'Panel to examine auto firms' requests for more incentives under PLI'

A government-formed panel will examine requests from auto manufacturers seeking quarterly incentive payouts and inclusion of more components under the production-linked incentive scheme, according to an official on Monday.

"This year, the incentive (under Auto PLI) will be given annually but a committee has been formed in the ministry that will look into the requests of OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers).

"One of the requests is that certain (Advanced Automotive Technology) AAT components be included. We have only 103 components," Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Heavy Industries Hanif Qureshi said.

In January, Union Heavy Industries Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey told PTI that the government constituted a committee to examine the auto industry's demand for including more components in the PLI scheme for automobile and auto components.

The committee will be chaired by an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and will have 11 members, including those from testing agencies like ARAI and the auto industry, Pandey had said.

Qureshi said 3-4 OEMs have given a list of some components, seeking their inclusion in the scheme.

The committee will also examine requests seeking quarterly disbursal of incentive payouts under the PLI Auto scheme, instead of annual incentive payouts at present, he added.