The Government of India is working towards a Green India and aims to be carbon neutral by 2050. The EV policy launched in 2021 is a big boost in adoption and regularization of EVs in the country. However the infrastructure for ensuring proper charging network across the country will take quite some time to build up. The EVs also have a distinct disadvantage in real life range which hampers use of the vehicles for long trips.

In the current scenario, the Government should look at Hybrid vehicles as a answer towards helping India achieve its carbon neutral goal. Hybrid vehicles help in huge reduction in consumption of fuel as compared to Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles and in turn help the vehicle owners to save on their monthly expenditure. Hybrid vehicles have been launched by global auto manufacturers in India but due to the extremely high GST, which is 43%, as compared to EV, which is 5%, and without any incentive to manage the tax burden, the Indian auto customer has to look the other way from hybrid vehicles. By applying such high taxation for hybrid vehicles, the Government is in a way pushing the Indian public towards buying ICE vehicles, which is a bad precedent.

The Government of India under the able leadership of Mr. Narendra Modi and under excellent guidance by the Road and Transport minister, Mr. Nitin Gadkari has taken the right step in giving tax and incentive benefits to Made in India EVs. But by excluding the Made in India hybrid vehicles from receiving similar support, the progress towards a Green India is getting hugely hampered.

Join me in taking across this message to the Government of India to reduce the tax burden on hybrid vehicles and urge for added incentives to the vehicles. The Government of Haryana has taken the extremely heartening decision of giving 15% incentive on the cost of Hybrid vehicles. Rest of the states in India should take the same decision to help make India the Green Revolution of the world.