Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Saturday asked Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the Global Investors Summit 2023, to consider some new additions to the electric vehicle sector to fulfil his idea of making the state the most developed in the country.
Gadkari appreciated Adityanath’s vision for the state and said UP had the most potential to help achieve the Atmanirbhar Bharat dream. Entrepreneurs could invest in UP’s e-mobility sector and contribute to environmental protection, job creation, and poverty alleviation, he said.
“The automobile industry is the only sector that creates maximum employment and we have decided to transform this Rs 7.8 lakh crore worth industry to Rs 15 lakh crore in five years,” he added.
Gadkari further said this mission included the introduction of technology and innovation, and states such as UP had already “spread the red carpet for technology-oriented investors”.
While citing the Centre’s vehicle scrapping policy, however, Gadkari urged the state government to open scrapping units in every district as this will help boost the auto component industry in the state, which has the highest two-wheelers at 4.5 lakh.
The minister also said he believed that the battery industry could also grow in Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Kanpur and Gorakhpur. Regarding this, he said if UP could bring a separate policy, then the state could become a hub for EV batteries.
New Transport Model
Gadkari has talked about the electric double-decker air-conditioned bus in Mumbai and Volvo’s 15-metre sleeper coach bus in Bengaluru, launched by him. “I asked Volvo to make a business-class bus, which will include flight-like features. These buses can run on routes like Lucknow-Kanpur and people can travel while enjoying such facilities,” he said.
The union minister also suggested a model in which the state government would not have to pay but will rather be monetarily benefited. “It is a London transportation model, which includes nine operators. Drivers and conductors are assigned by the operators and corporation respectively,” he said.
According to the minister, if UP accepted this model, it will bring more electric buses and about three lakh people will get jobs. Further highlighting the issues related to public transportation at this moment, Gadkari said the new electric buses should have a front entrance and exit, and there should be a camera installed above the bus driver’s seat. He also said it will be a better idea to have a punch card system for tickets and there will be no need of conductors.
Bus ports and ethanol
While talking about further development in the transport sector, Gadkari said: “I would like to make bus ports like airports in UP. If we get profited from this, the central government’s transport ministry will take half the share and the rest will go to the UP government.”
He then said it will completely change UP’s scenario if such electric buses and air-conditioned bus ports are introduced. Further, the minister said UP’s sugarcane industry, worth Rs 50,000 crore, and ethanol production was generating significant revenue.
Gadkari said 75 distilleries in UP produced 250 crore litre ethanol each year. According to him, ethanol is currently in short supply and 500 distilleries could be established in UP. Additionally, he said flex engine technology was being promoted to improve the quality of ethanol consumption and if ethanol pumps were installed in the village, the entire economy could shift.
“PM Narendra Modi has already launched ethanol dispensing stations in Pune and if UP also gets ethanol pumps it will change the economy of the country,” said Gadkari, while urging Adityanath to think about flex-fuel vehicles and ethanol stations, as well as green hydrogen.
“The government has also taken the initiative to promote the production of green hydrogen from water and biomass and there is a lot of potential in UP,” he added.
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