Meeting a delegation of carmakers from the Society of India Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Gadkari said that with ethanol beginning to be easily available in the country, and more than 70 per cent of gasoline consumption being done by two-wheelers, there is a need to develop indigenous technology for flex-fuel vehicles.
Automobile manufacturers should prioritise production of flex engines in India, as many of them do elsewhere in the world, to make use of alternative fuels such as ethanol, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told automakers Tuesday.
SIAM has requested the Centre to postpone implementation of BS-VI CAFÉ Phase II regulations to April 1, 2024, on the grounds that the industry is still recovering from the impact of Covid, and slow consumer demand, a statement from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said.
While agreeing to examine the request, Gadkari made it clear to them that Indian automobile industry has to have world-class quality, and that if the industry is meeting stringent anti-pollution standards in countries to which they are exporting vehicles, the same standards must be adhered to in India as well.
The Minister has asked the delegation to come back next month with a detailed study on what steps have been taken by the industry on meeting the BS-VI Phase I standards, and the financial implications of going ahead with BS-VI CAFE Phase II standards before a final decision can be taken on the demand to postpone its implementation.