India needs hyper local solutions in EV space: Dattatri Salagame

The country needs a lot of hyper local solutions in the EV space because of unique market conditions, temperature, road and dust, believes Dattatri Salagame, managing director, Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions India. He pointed out that the industry needs local software architects to come up with ideas unique to India.

Salagame was one of the industry experts at a panel discussion on future of e-mobility at the Bengaluru Tech Summit – 2020. Describing India as a powerhouse of software, he said the industry is in a good position to develop localized solutions. Salagame highlighted that some states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have been enthusiastic in giving a push for EV, and as such, the governments need to do a lot more to boost the investors and buyers sentiment. He said states can offer incentives such as waiving toll charges and providing free parking for e-vehicles, and offer subsidized charging stations.

Pankaj Vyas, CMD Siemens Technology India, said e-rickshaws and two-wheelers are taking the lead since they need not struggle with range and route, which he highlighted as two major factors crucial for electric vehicles. Vyas said public transport comes next, followed by utility vehicles like garbage pickup trucks in the city since they move on a predictable route.

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The EV market in India is only set to grow positively. A report, in 2018, highlighted that the absence of an EV supply chain in the country demands an urgent investment in R&D and local manufacturing capabilities. The transformation from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to EVs has significant implications for the existing automotive industry supply chain. The advancement in EVs will lead to profound changes across the automotive value chain, including technology, manufacturing systems, distribution and aftermarket service and support. The plus point is that electric vehicles are less complex to manufacture as compared to ICE vehicles with far fewer moving components.