The pump price pain is finally pushing India's drivers into the electric lane. But the road ahead is littered with potholes.
Delhi's chattering classes have long touted EVs as the future. The future is now. Petrol at 100 rupees a litre is a powerful motivator. Sales of electric cars tripled last year. They now account for nearly 5% of new car sales. That is still small. But the trajectory is steep. And it is forcing Westminster-watchers to take note.
The political game here is fascinating. Modi's government has pumped subsidies into manufacturing. The 'Production Linked Incentive' scheme has lured global giants. Tesla is circling. Local champions like Tata are ramping up. The calculation is simple: jobs, votes, and a cleaner image before the next election.
But the infrastructure picture is bleak. The public charging network is embryonic. There are roughly 5,000 public chargers for a country of 1.4 billion. Most are in cities. Rural India is a black hole. And the grid is creaking. Power cuts are common. The coal lobby is powerful. They are fighting the transition tooth and nail.
Cabinet insiders tell me a split is forming. The 'green' faction, backed by the Prime Minister's office, wants to go all in. The old guard, tied to the coal belt, is dragging its heels. The result is policy limbo. Subsidies for buyers are being phased out. Charging station targets are being missed. The bureaucracy is fumbling.
Then there is the battery problem. India has no lithium reserves. It depends on China for cells. That is a geopolitical headache. Delhi is scrambling to secure supply deals. Australia. Chile. Africa. But building a domestic battery industry will take years. The national security types are worried.
Backbench MPs are restless. Constituents are struggling with fuel bills. But the charging desert is a problem. Rural MPs fear being left behind. The urban elite can afford home chargers. The rest cannot. That is a political fault line.
Expect more headline-grabbing announcements. More subsidies. More grand plans. But the devil is in the detail. The grid needs upgrading. The bureaucracy needs shaking up. The coal lobby needs taming. None of that is easy.
The bottom line: India's EV surge is real. But it is fragile. Without a charging revolution, it will stall. The political will is there. But execution is everything. Watch this space.
