Made in India EVs Power Bharat’s Green Future
Newz Daddy Political Updates
The popular Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Ambassador of Japan to Bharat, Mr. Keiichi Ono San, President of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Toshihiro Suzuki San, Managing Director of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, Hisashi Takeuchi San, Chairman R.C. Bhargava, all employees of the Hansalpur Plant, other distinguished dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen! This launch at the Hansalpur Plant reflects collaboration between India and Japan, reinforcing strong industry ties and investments in Gujarat’s auto sector.
Amidst the joy of Ganeshotsav, today a new chapter is being added to Bharat’s Make in India journey. This “Make in India, Make for the World” is a big leap towards our goal. From today, Electric Vehicles made in Bharat will be exported to 100 countries. Along with this, hybrid battery electrode manufacturing is also starting today. This day is also giving a new dimension to the friendship between Bharat and Japan. I extend my heartiest congratulations to all Indians, to Japan, and to the Suzuki Company. In a way, thirteen marks the beginning of the teenage phase. Teens are a time of spreading wings, of taking flight with dreams. In teenage years, countless aspirations arise; it is almost as if the feet don’t touch the ground. I am happy that today, Maruti is entering its teenage years. The entry of Maruti into its teenage years here in Gujarat means that in the coming days, Maruti will spread new wings, move forward with fresh energy and enthusiasm. I have full faith in this. The “made-in-India EV export to 100 countries” underscores India’s ambition to be a global clean-mobility hub. Suzuki plans a ₹70,000 crore investment in India over 5–6 years, and the Gujarati plant will make the e-VITARA EV for world markets, including Europe and Japan.
Friends,
The seeds of this success story of Bharat were sown almost 13 years ago. In 2012, when I was the Chief Minister here, we allotted land to Maruti Suzuki in Hansalpur. Even at that time, the vision was of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), of Make in India. Our efforts back then are playing such a big role today in fulfilling the nation’s aspirations. The Hansalpur plant, opened in 2017, now has a capacity of roughly 750,000 units per year. It has become a key export hub for Maruti Suzuki’s global projects.
Friends,
On this occasion, I would like to fondly remember the late Osamu Suzuki San. Our government had the privilege of honouring him with the Padma Vibhushan. I am happy that the vision he had for Maruti-Suzuki India, today, we are witnessing its grand expansion. The Maruti-Suzuki venture, born decades ago, helped make India a top global auto player. The e-VITARA launch shows that legacy is continuing into EVs.
Friends,
Bharat has the power of democracy, and Bharat has the advantage of demography. We also have a very large pool of skilled workforce. This creates a win-win situation for all our partners. Today, you can see that Suzuki Japan is manufacturing in Bharat, and the cars made here are being exported back to Japan. This not only reflects the strength of Bharat-Japan relations but also the trust that global companies have in Bharat. In a way, companies like Maruti Suzuki have become brand ambassadors of Make in India. For the past 4 consecutive years, Maruti has been Bharat’s largest car exporter. From today, EV exports will also begin on the same scale. Now, in dozens of countries around the world, the EVs running there will carry the mark—Made in India! The exports include EVs and hybrid batteries. Maruti Suzuki started exporting battery cells and modules too, valued at hundreds of crores of rupees.
Friends,
We all know that the most critical part of the EV ecosystem is the battery. Until a few years ago, batteries in Bharat were completely imported. To strengthen EV manufacturing, it was necessary that Bharat also manufacture batteries. With this vision, we laid the foundation of the TDSG battery plant here in 2017. Under a new initiative by TDSG, three Japanese companies together will manufacture cells in Bharat for the very first time in this factory. Even the electrodes for battery cells will now be produced locally in Bharat. This localisation will give new strength to Bharat’s self-reliance. It will also accelerate the growth of hybrid electric vehicles. I extend my heartiest congratulations to you all for this historic beginning. This TDSG plant—jointly by Toshiba, Denso, and Suzuki—will produce hybrid battery electrodes, raising localisation to nearly 80%.
Friends,
A few years ago, EVs were seen only as a new alternative. But I have always believed that EVs are a concrete solution to many problems. That’s why, during my visit to Singapore last year, I said, we can convert our old vehicles, our old ambulances, into hybrid EVs. Maruti Suzuki accepted this challenge and, in just 6 months, developed a working prototype. I just saw this prototype of the hybrid ambulance myself. These hybrid ambulances perfectly fit into the PM E-DRIVE scheme. In this scheme of about 11,000 crore rupees, a dedicated budget has also been set aside for e-ambulances. Hybrid EVs will reduce pollution and also provide an option to transform old vehicles. The PM E-DRIVE scheme allocates ₹11,000 crore for e-ambulance and hybrid conversion, aiding green healthcare mobility.
Friends,
Clean energy and clean mobility, this is our future. Through such efforts, Bharat will rapidly become a reliable centre for clean energy and clean mobility.
Friends,
Today, when the world is struggling with supply chain disruptions, it is clear how useful the policies framed by Bharat over the past decade have been for our nation. In 2014, when I was allowed to serve the country, we immediately began preparations for this. We launched the Make in India campaign and created a favourable environment for both global and domestic manufacturers. To make manufacturing in Bharat efficient and globally competitive, we are developing industrial corridors, creating plug-and-play infrastructure, and building logistics parks. Bharat is also providing Production Linked Incentives (PLI) benefits to manufacturers in many sectors. Over the past decade, reforms like PLI, industrial corridors, and logistics infrastructure helped boost manufacturing speed and exports, even during global disruptions.
Friends,
Through major reforms, we have also removed old difficulties faced by investors. This has made it easier for investors to put their money into Indian manufacturing. The results are before us: in this decade, electronics production has increased by nearly 500 percent. Mobile phone production has increased by as much as 2,700 percent compared to 2014. Defence production too has grown by more than 200 percent in the past decade. These successes are motivating all Indian states, every single state, to compete in reforms and in attracting investments. This healthy competition is benefiting the entire country.
India’s mobile phone production grew almost 27-fold, and electronics by 5 times, illustrating how reforms drove an industrial boom. And I have been telling all the states in every meeting, in personal conversations, very publicly that we have to be proactive. We have to make pro-development policies. We have to emphasise single window clearance. We have to emphasise reforms in the laws, and this is the age of competition; the faster a state keeps its policies neat and clean, without ifs and buts, the more the investor’s confidence increases. The investor comes with courage to come. Today, the whole world is looking towards India. In such a situation, no state should be left behind. Every state should take the opportunity. There should be such competition that an investor coming to India should have difficulty in thinking whether to go to this state or that state. If there should be such clear-cut competition, the country will benefit from this, and therefore I invite all the states to compete for reforms, compete for good Governance, compete for pro-development policies and ensure our participation in achieving the target of making a developed India by 2047 at a fast pace.
Friends,
India is not going to stop here. We have to do even better in the sectors in which we have performed well. For this, we are emphasising mission manufacturing. In the coming time, our focus will be on the futuristic industry. India is taking off in the semiconductor sector. 6 plants are about to be ready in the country. We have to take semiconductor manufacturing further.
India is building six semiconductor manufacturing plants to boost local chip production—critical for EVs and tech independence.
Friends,
The Government of India is also aware of the difficulties faced by the auto industry due to shortages of rare earth magnets. To enhance the country’s capabilities in this direction, we have also launched the National Critical Mineral Mission. Under this, more than 1,200 exploration expeditions will be conducted at different places in the country, and critical minerals will be searched for.
In response to rare earth shortages, the National Critical Mineral Mission plans 1,200+ exploration rounds to source key minerals needed for EVs.
Friends,
I am going to Japan next week. The relationship between India and Japan is beyond just diplomatic relations; it is a cultural and trust-based relationship. We see our progress in each other’s progress. The journey we started with Maruti Suzuki has now reached the speed of a bullet train.
The India-Japan collaboration began with Vibrant Gujarat summits, building lasting partnerships across industry and culture.