Govt keeping top EV makers accused of FAME subsidy misappropriation out of the new scheme: Report
Hero Electric, Okinawa Autotech, Greaves Electric Mobility and Revolt Motors have not yet been registered for new EV subsidy scheme, according to a report.
As per a report of ET Auto, these companies are among the seven companies against which the ministry of heavy industries had initiated recovery of varying amounts of subsidies in 2022, alleging misappropriation.
A top official of one of the affected OEMs told ET Auto that the company has not registered under EMPS yet. A Revolt spokesperson told ET Auto, “We understand that onboarding of Revolt on FAME/govt subsidy program is in its last stages. We expect the approval very soon”.
The official said allegations of subsidy misappropriation are untrue and accused the government of whitewashing the entire episode by giving a “clean chit” to these companies since some of them had dragged the entire matter to court.
As per the report, multiple e2w industry officials claimed that the Ministry of Heavy Industries (the administrative ministry for subsidy programme) has already absolved them of any wrongdoing, after an internal panel concluded its research into the entire subsidy saga. A spokesperson of the ministry, however denied giving any clean chit, saying “not cleared.
Promoter of one of the e2w OEMs not registered on the EMPS portal told ET Auto that they are looking at “live without subsidies” since the subsidisation regime will anyway end sooner or later. Instead, he claimed that value engineering and relentless focus on costs had enabled his brands to reduce
