Auto industry calls for clear roadmap to tackle pollution

The government’s recent thrust to combat the increasing levels of pollution in the country has forced automakers back to their drawing boards to restructure investments and strategies. While they share the government’s concern surrounding the rise in pollution, automakers have called for consistency in government’s approach in policymaking.

Earlier this year, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, announced the government’s decision to pass over the BS-V emission standards and directly implement BS-VI across the country from April 1, 2020. Before that, the previous plan laid out in October last year was for BS-V norms to be applied from 2019, followed by BS-VI in 2023. The original plan mandated that India move to BS-VI only in 2024.

“This kind of policy or policy change by the government in such an abrupt manner creates a lot of financial pressure and also pressure in terms of the direction in which the investments should be done,” RS Kalsi, executive director, marketing and sales, Maruti Suzuki India said at a panel discussion conducted by Autocar India recently on ‘The auto industry and market 2020 and beyond’.

While companies such as Toyota – which are prominent in Europe and other countries that implement strict engine emission standards – already have some Euro-VI compliant cars, manufacturers based in India are likely to have to invest heavily to meet those emissions standards.

Rakesh Srivastava, senior vice-president (Sales and Marketing), Hyundai Motor India, who was also part of the four-member panel, said that technological requirement wasn’t the key challenge since required technology was being exported via cars sent abroad. he stated, “While manufacturers would face the challenge of capital investment at some level, I think the biggest challenge would be at the level of the component manufacturers where they have to also invest in terms of bringing in the right technology.” For instance, suppliers will have to invest in a diesel particulate filter and selective catalytic reduction module to support BS-VI compliant cars.