Absence of local cell manufacturing biggest hurdle for EVs: RC Bhargava

Maruti chairman says India's biggest roadblock to scaling up EVs is that no firm is producing battery cells in the country

Maruti Suzuki India Chairman R C Bhargava on Tuesday said the absence of local cell manufacturing is India’s biggest roadblock in scaling up electric vehicles (EVs). He noted that no company is producing battery cells in the country and that setting up a plant costs nearly Rs 20,000 crore apart from securing scarce raw materials.

 

China dominates the global battery ecosystem, controlling nearly 85 per cent of the world’s cell production capacity along with much of the processing of lithium and cobalt.

 

On the rare-earth magnet shortage caused by restrictions imposed by China since April, he said: “That may be