CAFE-III is too soft, say global agencies

India's auto emissions roadmap is so conservative that it falls short of the industry's own targets for electric vehicle sales, two international agencies said.

- Ayaan Kartik

The US-based International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and the Geneva-based International Road Federation (IRF) have separately urged New Delhi to reconsider further concessions under India's upcoming Corporate Average Fuel-Efficiency (CAFE) norms.

This follows the industry's complaint that the draft norms—even after a revision since their introduction in 2024—are too stringent and could threaten the sector's sustainability.

While industrywide CAFE-III compliance would raise the EV share in total car sales to 10-11%, the industry itself is targeting a significantly higher share, according to ICCT, an independent research organization advising environmental regulators on policy.