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Will govt push electrify Reva sales?

Tuesday, 05 April 2011

06 April 2011;business-standard.com:Mahesh Kulkarni:Bangalore: Chetan Maini, the man who gave India its first electric car a decade ago, is a lot happier these days. Within a year of the Mahindra group acquiring Reva Electric Car Company, his long-cherished dream seems to be coming true, with the government announcing a slew of measures to give impetus to electric cars. Chetan Maini, the man who gave India its first electric car a decade ago, is a lot happier these days. Within a year of the Mahindra group acquiring Reva Electric Car Company, his long-cherished dream seems to be coming true, with the government announcing a slew of measures to give impetus to electric cars. First, in December 2010, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) announced 20 per cent subsidy on electric cars. Second, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced setting up of a national mission on hybrid and electric vehicles in his Budget for 2011-12. Maini, chief of technology & strategy, Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles Pvt Ltd, who loves to research and develop eco-friendly transport solutions, struggled through last decade, but could not convince the government that it extend concessions for his electric car — an environment-friendly transport solution. The government initiatives came only after Mahindra took over the company in May 2010. This also proves that only a strong corporate lobby can move things in the ‘right’ direction within the government machinery. However, Maini has a different take on this. He believes it was sheer coincidence. “Earlier, there was no ecosystem for the government to wake up to the hard reality that electric cars were good for the environment. We, at Reva, had pioneered the concept in the country. The time is now ripe for the government to offer incentives, as a large number of automakers is entering the electric car market.”