Mr. Mridu Mahendra Das, Co-founder & CEO of Automovill
“Impending recession and negative sentiments in the market have been a great concern for growth-stage startups. Demands for higher margins and lean structure from stakeholders and the investment ecosystem make the startup journey challenging for any charismatic results. This could be when Govt. could do its best to boost Startups, MSME sectors and entrepreneurs vying for growth post-pandemic. We strongly support the GST regime; however, at the same time, MSMEs/Startups also need flexibility in filings. Working in B2B environments and long-standing contracts makes regulatory filings difficult, which requires more freedom in terms of time and options.
Coming to the Automotive and especially the aftersales segment, the entire sector is under tremendous pressure against the availability of spares and low spending of consumers. For better customer satisfaction, we need support for facilitating the availability of imported spares, relaxation of rules by insurance companies and curbs on vehicular lifetime management. Reducing the GST norms for labour billing, especially in After sales ecosystem, is always a demand. Labour rates should be at 5% GST like the service charges in some other industries (i.e. hotels). Most auto workers lie at the bottom of the pyramid; reducing GST on labour to 5% will boost the income and livelihood opportunities and create more entrepreneurs in the segment.”
Mr Muzammil Riyaz, Founder of EVeium Smart Mobility
“The Indian government has launched policies and measures to incentivize the EV industry, but the same can only be leveraged when a parallel charging infrastructure is developed. While we encourage people to opt for EVs through subsidies and incentivization, in the end, only a hassle-free experience can sustain the consumers’ trust. We expect the government to accelerate the same by allocating budgets to ramp up EV architecture that is competent, connected, and sustainable. Moreover, there is an immediate requirement to spread awareness about the auto scrappage policy to spur the phasing out of end-of-life vehicles, which can assist in steering EV purchases even further.”
Mr. Mukesh Taneja, Co-founder & CEO of GT Force
“While multiple regulations for the auto industry are anticipated in the upcoming Budget, the central emphasis should, however, remain on the evolving electric vehicle space, given its potential to decarbonize India’s transportation industry. As the EV sector may witness yet another volatile supply chain disruption if the key markets experience a downturn, we highly await calculated EV-friendly policies in Budget 2023 that can aid in maintaining the industry’s ongoing solid growth momentum.”
Mr. Rajesh Saitya, Co-founder & COO of GT Force
“A crucial necessity for EV penetration is to facilitate a vast system of charging points; thus, there is also a massive need to mandate the installation of EV charging points in all existing and upcoming housing estates and commercial properties. Moreover, we are optimistic that the FAME II subsidy will be extended well beyond 2024 to maintain consumer demand and accelerate EV implementation beyond metro cities.”
Mr. Anmol Bohre, Co-founder & Managing Director of Enigma
The proliferation of electric vehicles exemplifies their growing popularity, as indicated by previous sales figures and the visibility of the number of EV vehicles on the roads. What’s more encouraging is that electric two-wheelers are paving the way for the greater adoption of electric vehicles in India. Despite being a large market, the government must prioritize research over sales if India is to become a world leader in this technology. Incentives should be allocated for collaborations with universities to advance the R&D of EV technology.
Recent controversies involving the alleged misappropriation of funds under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME) subsidy program highlight the need for careful consideration of the long-term consequences of such incentives. Therefore it would be beneficial to allocate the FAME subsidies directly to customers’ accounts. As the growth of the EV industry depends on charging infrastructure, designated funds for the development of charging stations along major roads, both national and state, are required. In this regard, financial provisions to establish solar-powered charging stations in collaboration with the government to achieve zero-emission capabilities for electric vehicles is highly desirable
