Govt sets up National Board for Electric Mobility

More than six years after it was approved by the UPA government, the Centre has constituted NBEM to promote electric mobility and manufacturing of electric (& hybrid) vehicles and their components.
The Union Cabinet chaired by former Prime Minister Minister Manmohan Singh had on March 31, 2011 cleared the proposals for launch of the National Mission for Electric Mobility and setting up of a National Board for Electric Mobility (NBEM) and National Council for Electric Mobility.
The NBEM will examine, formulate and propose the short-term and long-term plan and contours of the mission programme on electric mobility, its objectives, quantifiable outcomes and roles & responsibilities of the various stakeholders.

It will propose and recommend policy guidelines and government interventions and possible strategies for promoting electric mobility and for encouraging manufacture of electric vehicles in the country.
One of its key functions will be to explore and recommend collaborations and tie-ups for technology acquisitions, obtaining technical experts and explore possible agreements with leading R&D centres globally to facilitate availability of technology to the domestic industry.
The NBEM, to be chaired by the Secretary of Department of Heavy Industry, will comprise of senior bureaucrats as members, including secretaries in the Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, among others.

It will also have six nominated members of eminence and expertise from the automobile industry, academia and research & development. These include Vikram Kirloskar, CMD, Kirloskar Systems Ltd; Vinod Dashari, MD, Ashok Leyland; Pawan Goenka, MD, Mahindra and Mahindra; Annamalai Hemalatha, MD, Ampere Vehicles Ltd and Sudarshan Venu, Joint MD, TVS Motors.

The nominated members will have a tenure of two years, or until further government order, whichever is earlier. These members can be re-nominated for additional terms, if needed.
The NBEM will coordinate and resolve difference of opinion, if any, among various ministries. It will examine, recommend, monitor and review electric mobility related R&D projects and pilot projects and also evaluate and propose business models for popularising electric mobility.

It will formulate strategies and give directions to the various ministries and other stakeholders for implementing the decisions of the National Council for Electric Mobility.