Unveiling India's Automobile Sector Evolution

Abstract

Fossil fuel-based automobiles are one of the major causes of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The shortage of natural resources, along with environmental concerns, has caused tremendous pressure on the automotive sector to undertake a gradual shift to clean energy-based transport, resulting in the development of electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are considered a promising solution to the transport sector as they are highly efficient. This chapter briefs the world automotive history, key players, and the reason for the current shift to EVs, with relevant market studies. India, being the third-largest automobile market, offers a wide variety of vehicles. Hence, a study on the key players in the Indian automobile history along with the EV industry is elaborated. This chapter gives insight into the comparison of different EVs in the Indian market. It explains the challenges for India's shift to EVs, government policies supporting the transition, and the socio-economic need for the same. This chapter also presents a case study on India's most-sold EV – Tata Nexon EV.