How India’s transport future is being rewritten

Policy push for electrification of trucks is a game-changer. It will benefit manufacturing, reduce emissions, and improve air quality

- 

Transportation emissions account for nearly 25% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In India, the sector contributes almost 14% of the country's carbon dioxide emissions, with about 90% coming from road transport. Given India’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, decarbonising road transportation is both urgent and essential.

India today stands at a remarkable turning point in its mobility journey. For decades, transport meant traffic congestion, high logistics costs, and patchy connectivity. But a quiet revolution is underway. Transport is no longer seen as a background sector—it is becoming a central pillar in India’s ambition to become a developed economy, a Viksit Bharat, by 2047, while meeting its net-zero target by 2070.

Globally, countries that transformed their transport systems unlocked not just economic efficiency but also growth, sustainability, and competitiveness. India has the same opportunity— if it makes the right choices now.

Three recent policy moves have the potential to transform India’s transport landscape, offering a blueprint for a cleaner, more efficient, and future-ready system.

Electrifying trucks: Transport accounts for 14% of India’s GHG emissions, with medium and heavy-duty trucks responsible for 44% of that share — despite comprising just 3% of vehicles on the road. India’s logistics costs, at about 13% of GDP, far exceed the global average. With 70% of freight moving by road and fuel making up a large portion of costs, electrifying trucks is both an environmental and economic imperative.