India’s Roadmap to Sustainable Transport: Gadkari’s Vision

India is accelerating its journey towards sustainable transport, according to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who laid out the government’s evolving vision at SIAM’s 65th Annual Convention. As the world’s third-largest automobile industry, India is pledging to transform mobility infrastructure and policy to align with global environmental norms.

Two of the key measures Gadkari emphasised are: maintaining BS-7 emission standards and implementing CAFE norms (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) to curb air pollution. These regulatory steps aim to reduce reliance on polluting fuels, improve vehicle efficiency and help India meet its climate goals.

Another pillar of the strategy is the expanded use of biofuels. Gadkari pointed out that biofuels help reduce crude oil imports, strengthening energy security and also offer new income streams for farmers.

Under the scrappage policy, over 300,000 older vehicles have already been retired, benefiting not only the environment but industry and government efforts as well.

Logistics cost reduction to single digits by year-end and enhanced road safety through public engagement and insurance safeguards for accident victims, including the “Rah-Veers”, were also underlined as essential components of India’s sustainable transport roadmap.

Gadkari positioned these initiatives as critical stepping stones for achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047, reinforcing that sustainable mobility is not just an environmental imperative but a key part of India’s developmental vision.