Centre, states map own routes to clean mobility

Centre wants to treat EVs and hybrids alike, but states have a clear preference for EVs

- Ayaan Kartik & Nehal Chaliawala

India’s push for clean mobility is hitting a fork in the road, as states increasingly diverge from the Centre's approach to supporting all types of clean vehicles. The growing divide, evident in automobile policies in various states, has also set the stage for intense lobbying, as rivals vie for policy support.

At the central level, the view is to treat electric and hybrids alike when it comes to incentives. But states are having different thoughts.

Key states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh have decided to reserve incentives for battery EVs (BEVs) in their automobile policies for 2025, a Mint review found Chhattisgarh recently tweaked a 2022 policy to explicitly remove incentives for hybrids. While Uttarakhand and Delhi had toyed with incentives for hybrids in their draft policies, the former is now reconsidering its position, a person aware of the matter said.