The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has welcomed the announcement of the FAME II Scheme that was recently approved by the Cabinet Committee as it will provide a big fillip to joint efforts to introduce higher levels of electric mobility in the country.
Mr. Rajan Wadhera, SIAM President, has said that for the last more than two years, the industry has been eagerly waiting for the announcement of a long-term policy, including the FAME II Scheme to be finalized. The industry thanks the Government for announcing the second phase of FAME as well as for having continued the FAME I Scheme during the interim period to ensure that continuity in the scheme is maintained. The industry is poised to make huge investments in manufacturing EVs in all categories of vehicles and developing an indigenous supply chain.
Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, M&M Ltd., has hailed the Government decision to clear the Rs. 10,000-crore programme. He said: “We applaud the approval of the FAME II Scheme by the Union Cabinet. The new outlay of Rs. 10,000 crores over a period of three years provides a stable policy to promote green mobility in India. It addresses the key issues, including the national energy security, mitigation of the adverse impact of vehicles on the environment and growth of domestic technology and manufacturing capabilities. The revised FAME II removes all the uncertainty and will put electric vehicles in the fast lane. Mahindra supports the Central Government’s focus to boost EVs in public transportation, and now requests local authorities to help facilitate plying of electric vehicles on Indian roads.”
He added: “The Government support with the FAME II Scheme is holistic and includes focus on charging infrastructure with a clear emphasis on “Make in India”. We feel that it is now the responsibility of suppliers, OEMs and mobility service providers to invest in EVs and make India’s EV dream become a reality”.
According to Mr. Wadhera, the three-year scheme with significantly enhanced financial allocations, as reported, will instill tremendous confidence in the auto as well as component industry while taking long-term investment decisions in EV development and manufacture with minimum risk.
The FAME II will focus on EVs used for commercial applications and two/three-wheelers and on creating the necessary infrastructure and eco-system for EVs, which is a welcome move. While the details of the scheme will be known shortly, the announcement of the scheme, in itself, is a major milestone and augurs very positively for ushering in clean and sustainable mobility in the country.
Mr. Sohinder Gill, Director General, Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV), has, in a press release, stated: “We are thankful to the Government for considering our demand for a long-term scheme with substantial fund support. The support would encourage associated industry players to invest in the sector, which will further help in creating an ecosystem, locally. We look forward to seeing the final notification from the concerned Ministry, which will give us clarity on the Government’s roadmap of e-mobility.”