Only 13% of India’s EVs Meet PLI Standards
A new report shows that only 13% of “Made in India” electric vehicles qualify for the government’s PLI scheme because core components — batteries, power electronics, software stacks — remain heavily imported, especially from China. Missing the PLI criteria reveals the real bottleneck: we need deeper local design, materials R&D, and supply-chain innovation, not just assembly lines and branding. If we want EVs built for Indian roads, climates, and users, we must design the heart of the vehicle — batteries, safety systems, thermal design, charging ecosystems — here at home. For designers, this is a call to treat auto mobility not as a product, but as infrastructure — something India must design, own, and evolve for itself.
For designers, this is a call to treat auto mobility not as a product, but as infrastructure — something India must design, own, and evolve for itself.