Rise of intelligent vehicles will define India's global relevance, says Nitin Gadkari

Time of India

5 days ago

'We need futuristic technology and futuristic vision,' said Union Minister
Nitin Gadkari
, addressing a gathering of industry leaders, engineers and innovators at the Qualcomm's
Snapdragon For India
event. Applauding India's growing capabilities in embedded systems, chip design and advanced automotive electronics, the minister described the domestic auto-tech sector as one of the strongest pillars of India's aspiration to become a global manufacturing hub.
Gadkari noted that semiconductor innovation is now inseparable from the future of mobility. 'Your designs, your quality, indicate that you have got the potential to make this industry world standard,' he said, referring to the increasing integration of intelligent platforms in India's automotive systems.
As global demand rises for electric, connected and autonomous vehicles, India's software and chip design capabilities are finding global respect, he said.
He also reiterated the government's full support for this transformation. 'Today government is with you. We will support you for developing your industry. As stakeholders, we will come together, think together, and work together.'
Alternative fuels to reduce imports and pollution
Shifting to the broader challenge of sustainability, Gadkari stressed the urgent need to move away from fossil fuels. 'Forty percent of air pollution is because of this industry,' he said, referring to the transport sector. He laid out a clear path forward: a transition to alternative fuels such as ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, LNG, CNG, electric, and hydrogen.
With India spending ₹22 lakh crore annually on fossil fuel imports, Gadkari described this as both an economic and environmental crisis. 'This is the appropriate time that we need to find out the solution, that how we can reduce this import.'
He highlighted successful efforts to produce ethanol from sugarcane juice, molasses, broken rice and corn, citing its dual benefits—reducing oil imports and raising incomes for farmers. 'When we started ethanol from corn, its price went from ₹1200 to ₹2600 per quintal,' he said. The acreage under corn cultivation has since tripled in several states, including UP and Bihar.
Converting agricultural waste to clean energy
Gadkari underlined the government's 'jal, jameen, jungle and janwar' model of energy transition, focused on local, agricultural, and animal waste as raw material for fuels. He pointed to Indian Oil's ethanol project in Panipat, which produces one lakh litres of ethanol and 78,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel from rice straw.
Further, 400 projects are under way to produce bio-CNG from rice straw, with 80 already completed, especially in Punjab and Haryana regions responsible for seasonal stubble burning that affects Delhi's air quality. 'We are even making bio-bitumen from rice straw,' he said, citing a successful 1km test on the Nagpur–Jabalpur highway, which performed better than petroleum-based bitumen.
From 'knowledge to wealth' and 'waste to wealth'
Laying out a broader vision, Gadkari said, 'One important philosophy which is very important for all of you is the concept of 'knowledge to wealth' and 'waste to wealth'.'
India's tech and manufacturing sectors, he said, must convert innovation, science, research, and skill into tangible economic outcomes. He also cited the use of 80 lakh tonnes of municipal waste from Delhi in road construction projects such as Dwarka Expressway, UER-II, and Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, which has reduced the height of the Ghazipur landfill by seven metres.
Hydrogen is the future
Gadkari devoted a significant portion of his speech to India's bold hydrogen vision. Calling it 'the fuel of the future,' he revealed that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has launched hydrogen truck trials across 10 routes, with active participation from Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Reliance, NTPC, IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, Volvo and Anand Group.
A total of 37 vehicles are part of this trial, backed by ₹500 crore in government support. The National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to produce 5 million metric tonnes of hydrogen annually by 2030, saving ₹1 lakh crore in fuel imports and cutting 50 million tonnes of CO₂. Total investment in the hydrogen ecosystem is expected to touch ₹8 lakh crore, generating 6 lakh new jobs.
Building talent, enabling Atmanirbhar Bharat
The minister also emphasised the critical need for skilled manpower. 'We have a shortage of 22 lakh skilled drivers,' he said, announcing plans to establish 1600 driver training centres with a capital investment of ₹4500 crore, expected to generate 15 lakh jobs.
Gadkari concluded with a call to action: 'Your contribution to nation-building, your contribution to creating jobs, your contribution to Atmanirbhar Bharat and exports is very, very important.'
With a ₹75-lakh-crore vision for India's auto sector, he reminded the industry that while the road ahead may be challenging, it is well within reach. 'It is difficult, but it is not an impossible task.'