Hyderabad: Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, in his closing address at the ISB Leadership Summit held in the city, said that the automotive industry would have to make a switch to the electric vehicle segment.
Speaking about the pollution generated by the industry, he said, “We export about '1.5 lakh crore worth of automobiles. This sector has the highest employment potential, but pollution is a genuine concern.” He stressed on the need for prioritisation of indigenous technology.
“Public transport must start using electricity. It is very cheap, and people will benefit from it. We are a coal- and power-surplus country," he said.
At the annual convention of the SIAM which was held earlier this year in Delhi, Mr Gadkari had said that vehicle manufacturers would have to make provisions for the use of alternative fuels to check pollution levels or risk getting bulldozed. The Central Government plans to bring an electric car to the market by 2030.
The minister spoke about the Centre’s plans for the development of roads. He said that the ministry, which formerly laid 2 km of road per day, was now laying 28 km per day. He added that the ministry had adopted a proactive approach towards the reduction of accidents. “780 ‘black spots’ have been identified by the government, and this has helped bring down the incidence of road accidents from five percent to four percent,” he said.
He also spoke about the migration of people from rural regions to urban regions and its consequence on the national revenue.
“India's agricultural growth should be in the 20 percent range so as to increase job creation in rural areas and discourage migration to urban regions.”
