New Delhi: Amitabh Kant, former NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and G20 Sherpa on Monday said that traditional automobile powered by an engine that burns fuel gradually be phased out by 2032 to transition towards zero-emission mobility.
Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in New Delhi, Kant emphasised the need to strengthen battery storage, critical mineral processing, offshore wind energy, decentralised solar and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to build India’s future energy ecosystem.
Calling for faster implementation of nuclear reforms, he urged greater private sector participation in nuclear energy and advocated a transition towards zero-emission mobility, stating that "combustion-engine vehicles should gradually be phased out by 2032."
He also highlighted green hydrogen as a major strategic opportunity, stating that India could emerge as one of the world’s cheapest producers and exporters of green hydrogen.
Speaking in context of West Asian crisis, he further added that India must rapidly accelerate its clean energy transition and reduce its dependence on volatile fossil fuel imports.
Emphasising that recent West Asian crises have reinforced the urgency of energy security, he stated, “India must move from a petro state to an electric state,” underlining that energy transition is now not only a climate imperative, but also a geopolitical and strategic necessity for the country.
Delivering the keynote address, Kant noted that India currently imports most of its fossil fuel requirements and nearly half of its gas requirements, making energy independence critical for long-term national resilience.
Stressing that India is “climatically blessed” with abundant renewable energy potential, he called for significantly enhancing India’s clean energy ambition from 500 GW to 1500 GW in the coming years.
He highlighted that renewable energy generation is often stranded due to inadequate transmission infrastructure and emphasised the need to build grid and evacuation infrastructure.
According to the figures by the Metro trends, India fossil fuel consumption for 2022 was 74.94%, a 0.48% increase from 2021.
India’s energy demand is projected to grow faster than almost any other major economy through 2035, and the country is expected to account for over 23 per cent of global incremental energy demand by 2050, the highest for any country.
In June 2025, India achieved the milestone of 50 per cent of its cumulative installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, five years ahead of its 2030 target under the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement.
On the other hand, interestingly, India's fuel-based automobile industry (petrol, diesel, CNG) is experiencing a transition, with record production of ~2.9 million units in Jan 2026, driven by high demand for SUVs and two-wheelers.
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