In order to cut down emissions and reduce pollution, electric vehicle is not going to be the only viable solution, rather the auto industry need to be more technology-agnostic, said TVS Motor Chairman Emeritus Venu Srinivasan said on Monday.
According to him, the consumers should not be restricted with limited choices. "I always believe we have to be agnostic (in technology) and look at the net effect on the country in terms of pollution, quality and environment. So, EV is not the only solution," Srinivasan said on the sidelines of the IFQM Symposium 2026.
He said in India, electric vehicles should be allowed to grow organically, where consumers will gradually choose it and not be compelled to buy. He flagged that consumer choice should be prioritised. At a time when the EV adoption in the country has been gaining ground, particularly in the three-wheeler and two-wheeler segments, the right approach will be to let it be accepted by the consumers at a more larger scale.
On ethanol blending in petrol, Srinivasan said the policy could help India reduce its dependence on fuel imports, while the impact on vehicle performance has so far been limited.
"The degradation in performance is very marginal. I think that should not deter us. After all, the whole of Brazil runs on ethanol," he said.
Srinivasan said a mandatory choice between different fuel blends may not be necessary for blends of up to 10% ethanol. However, he said offering consumers an option at higher blending levels could be considered, given concerns about the compatibility of high-ethanol fuel with vehicle components.
"There might be a mild fuel drop, but I think that is being played up too much. The country should look at the imports. And it is ecologically more friendly...I always believe that their choice should be there," he said.
Srinivasan also emphasized that the Indian companies need to raise quality and productivity standards if they aim to expand their presence in global markets. Thus, the Indian companies need to be at par with the international benchmarks in quality and productivity to be an integral part of the global supply chain.
