Dr. Hanif Qureshi Reaffirms Government’s Commitment to Sustainable and Efficient Freight Mobility
New Delhi, Electric trucks can operate profitably on India’s high-volume freight corridors, according findings released today by the Smart Freight Centre following the country’s first comprehensive corridor-level demonstration. The findings were presented at a high-level showcase at India Habitat Centre, attended by policymakers from the Ministry of Heavy Industries, and logistics leaders across ecosystem.
The multi-partner study tracked electric trucks with GVW ranging from 5.5 to 55 tons across the 280-kilometer Delhi–Jaipur corridor, one of India’s key freight routes. Results confirm the corridor is operationally ready for large-scale electric deployment, marking India’s shift from isolated pilots to coordinated electrification.
Dr. Hanif Qureshi, IPS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) highlighted the Government’s commitment to advancing sustainable and efficient freight mobility through indigenous innovation and strategic policy support.
He underlined that under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, heavy electric trucks (N2 & N3 categories, up to 55 tons) have been included for the first time, with incentives of up to 10% of the vehicle cost and a ₹2,000 crore outlay for charging infrastructure. He emphasized the need to strengthen domestic manufacturing of key EV components such as traction motors, converters, and advanced chemistry cells (ACCs); build a resilient supply chain to reduce import dependence; promote TCO-positive use cases across sectors like ports, steel, and cement; and facilitate affordable financing while expanding charging networks across major logistics corridors.
