- India targets world No. 1 spot in automobile manufacturing within five years.
- Two-wheeler exports cross 50 % of total production.
- Hydrogen trucks launched on ten pilot routes with ₹600 crore support.
- Trials of isobutanol and rice-straw bio-bitumen show strong results.
- India now has the world’s second-largest road network.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 15th Sept: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday unveiled an ambitious roadmap to position India as the world’s leading automobile manufacturing hub within the next five years. Speaking at the International Value Summit 2025 in New Delhi, Gadkari said India has already overtaken Japan to become the world’s third-largest automobile market.
“All major global automobile brands are now present in India. Their focus has shifted from assembling to exporting vehicles from India to the world,” Gadkari stated, noting that the two-wheeler sector exports more than half its production.
Highlighting India’s leadership in clean mobility, the Minister pointed to rapid strides in electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel, and alternative fuels. “We have launched hydrogen trucks, and pilot projects are running on ten routes. With ₹600 crore in grants for hydrogen infrastructure, our aim is to lead the world in green mobility,” he said, citing support from Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Reliance, and Indian Oil.
Gadkari detailed new fuel trials including isobutanol and bio-bitumen, and underlined road infrastructure advances. “India now has the second-largest road network globally. Travel from Panipat to Delhi Airport now takes 35 minutes instead of three hours,” he said, adding that projects like the Chennai–Bengaluru expressway and the ₹23,000 crore Bengaluru Ring Road will transform connectivity.
Sustainability featured prominently in his address. He highlighted the use of over 80 lakh tonnes of waste from the Ghazipur landfill in road construction, reducing the landfill’s height by seven metres. Bio-bitumen made from rice straw, he said, outperforms petroleum-based options while curbing stubble burning.
Calling for international partnerships in precast road construction, tunnel engineering, hydrogen transport, and circular economy solutions, Gadkari concluded, “We do not have a resource problem. Our roads are monetized, and our revenue is strong. What we need is your innovation, your technology, and your cooperation.”
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