Govt's V2V communication proposal may slow industry, says Maruti's Bhargava

Maruti Suzuki Chairman R C Bhargava questions mandatory V2V communication norms, while saying E20 adoption hinges more on fuel quality and distribution than engines

R C Bhargava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest automaker, questioned the rationale behind the government’s proposal to make vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems mandatory for all new automobiles from October 2028. “What would car users gain from this in rural areas or in cities where they travel at speeds of only 30-40 km an hour?” he said in an interview to Business Standard.   

Unlike developed countries, India, he said, is not a homogenous market. “Why should we impose standards that are relevant for big cars travelling on highways, or uniformly apply western standards to India? All this slows the industry down,” Bhargava said. 

 

On the debate around ethanol-blended petrol, he said, “There is a lot of misinformation. The engine itself does not require any significant change if you move from E10 to E20.” Some parts made of rubber may react to ethanol and need to be changed, which Maruti Suzuki has done, he said. “What is not in control is ethanol getting contaminated with chlorides, which is causing a problem and giving E20 a bad name,” he said, adding that the government is taking action. “However, scaling up ethanol-mixed fuels could be a problem, the biggest being fuel distribution at petrol stations,” Bhargava said.