The MAHA-EV Mission stakeholders meeting, held at Vigyan Bhawan, served as a collaborative platform to propel India’s electric mobility ambitions forward. The event brought together over 300 participants, including researchers, industry leaders, and academic experts from across the nation, both in-person and virtually, to discuss groundbreaking initiatives for the country’s electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.
Opening the session, Professor Ajay K. Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, emphasized the mission’s role in fostering an e-mobility transition aligned with India’s sustainability goals. He highlighted the mission’s objective of promoting collaborative innovation in EV technology across industries, research institutions, and government agencies.
Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and CEO of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), Professor Abhay Karandikar, outlined the strategic goals of the MAHA-EV Mission. He explained that the initiative is structured around high-impact investment in EV battery technology, power electronics, and charging infrastructure. Professor Karandikar emphasized the mission’s interdisciplinary approach, encouraging consortia-based proposals that unite expertise from various sectors.
This first call under the ANRF’s MAHA-EV initiative invites proposals aimed at bolstering India’s research and development (R&D) capabilities in battery technology, electronics, and EV infrastructure. Designed to fast-track research and stimulate innovation, the call supports projects that align with India’s priority for self-reliant and globally competitive electric mobility. Dr Shashi Bhushan Pandey, Program Coordinator of the EV Mission at ANRF, emphasized the value of partnerships, noting their critical role in advancing the domestic EV landscape. He expressed optimism about the potential impact of such collaborations on India’s technological capacity in sustainable transport.
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On the event’s sidelines, DST Secretary Professor Karandikar unveiled three R&D roadmaps focused on Tropical EV Batteries, Power Electronics and Machines, and EV Charging Infrastructure, available for public access on the DST website. This unveiling follows DST’s recent white paper on e-mobility and R&D roadmap, culminating in the MAHA-EV Mission.
