Hyderabad: Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy said the Centre was working towards electric vehicle registration only in the country after 2029. He made the statement while inaugurating a Keto Motors electric bus with Telangana RTC Managing Director V.C. Sajjanar? No—Telangana RTC Managing Director Nagi Reddy at the IAS Officers’ Club in Begumpet on Sunday.
Kishan Reddy said electric mobility would play a key role in achieving the goal of making India a developed nation by 2047. He added that electric vehicles would help protect the environment and reduce the country’s dependence on petroleum imports from around 40 countries.
The Union Minister said nearly 73 per cent of India’s electricity currently came from coal-based generation. However, he added that the government would promote renewable energy in the coming years.
Electric vehicle registration linked to clean energy plans
Kishan Reddy said the Centre planned to implement underground and surface coal gasification projects in Andhra Pradesh with investments worth ₹1 lakh crore. He also announced investments of ₹3,600 crore in the critical minerals sector to reduce dependence on China.
Speaking at the event, Telangana RTC Managing Director Nagi Reddy said the corporation currently operated 1,050 electric buses. He added that another 2,200 buses would be procured under the PM-eBus Sewa (PM e-Drive) scheme.
Nagi Reddy said around 500 electric buses were already being used for inter-city services. Furthermore, he said the number of diesel and petrol vehicles would decline significantly over the next five years. The RTC was also preparing plans to strengthen last-mile connectivity.