Committing to energy transition and ambitious net zero goals, India and the U.S. are discussing collaboration in the areas of battery technologies and critical minerals, Tarun Kapoor, advisor to the Prime Minister of India, said on September 26.
Speaking at the 20th Indo-U.S. Economic Summit , Kapoor said, “India has witnessed rapid growth in terms of manufacturing in the electric vehicle space, but there is a need to set up good charging infrastructure in the country.”
The theme of Summit this year is, — ‘Sharing ideas and potential for a substantial partnership between India and the U.S. for the next 25 years.’
Addressing the program, Damon DuBord, Energy Unit Chief, U.S. Embassy in India said that electrifying the transportation sector will be important, and promoting e-mobility is an important component of both countries’ journey toward net zero.
Kapoor addressed a session on infrastructure, road transport, and highways. He noted that both countries are already collaborating to set up funding for renewable energy and are also working on a payment security mechanism for electric buses.
He noted that currently 25 percent of cargo movement was done through railways, and stated that the government aims to raise this figure to 40 percent. He added that Indian Railways has already turned electric, and will eventually turn green with the complete greening of the power grid.
The government also plans to provide a better network of roads. Given that highways and rural roads have been constructed over the years in the country, Kapoor said that there is a need to ensure that the networks of roads are seamlessly integrated.
