In a move aimed at a wider adoption of alternative clean fuel for transportation, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways allowed the use of Hydrogen-enriched compressed natural gas (H-CNG, which is an 18 % mix of hydrogen, in CNG engines. The ministry has been notifying various alternative clean fuels. BIS has also developed specifications of H-CNG as a fuel for automotive purposes. Certain CNG engines were tested to understand the emission reduction using H-CNG as compared to ‘neat’ CNG

India plans to offer $4.6 billion in incentives to companies setting up advanced battery manufacturing facilities as it seeks to promote the use of electric vehicles and cut down its dependence on oil, according to a government proposal seen by Reuters. A proposal drafted by NITI Aayog, a federal think tank chaired by Prime Minister, said India could slash its oil import bills by as much as $40 billion by 2030 if electric vehicles were widely adopted.  

Department of heavy industries extended the deadline for the localisation of several components under its phased manufacturing programme (PMP) for electric vehicles (EV) from October 1 to April 1 2021, offering a breather to the industry. Compliance with the PMP is a condition for availing subsidies. The move is expected to help the fledgling EV industry as the localisation plans of several companies were derailed due to the disruption from the pandemic.