EV subsidies flawed and unfeasible, says Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj

'Unimaginative govts throw money at manufacturers'

Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj tells Surajeet Das Gupta in an e-mail interview that the FAME II subsidy is a flawed strategy. Edited excerpts:

Do you think the FAME subsidy was needed at all for revving up the electric two-wheeler industry?

In my 30+ years at Bajaj I've witnessed engine technology change from the simple 2-stroke single cylinder carburetted air-cooled era to sophisticated 4- stroke fuel-injected, multi-valve, multi-spark, multi-cylinder, liquid-cooled engines. I’ve simultaneously witnessed emission regulations go from non- existent to BS6 which is on a par with Euro 5, the world’s best.

Was there any government subsidy for this? Not a