VW case will not impact diesel car demand in India: Siam

Says there is need to follow uniform emission standards across the country

The negative sentiment against diesel cars following the global cheating scandal by automobile major Volkswagen will not impact demand for diesel cars in India, industry body Siam has said. It also said there is need to follow uniform emission standards across the country.

"I don't think so. Diesel is a clean and efficient fuel. It continues to be a popular fuel in many parts of the world," Vinod Dasari, Siam president and managing director of commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland said here when asked if the VW scandal would hit sales of diesel cars in India.

Dasari also highlighted the need to have one body that will deal with various regulatory issues related to automotive industry. "There is a requirement for having a single regulatory authority. It will be wonderful to have one body", he said, adding that industry has to deal with various ministries such as Petroleum and Natural Gas, Heavy Industries and Road Transport for different matters, besides various state governments.

On the emission norms, he said India has adopted higher emission norms at a much faster pace issue than Europe. The auto industry is ready to adopt stricter standards provided fuel is available across India, he added.

"If the fuel is available the auto industry can always consider options to move faster," he said when asked if the auto industry was ready to jump straight to BS VI from BS IV as is being suggested in some quarters. He said there is a worry if the oil industry will be ready with BS V fuel for supply in 2019.