Scooter & Bike Makers In India Very Unhappy! Here’s Why

Two-wheeler majors like Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp and TVS are fuming over the government’s push for electric vehicles (EVs).

Niti Aayog has asked scooter and motorbike manufacturers to draw up a plan to switch to EVs, news agency Reuters reported. The deadline to come up with the plan is two weeks, the report quoted unnamed sources as saying.

Niti Aayog officials came with this order during a meeting with executives from two-wheeler companies late on Friday, according to one of the executives at the meeting.

The central think-tank, which is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and plays a key role in policymaking, had recommended that only electric models of scooters and motorbikes with engine capacity of more than 150cc must be sold from 2025.

Automakers have opposed the proposal and warned that a sudden transition, at a time when auto sales have slumped to a two-decade low, would cause market disruption and job losses.