Industry should focus on electric cars: Tata Motors chief

India should focus on producing cheap, efficient and small electric cars over the next five years. “This will boost energy conservation and help cut down carbon emissions,” said Ravi Kant, chief executive officer, Tata Motors.

He was speaking at the Pan IIT Global Conference 2008, organised by IIT Madras, here recently.

The industry should develop electric cars at one-fifth of the market price in developed markets, he said, adding this would require more research and development for which the industry should work together with academia.

India’s drawbacks, Kant said, were lack of discipline, tolerance of bad quality, lack of concern for fellow human beings and lack of killer instinct.

Calling for a change in the steel manufacturing process, B Muthuraman, managing director, Tata Steel, said innovation will help cut inventories by as much as half and add value. “It (innovation) doesn't require education.”

For every tonne of steel produced, 2 tonne of carbon dioxide is emitted. Every year, the steel industry across the world emits more than 2.5 billion tonne of carbon dioxide, he added.