The transition towards electric mobility is often discussed as a shift from one type of vehicle to another. In reality, it is a much broader transformation. E-mobility is the way forward for the nation’s strategic, growth, and ecological trajectory and Delhi as the national capital will have to take the lead on this road ahead.
It concerns how we produce and consume energy, how our cities are planned, the technologies we develop, the industries we build and, ultimately, the quality of life we provide to our citizens.
India’s mobility requirements are expanding rapidly. At the same time, we have to address energy security, air quality, urban congestion and climate change. This makes the transition, towards cleaner mobility, both an environmental necessity and an economic opportunity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has observed that “clean mobility, powered by clean energy, is our most powerful weapon in our fight against climate change”.
Electric mobility, therefore, cannot be considered in isolation. An electric vehicle is part of a larger ecosystem, involving batteries, charging infrastructure, electricity generation, storage, manufacturing, recycling, and digital systems.
For India, the objective must be to develop this ecosystem in a manner that is economically viable, technologically capable, and accessible to citizens.
There has already been significant progress in this direction. Government initiatives such as the FAME programme and the PM E-DRIVE scheme have supported the expansion of electric mobility. PM E-DRIVE with an outlay of ₹10,900 crore supports electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and related testing infrastructure.
But policy support is only one part of the transition. We must also develop the capabilities required to sustain electric mobility at scale. Battery technology, alternative materials, energy storage, and recycling will be particularly important.
A strong domestic EV ecosystem can create opportunities across engineering, electronics, software, battery manufacturing, component production, logistics, and related specialised services.
There is also a clear connection between electric mobility and India’s broader industrial ambitions. The automobile sector can be an important platform for investment, technology partnerships, and participation in global value chains.
India has already begun moving in this direction with Made-in-India electric vehicles entering international markets.
Immediate significance
For Delhi, the transition has an even more immediate significance. As one of the world’s major metropolitan regions, Delhi faces the interconnected challenges of mobility, air quality, congestion, and urban expansion. Cleaner public transport and personal vehicles can, therefore, contribute not only to reducing emissions but also to improving the everyday experience of citizens.
Delhi has already seen growing adoption of electric buses and other forms of cleaner mobility. The next step is to build an integrated system in which public transport, last-mile connectivity, charging infrastructure, and intelligent traffic management work together. This is particularly important for a city, where millions of people depend on public and shared transport every day.
The transition also presents an opportunity to strengthen Delhi’s position as a centre for innovation and sustainable urban solutions.
Our universities, research institutions, entrepreneurs, and technology companies can contribute to developing solutions suited to the specific needs of Indian cities.
At the same time, electric mobility must remain accessible. The success of the transition cannot be measured only by the number of electric vehicles on our roads. It must also be measured by whether citizens have reliable public transport, convenient charging facilities, and cleaner and more efficient ways of moving around the city.
Delhi, with more registered vehicles than the other three metropolitans put together, provides an important platform for bringing these perspectives together. The next stage of India’s electric mobility journey will require collaboration between government, industry, academia, and financial institutions. We need innovation that can be deployed at scale, investment that builds long-term capabilities, and infrastructure integrated with wider urban and energy systems.
Above all, we need a mobility transition centred on the citizen.
Electric mobility is ultimately not only about the vehicle. It is about cleaner air, efficient movement, technological capability, economic opportunity, and a more sustainable urban future.
I hope the efforts being undertaken in Delhi contribute to this larger conversation and importantly to practical solutions that can move from discussion to implementation.
Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Lieutenant-Governor, Delhi