SUMMARY
The EV industry has responded with greater innovation and the people are responding to it with greater openness to try the alternative, said PM Modi.
Terming ONDC a futuristic initiative, the PM said the platform will create a level playing field for various stakeholders
India’s tech revolution has had both economic and social impact, said PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the Centre is mulling various sops for the country’s electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.
In an interview with Moneycontrol, PM Modi said the potential incentives will be offered to ensure India achieves its carbon emission targets. He also applauded the homegrown EV industry for spurring innovation in the emerging space.
“The government has been working on providing incentives for the electric vehicle industry. The industry has responded with greater innovation and the people are responding to it with greater openness to try the alternative,” the PM said.
Speaking about the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), he noted that the platform will create a level playing field for various stakeholders. Terming ONDC a futuristic initiative, PM Modi said the platform is well-poised to revolutionise the tech arena.
“For a long time, India was globally known for its tech talent. Today, it is known for both its tech talent and tech prowess, especially in digital public infrastructure… The ONDC is a futuristic initiative that will revolutionise the tech field by creating a level playing field on digital platforms for a number of different stakeholders,” he added.
He also said that various state-backed public digital infrastructure initiatives and platforms unveiled in the past nine years are having a ‘multiplier effect on the economy’, adding that India’s tech revolution has had both economic and deep social impact.
The comments come at a time when the government has ramped up its focus on green technologies, especially the EV space. While work is underway on a new EV policy, the Centre is also mulling incentives in the form of lower import taxes for companies setting up manufacturing bases in the country.
Even as the EV ecosystem grapples with the fallout of the FAME-II crisis, electric two-wheeler registrations continue to see marginal uptick. Total two-wheeler EV registrations in the country rose to 58,927 units in August from 54,498 units in July.
On the other hand, the Centre has pulled out all the stops when it comes to its ambitious ONDC initiative. Built on the idea of open protocol, the network aims to break the silos related to ecommerce using an open-network methodology that is not limited to a single platform.
The government aims to onboard 900 Mn buyers and 1.2 Mn sellers through the network, directly pitting it against the likes of behemoths such as Flipkart, Amazon, Zomato, Swiggy, among others, across various sectors.
