SIAM champions sustainable mobility at ‘Viksit Bharat’ conference, on World Environment Day 2024

Hyderabad: The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has hosted a landmark international conference titled “Integrating Mission LiFE in the Automobile Industry: Transitioning Towards Viksit Bharat” in New Delhi, aligning with the World Environment Day 2024 celebrations. The event was graced by Tarun Kapoor, Advisor to the Honorable Prime Minister of India, as the Chief Guest and featured a line-up of eminent speakers from government and industry leaders from both India and around the world. Their insights were instrumental in discussions on sustainable mobility, a media release here says.

SIAM is leading the charge towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2070 and advancing the Viksit Bharat initiative by 2047 with several key decarbonisation initiatives. These include the electrification of mobility, promoting ethanol use in transportation, enhancing recycling practices, developing infrastructure for gas-based mobility, and fostering the hydrogen fuel ecosystem.

The conference began with a lamp lighting ceremony and featured the launch of ‘SIAM Speaks’, a series of informative videos on SIAM’s YouTube channel aimed at educating vehicle owners and road users about India’s sustainable mobility transition as well as about responsible road behaviours. The event also included three insightful thematic sessions where experts shared their views on environmental preservation.

In his special address, Chief Guest, Tarun Kapoor, Advisor to t he Prime Minister of India, said, “The government emphasizes environmental preservation for a sustainable future, with EVs at the core. Our goal is to make India a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles, serving both domestic and global markets. Indian companies have immense potential to transform the country into a global EV leader. Most critically, we have to find ways to move towards sustainable transportation without affecting any aspect of life.”

Guest of Honour, Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, at the Centre, said, “There is a need to reimagine retail fuel outlets to accommodate diverse fuel types. Moreover, the industry leaders must advocate for sustainability principles among customers and vehicle owners.”

Highlighting the significance of partnerships for green energy solutions, The Guest of Honour, Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nobrega, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Brazil, said, “As we transition to green energy, firm collaborations are crucial. India and Brazil’s close partnership on bio-fuels highlights ethanol’s potential as a new green fuel, paving the way for sustainable energy solutions.”

Underscoring the government’s emphasis on green mobility, Dr. Hanif Qureshi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, said, “The government is committed to promoting sustainability in transportation and has crafted a number of schemes like PLI. Collaboration between the government and industry has continuously improved EV infrastructure in the country, fostering faster EV adoption. We must further accelerate our efforts and actions to ensure a sustainable and efficient transition to green mobility.”

Guest of Honour Sudhendu J Sinha, Adviser, Niti Ayog, Government of India, said, “We need to take sustainability with more respect and sincerity and create a vertical headed by a passionate sustainable officer. This is the year of innovation, where Rs 1 lakh crore has been dedicated to innovation. It is paramount to give a voice and pitch to the OEMs for all the good work that is being done for the households.”

The inaugural session was themed ‘Steering towards Environmental Preservation through Sustainable Mobility’. Welcoming the dignitaries at the conference, Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM, said, “SIAM is committed to Building the Nation Responsibly, advocating sustainability in line with India’s green ambitions. With commendable support from vehicle manufacturers, we are optimistic about reducing emissions and advancing towards green mobility swiftly.”

In the opening address, Shailesh Chandra, Vice President, SIAM and Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. & Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd., said, “Halting nature’s degradation is vital for people and the planet. SIAM is committed to Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), integrating sustainability from vehicle design to disposal. Through numerous initiatives, SIAM is actively reducing the carbon footprint, supporting India’s ambitious goal of becoming a net zero economy by 2070.”

The session also included a thematic presentation from Sukhmal Jain, Director, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., on “Decarbonisation on Transportation: Oil Industry Perspective”. Concluding the session, Rajesh Menon, Director General, SIAM, extended gratitude to all the dignitaries for sharing their valuable thoughts on sustainability in the automobile industry.

Session 1, themed “Pathways for curbing environmental pollution”, was chaired by Rahul Bharti, Chairman-SIAM International Relations & Trade Policy Group, and Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. The session included thematic presentations from Sanjay Parashar, Executive Director, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., on “Ethanol as a key bio-based pathway for sustainability”, Gerald Ollivier, Lead Transport Specialist, The World Bank, on “Global best practices for sustainable mobility”, and Dr Dhruba Purkayastha, Director, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), on “Building sustainable automotive industry in India”.

SIAM also signed an MoU with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) to foster sustainable mobility and decarbonisation in the automobile sector. The MoU focuses on mutual engagement in policy research, enhancing the uptake of sustainable cooling solutions, undertaking initiatives pertaining to environment and sustainability cause and promoting collaboration between professionals and technical. Rashid Hasan, Advisor, SIAM, exchanged the MoU with Dr Dhruba Purkayastha, Director, CEEW.

The audiences also got the opportunity to listen to an insightful keynote address by Rajeev Chaba, CEO Emeritus, MG Motor India, on “Powertrain options and policy interventions desired for national priorities”, special address by Tarun Garg, COO, Hyundai Motor India, on “Sustainability for humanity”, and by Dr Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI, on “Role of test agencies in embracing new technology options”.

Session 2, themed “Strategies for conservation of existing resources”, was chaired by M S Anand Kumar, Chairman, SIAM Recycling & Material Group and Sr General Manager, TVS Motor. The session included thematic presentations from Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice President, Toyota Kirloskar Motors, on “A holistic approach to sustainability”, Virendra Rathod, President, GRP Ltd., on “Tyre recycling”, Subhnkar Sen, Executive Director, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., on “Importance of ERP regime in used oil”, Hiten Bheda, Chairman, Environment Committee, All India Plastic Manufacturers Association (AIPMA), on “Advancement of plastic waste management to nurture circular economy”, and Saurabh Dalela, Director, International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), on “Electrification for net zero in the transportation sector. Additionally, Sandeep Garg, Dy ED, SIAM, also took part in the session.

Stressing upon the proper recycling of end-of-life (ELV) vehicles at the SIAM 4th International Conference, Ashim Sharma, Senior Partner at Nomura Research Institute Consulting & Solutions (NRI) highlighted its potential to reduce dependency on metal scrap imports by five million tonnes by 2025. He also placed emphasis on the importance of developing a recycling ecosystem for lithium-ion batteries to support a sustainable future.

Session 3, themed “Systems for harnessing renewable energy”, was chaired by Sushant Naik, Chairman, SIAM Electric Mobility Group and Global Head- Government and Public Affairs, Tata Motors. Sujoy Chaudhury, Director, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. gave keynote presentation during the session which also included thematic presentations from Deepak Ballani, Director General, Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturing Association (ISMA), on “Adoption of bio-fuels for carbon neutrality”, Shridhar Goud, Executive Director, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd., on “Fostering energy security using indigenous biofuel sources”, Abanti Sankaranarayanan, EVP, Group Public Affairs, Mahindra Group, on “Planet positive strategy and execution”, Atul Endley, Vice President, TCI Supply Chain Solutions, and Kavan Mukhtyar, Partner & Leader, PwC India.

Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM, concluded the day-long event while urging industry leaders to continue innovation to achieve sustainability goals and integrate LiFE principles in their business processes.