JSW MG Motor India Managing Director Anurag Mehrotra on 11th December urged the central government to introduce a 0% GST rate on electric vehicles and to continue consumer incentives until EVs account for at least 20% of India's passenger vehicle sales.

He emphasised that stable policy support is essential to sustaining the sector's momentum.

Speaking at the EV Conclave 2025 hosted by a local daily, Mehrotra stated that India is at a "crucial inflection point" in its clean mobility transition, supported by rapid demand growth and strengthening consumer confidence.

Annual electric four-wheeler penetration has increased from under 0.4% in 2021 to nearly 4% in 2025, with peaks of 5.5% recorded in certain months this year, he noted.

"The debate is no longer about whether EV adoption will happen, but how fast it will accelerate," he said.

Collaborate to scale

A key element of Mehrotra's address was his call for strategic collaboration between charge point operators, automakers and the Government to build a nationwide charging network.

He stated that, instead of fragmented investments, the industry should pool resources to expand infrastructure at a pace consistent with vehicle sales.

"Scale matters. Globally, mass adoption happened where infrastructure grew in tandem with products. India is moving in that direction, but we need to accelerate," he said.

Mehrotra also underlined the importance of policy predictability, noting that stable regulations and continued schemes such as FAME, ELI and stronger CAFE norms have played a central role in India's progress so far. Extending these measures would help the market reach a tipping point, he said.

Shifting consumer sentiments

He highlighted a significant shift in consumer sentiment, driven by improved range, lower running costs and enhanced total cost of ownership. He stated that, once consumers experience the "unit economics and convenience" of EVs, they rarely return to internal combustion engine vehicles.

He added that falling battery prices and rising emission compliance costs for ICE models would soon bring cost parity, making EVs an "obvious choice".

Drawing parallels with India's smartphone transition, Mehrotra said that affordability, accessibility and innovation will shape the next phase of EV growth. He stated that local manufacturing, widespread charging access and a supporting services ecosystem - including telematics, energy and digital mobility - will determine the sector's trajectory.

"The next decade belongs to cleaner mobility, and together we can lead that change," he said.