Path ahead for India’s EVs

The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is no longer a distant dream or just a government target - it’s happening right now and changing how the world moves.

- SHUBHRAJYOTSNA

What once felt futuristic has become reality as governments, companies, and people come together to make electrification the main way forward for cleaner and more sustainable transport.

In the early 2020s, global EV sales rose at record speed, and by 2024-25, the trend was clear - electric mobility is no longer a niche market, but part of the mainstream. China leads the charge, followed by Europe and North America, where EVs make up a large share of new car sales. As battery prices keep falling and more models become available across different price ranges, experts believe that 2025 and beyond will mark the decade when EVs truly take over the automobile market.

In India, the shift has been slower, but the progress is steady and promising. From a small start in the late 2010s, the country’s EV market has grown rapidly in recent years. The biggest push has come from electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and commercial fleets. Millions of electric vehicles are already on Indian roads, and India aims for a major share of new vehicle sales to be electric by 2030.

Government schemes like FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles), production-linked incentives (PLI), and state-level EV policies have played a key role in this transformation. Along with the steady drop in battery prices, these policies are helping to make EVs not just desirable but affordable for the average person.

One of the main reasons electric vehicles are becoming so popular is their environmental benefit. EVs are a big step toward reducing air pollution, especially in crowded cities. Since they produce zero tailpipe emissions, they help cut down harmful gases like nitrogen oxides (NO_) and fine particles (PM2.5), improving air quality and public health.