs.

Mahindra Electric managing director & chief executive officer Mahesh Babu said, the recently announced Telangana EV & ESS policy will ensure EVs are more accessible and affordable in the State.

Jayesh Ranjan, principal secretary, Industries & Commerce and IT, Government of Telangana, said, “We have introduced several policy initiatives in the areas of electric mobility, electric vehicles and electric storage. We are today seen as the most progressive and industry-friendly State.”

“Several companies have evinced interest in setting up manufacturing facilities for electric vehicles and batteries. National and foreign companies are aiming to strengthen their presence in south India as the region is progressive, people are enterprising, and the EV adoption is faster. Telangana connects to both northern and southern parts of the country and offers a strategic logistics advantage,” Ranjan added.

Mehta emphasised, Telangana’s policy framework will facilitate manufacturing and create more jobs. On the consumer front, no road tax and no registration fee for EVs will bring down the effective price of the vehicles, pushing sales.

Sri Harsha Bavirisetty, COO of Hyderabad-based EV company Gayam Motor Works, said, “The manufacturing ecosystem in Hyderabad and the State’s policy framework have been encouraging. We are not only making products to cater to the domestic market but also to export markets such as Japan, Lebanon, Italy, UK, France and Portugal. To meet our growth needs, we are planning to set up a larger facility in Hyderabad.”

Telangana EV Policy Goals

To reduce the total cost of mobility by increasing the adoption of EVs

To promote a shift from dependence on fossil fuels to locally produced renewable energy

Make TS the preferred destination for electric vehicle, energy storage systems and component manufacturing

To attract investments worth $4 billion and create employment for 1,20,000 people by 2030

To enable creation of EV charging infrastructure and market for commercially viable EV charging business

To develop Telangana as a global centre for cutting-edge research and innovation

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