How a push for easier emission rules drew criticism from global agencies

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI : India's auto emissions roadmap is so conservative that it falls short of the industry's own targets for electric vehicle sales, two international agencies said. The US-based International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and the Geneva-based International Road Federation (IRF) have separately urged New Delhi to reconsider further concessions under India's upcoming Corporate Average Fuel-Efficiency (CAFE) norms.

This follows the industry's complaint that the draft norms—even after a revision since their introduction in 2024—are too stringent and could threaten the sector’s sustainability. While industrywide CAFE-III compliance would raise the EV share in total car sales to 10-11%, the industry itself is targeting a significantly higher share, according to ICCT, an independent research organization advising environmental regulators on policy. “Our internal analysis shows that the revised CAFE norms would translate into 10-11% EV sales by 2030," Amit Bhatt, managing director, ICCT, told Mint.

“Further, according to our analysis, if we combine the voluntary commitments from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), such as Maruti Suzuki committing to 15% EV sales by 2030, and Tata Motors' and Mahindra & Mahindra committing to 30%, we estimate around 20% EV sales by 2030," he added. Founded in 2005, ICCT operates in India, the US, Germany, China, Brazil and other countries. While Maruti Suzuki targets 15% EVs in its overall sales by FY31, Tata Motors and M&M aim for 30% by 2030, and Hyundai Motor India targets 17%.