Governments around the world are redoubling their efforts to deliver on commitments made under COP26 in 2021 and Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

In India, the government is continuing to stimulate the adoption of electric vehicles to help mitigate the impact of the transport sector (which accounts for >10% of C02 emissions) through its FAME subsidy schemes and other policy interventions and incentives.

It is estimated the Indian EV market will be worth around £5 billion by 2025 and is growing rapidly. While there is a push in India for self-sufficiency across the whole EV supply base, there is a range of opportunity areas where UK firms with leading-edge technologies (for example in advanced battery and cell manufacture and management systems), who could form partnerships to move the sector forward and unlock considerable commercial value and benefits for all parties.

However, realising this opportunity isn’t easy. The market is complex. India has an evolving regulatory and policy landscape with different states following different approaches. The business environment is extremely dynamic and close partnerships are essential to moving at the speed necessary. Meeting the needs of end-consumers and successfully communicating propositions in a way that resonates, requires in-depth research and local understanding; simply ‘lifting and shifting’ what has worked elsewhere is unlikely to succeed.

Key points

Connected Places Catapult and Energy Systems Catapult have collaborated to produce a Market Entry Toolkit to highlight the opportunity and provide companies with practical guidance on how to enter the Indian market. We provide an overview of:

• The structure of the market and identify the specific sub-sectors which offer the most growth potential and fit with UK capabilities.
• The policy and legal environment with links to more detailed information and support, to help companies navigate the landscape and avoid surprises.
• Insights into the motivations and attitudes of the Indian EV customer (both professional and private) to help companies tailor their offers to market needs.