PM Modi lays foundation stone of two new Maruti Suzuki plants, lauds EV sector in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of the Maruti Suzuki Vehicle Manufacturing Facility for Haryana and Suzuki EV Battery Plant for Hansalpur in Gujarat. The Indian PM laid the foundation stone at a programme held to mark 40 years of Suzuki Motor Corporation in India at the Mahatma Mandir convention centre in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar. The Suzuki Motor Gujarat Electric Vehicle Battery Manufacturing Facility at Hansalpur, Gujarat will be set-up with an investment of around Rs 7,300 crores to manufacture Advance Chemistry Cell batteries for electric vehicles. On the other hand, the vehicle manufacturing facility in Kharkhoda, Haryana will have the potential to manufacture 10 lakh passenger vehicles per year, making it one of the largest passenger vehicle manufacturing facilities at a single site in the world.

At the event, PM Modi said that India aims to be self-reliant in the energy sector in the next 25 years and electric vehicles, which are leading a "silent revolution", have a key role to play in achieving it. With a major part of energy consumption being in the transport sector, the prime minister said innovation in this sector should be a priority. "It is our goal that India becomes Aatmnirbhar for its energy needs in the next 25 years of Amrit Kaal," 

He further said, "As a major part of energy consumption is in the transport sector, innovation and (research) efforts in this sector should be our priority. I am confident we will be able to achieve this."

One of the great features of EVs, is that they are silent, be it two-wheeler or four-wheeler, they don't make any noise, he said. “This silence is not only about its engineering, but it is also the beginning of a silent revolution in the country," Modi said, adding the EV market in India at present is growing at such a rapid pace which could not have been imagined a few years back.

In March this year, Suzuki Motor Corporation announced plans to invest around 150 billion yen (about Rs 10,440 crore) by 2026, for local manufacturing of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and BEV batteries in Gujarat.

(With input from agencies)