
MHI weighs inclusion of EV charging infra investments under scheme for foreign automakers
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: The government introduced steep tax breaks about a year ago to lure global electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers to set up shop in India. Apart from indications that Elon Musk's Tesla Inc.
might be preparing to sell its cars in India, EV makers haven't taken the bait. Now, the Indian government is considering expanding the scheme to cover investments in charging infrastructure to make the policy more attractive to global EV manufacturers, people familiar with the matter said. The Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI) was launched in March last year to encourage foreign automakers to set up production units.
The scheme, notified in 15 March 2024, mandates a minimum investment of $500 million ( ₹4,150 crore) and requires carmakers to achieve 25% localisation within three years and 50% within five years. In return, India will lower import duties on fully built EVs manufactured overseas by participating automakers. For instance, a car priced at $40,000 can be imported at a reduced duty of 15% instead of the usual 70%.
For EVs costing $50,000 or more, the import duty—typically 100%—will also drop to 15%, according to the scheme notification. Automakers can bring in up to 8,000 EVs annually under this framework, provided they meet the investment and localisation requirements. Yet, not a single automaker has formally applied.
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