Prices of electric vehicles and petrol vehicles are going to be same: Gadkari

The prices of electric vehicles and petrol vehicles are going to be the same within the next four to six months, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday while talking at the Federation of indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Gadkari highlighted that since he was appointed as the minister, the Indian automobile industry has grown from ₹14 lakh crore to ₹22 lakh crore.

He further noted, “Within five years, our target is to make India’s automobile industry the number one in the world”.

Currently, the largest electric vehicle market in the world is the USA, with an industry of ₹78 lakh crore, followed by China with ₹47 lakh crore and then India at ₹22 lakh crore.

Meanwhile, highlighting the Indian energy transition towards cleaner and independent sources, the minister noted that farmers generated an additional ₹45,000 crore in income from producing ethanol from corn.

Gadkari rejected claims last month that he was involved in ethanol blending policies, claiming that they were the result of vested interests harmed by the government's drive for clean fuels.

While speaking at the event, he restated his policy goals of encouraging ethanol blending, empowering farmers to produce energy, and lowering pollution.

Additionally, Gadkari stated that he had "not taken a single penny from any contractor till date" and the recent accusations of this nature are a normal part of politics.

He said, "People know what the truth is...I have gone through such things many times in the past."