Nitin Gadkari gives BIG statement on EV vehicles, expresses concerns over hazards of fuel vehicles, says, ‘Within the next 4-6 months...’

India will now have prices of electric vehicles (EVs) similar to those of petrol-powered vehicles within the next four to six months, said Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday. While expressing environmental concerns over the use of fossil fuels, he noted that India is overly dependent on fossil fuels, which is an economic burden, as the government imports fuel worth Rs 22 lakh crore annually, and has consequences on the environment, emphasising that adopting clean energy is significant for the country’s progress.

India's commitment to the automobile sector

“Within the next 4-6 months, the cost of electric vehicles will be equivalent to the cost of petrol vehicles,” Gadkari said while addressing the 20th FICCI Higher Education Summit 2025. Further, the minister said, “Within five years, our target is to make India’s automobile industry the number 1 in the world,” the minister said. ”When I took charge as transport minister, the size of the Indian automobile industry was Rs 14 lakh crore. The size of the Indian automobile industry now is Rs 22 lakh crore,” Gadkari added.

The United States and China have a bigger automobile industry than India and are ahead of it in production. The automobile industry in the US is worth Rs 78 lakh crore, and that of China is Rs 47 lakh crore, while in India, the automobile sector is worth Rs 22 lakh crore. Gadkari pointed out that farmers have earned an additional Rs 45,000 crore by producing ethanol from corn.

What is the PM E-drive scheme?

Days before the announcement by Gadkari, the centre had declared that EV charging and battery-swapping stations would be subsidised under the Rs 10,900-crore PM E-drive scheme. These stations are installed in government offices, public spaces in cities, and along highways. The Union Ministry for Heavy Industries, in its guidelines, says that the subsidy will be provided on the upstream infrastructure and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) costs.

The infrastructure is made up of many crucial aspects like distribution transformers, low- and high-tension cables, AC distribution boxes, circuit breakers/isolators, and other protection devices, along with tubular or PCC mounting structures, fencing, and civil works. EVSE consists of the charger and charging guns.