Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari: Will 100 % Eliminate Petrol, Diesel Vehicles From Indian Roads

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is known for making announcements about ambitious projects. He has taken the initiative to improve the road infrastructure in the country. Gadkari is also known for pushing car manufacturers and the public to use electric cars and cleaner fuels. In a recent announcement, the minister shared his willingness to reduce GST on hybrid cars, and vowed to get rid of over 36 crore petrol and diesel vehicles completely.

In an interview with PTI, the minister said that it is 100 percent possible for India to get rid of petrol and diesel cars altogether. He said, “It is difficult but not impossible. This is my vision.” While responding to this matter, Nitin Gadkari said that India spends Rs 16 lakh crore on fuel imports. This money will be used to improve the lives of farmers and villages, resulting in employment for the country’s youth.

While Gadkari said that eliminating petrol and diesel cars from Indian roads was his vision, he did not give any timeline to meet this ambitious target. The minister said in the interview that he firmly believes that India can end fuel imports by promoting biofuels. He understands that this is a difficult task, which is why he is not ready to offer any timeline.

He adds that at the speed at which Indians are adapting electric vehicles, he strongly believes that the future of mobility will depend on alternate and biofuels. Gadkari said, “I roam around in a car that runs on hydrogen. You can see electric cars in every other household. People who used to say this was impossible have changed their views now and started believing in what I have been saying for the last 20 years.”

Environmentalists welcomed the minister’s vision. Avinash Chanchal, a campaigner for Greenpeace India, told PTI, “In India, we are still heavily dependent on a fossil fuel-based energy system to power electric cars, and this needs to be changed. There is an urgent need to ensure 100 percent renewable energy alongside electric vehicles to tackle the climate crisis.”

Manufacturers like Bajaj and TVS have already started working on flex engines, and heavy vehicle manufacturers like Tata, Ashok Leyland, and even Bharat Benz have prototypes that run using hydrogen fuel.

In addition to getting rid of petrol and diesel cars from Indian roads, the union minister is also working on reducing the GST on hybrid vehicles and vehicles that use flex engines. The minister is currently pushing to reduce the GST on hybrid cars to 5 percent and 12 percent for flex engine cars. Currently, hybrid car owners have to pay 28 percent GST along with 15 percent CESS.

This affects the ex-showroom price and on-road pricing of the car. With the reduction in GST, these cars would become a lot more affordable, and this would make more people move to hybrid cars. One of the major benefits of owning a strong hybrid car is its range and fuel economy.

People who often buy electric cars are worried about the range. This is not the case with strong hybrid cars as they use both an engine and an electric motor. These cars are also extremely fuel-efficient compared to regular petrol cars.