The Centre needs to make up their mind on how to regulate the automobile industry, Vinod Dasari, managing director and chief executive officer at Ashok Leyland, told the Business Standard. Dasari’s tenure as president of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers ended earlier in September.
“You decide whatever is in national interest and we will follow,” Dasari told the government.
On September 7, Union minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had warned car manufacturers of their vehicles being bulldozed if they did not switch to alternative fuel. Responding to this, Dasari said the government had earlier asked the automakers to meet BS-VI emission standards and use compressed natural gas.
“All these are different,” Dasari told the English newspaper. “Which one should I develop and by when, which technology you want is not clear and the industry is blamed. If you do not know, work with us.”
Gadkari had asked the automakers to research on alternative fuel, adding that India’s import bill was around Rs 7 lakh crore per annum. “Alternative fuel is import substitute, cost effective and pollution free,” he had said.
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