'Without China, India's aim to electrify all vehicles by 2032 will be hard'

Hu Weijia, a journalist, says India shouldn't block Chinese firms from catering electric cars

Saying China can help New Delhi electrify all vehicles by 2032, a Chinese journalist on Wednesday said it will be in the Indian people's interests if Chinese firms set up plants in India.

"Any efforts to raise trade protectionism barriers would be counter-productive," said Hu Weijia of the state-run Global Times.

In a commentary titled "India should not block Chinese firms from catering to demand electric cars", Hu said New Delhi's ambition to promote the use of electric vehicles would probably lead to another wave of investment.

India is now a major investment destination for Chinese smartphone vendors.

In the past three years, Chinese smartphone brands have stepped up their investment in India, one of the fastest-growing smartphone markets in the world, Hu said in the Global Times.

"Now it seems the scenario is likely to be repeated in the electric car sector," he said.

In recent years, some Chinese electric car makers have used competitive prices and successful branding strategies to expand rapidly within China, now one of the world's fastest-growing markets for electric vehicles.

"Chinese electric cars have a comparative price advantage, which will be conducive for making inroads in the Indian market.

"The future competition between Chinese electric car makers and their Western counterparts may follow a similar roadmap in India.

"If New Delhi wants to push the use of electric vehicles in a bid to improve the country's energy structure and curb pollution, Chinese electric car makers should be allowed to play a bigger role.

"Without China's help, India's ambition to electrify all vehicles by 2032 will be hard to achieve."

India, Hu said, should allow Chinese companies to bring in competition and challenges for Indian electric car makers.

"It would be in the interests of Indian people for Chinese firms to set up plants in the country and employ local workers."