India needs to develop its own infrastructure: Pralhad Joshi: Rediff Moneynews

Bengaluru, Aug 22 (PTI) India is fortunate to have the talent, manpower and capacity that we have, so we need to go ahead and increase manufacturing in India, said Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy, on Thursday.
Joshi was in Bengaluru to lay the foundation stone for an electric vehicle (EV) testing facility at the National Test House (NTH).

“Improving technology is a must. We need to develop our own systems, our own infrastructure. To achieve this, the first EV battery testing lab will be opened in my home state,” Joshi said, speaking at the inaugural event.

According to him, every decision taken by the Narendra Modi government is interconnected and is a step towards “atma nirbharta” (self-reliance).

“For example, we plan to have 30 per cent electric vehicles on Indian roads by 2030. We also want the energy used by electric vehicles to be renewable, so we are promoting solar energy on a large scale. We are pushing for 1 crore households with free solar installation so that we have access to renewable energy,” Joshi said.

He also called on NTH to diversify its testing capacity by training more people and setting up more facilities, such as one for testing electric vehicles.

NTH, a pioneer in testing and quality assurance in various fields, is under the Department of Consumer Affairs.

“The government will provide all necessary support to achieve this goal. NTH has already bagged several prestigious projects in India like Central Vista and Metro Rail. So, it should aim to become a Rs 100 crore company in three years,” the minister said.

The minister added that apart from Bengaluru, there are also plans to set up electric vehicle testing centres in Mumbai and Kolkata.

The Bengaluru facility will be equipped to carry out various tests of electric vehicle batteries, including electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), functional safety, durability, climatic tests, as well as mechanical and material tests, Bharat Khera, additional secretary, said.

It will serve as a one-stop centre for testing various aspects of electric vehicles, ensuring that the vehicles meet stringent quality standards before reaching consumers, said Department of Consumer Affairs Secretary Anupam Mishra, adding that it is expected to be a significant boon for electric vehicle manufacturers in south India.

On the occasion, Director of Legal Metrology Ashutosh Agarwal presented a certificate approved by the International Organisation of Legal Metrology, accepted worldwide, to Tatsuno India, a manufacturer of petrol pump dispensers.