India has established a strong foundation through initiatives such as PM E-DRIVE (₹10,900 crore) and localization incentives. The next priority is policy certainty. Focus areas should include interoperable charging standards, faster infrastructure rollout, battery recycling regulations, critical mineral security, and incentives for software-defined vehicles and advanced R&D, says Saurav Kumar, Managing Director, Protiviti Member Firm for India.
India’s EV ecosystem has witnessed significant momentum over the past few years. What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges that will shape the next phase of EV adoption in the country?
India’s EV market is now moving beyond government incentives and entering a phase of large-scale ecosystem growth. EV sales crossed 2.3 million units in 2025, accounting for around 8% of all new vehicle registrations, while the country’s public charging network has expanded to over 27,000 stations. The next phase of growth will be driven by commercial vehicles, local manufacturing, battery recycling, and smarter digital energy systems. Today, the biggest challenge is no longer the vehicle itself. It is about building the right infrastructure, improving financing, strengthening the power grid, and creating resilient supply chains. Going forward, companies that can bring together the entire EV ecosystem, not just build better vehicles, will be best placed to succeed.
As the automotive industry transitions towards electrification, how do you see traditional automakers balancing investments between internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric mobility while maintaining profitability?
This is more of a business and investment decision than a technology decision. Traditional petrol and diesel (ICE) vehicles will continue to generate the revenue needed to support the shift towards electric vehicles, while EVs will drive future growth.
Leading automakers will focus on getting the best returns by using flexible manufacturing, shared vehicle platforms, strategic partnerships, and a balanced product portfolio. The goal is not to switch to EVs as quickly as possible, but to manage both ICE and EV businesses wisely while creating long-term value for customers and shareholders.
Sustainability is becoming a key business priority across industries. Beyond vehicle electrification, what sustainability initiatives should automotive companies prioritise to build resilient and future-ready businesses?
The next frontier is enterprise decarbonization, not just vehicle decarbonization. Priorities include renewable-powered manufacturing, circular supply chains, battery recycling, responsible sourcing and AI-enabled ESG reporting. Sustainability is increasingly becoming a driver of capital access, customer preference and supply chain competitiveness—not merely regulatory compliance. Organizations embedding ESG into business strategy will create stronger long-term enterprise value.
Government initiatives and policy support have played a crucial role in accelerating India’s e-mobility journey. In your view, what additional policy interventions or regulatory measures could further strengthen the EV ecosystem?
India has established a strong foundation through initiatives such as PM E-DRIVE (₹10,900 crore) and localization incentives. The next priority is policy certainty. Focus areas should include interoperable charging standards, faster infrastructure rollout, battery recycling regulations, critical mineral security, and incentives for software-defined vehicles and advanced R&D. Stable policies reduce investment risk and accelerate private capital deployment.
Digital technologies such as AI, connected vehicles, predictive analytics, and data-driven decision-making are transforming the automotive sector. How do you see these technologies influencing the future of electric mobility and the overall customer experience?
The automotive industry is becoming a software-defined, data-driven industry. AI will optimize battery health, predictive maintenance, manufacturing quality, and customer experience, while connected platforms will unlock new recurring revenue models. The real differentiator will not be data availability but the ability to convert data into enterprise intelligence, supported by strong cybersecurity and governance.
With increasing investments in EV manufacturing and battery localization, how do you assess India’s potential to emerge as a global hub for electric mobility and sustainable automotive manufacturing?
India possesses the right fundamentals—scale, engineering talent, manufacturing capability and supportive policy. The opportunity, however, is to become a global innovation hub, not just a production hub. Success will depend on advancing battery technology, power electronics, software engineering, and intellectual property alongside manufacturing. The winners in the next decade will export technology and innovation, not just vehicles.
What are the biggest trends that will define India’s automotive industry over the next five years, beyond electrification, and how should companies prepare?
Five trends will reshape the industry: software-defined vehicles, AI-enabled operations, resilient supply chains, intelligent manufacturing, and sustainability-driven business models. Future market leaders will compete less on manufacturing scale and more on digital capability, ecosystem partnerships and organizational agility. The automotive companies of tomorrow will be technology enterprises that happen to manufacture vehicles.