Zero-Emission Mobility: India's Path to Cleaner Urban Transport

Ganesh Mani S is a seasoned industry leader with over three decades of experience across global manufacturing, operations, supply chain management, and business transformation. Having risen from the shop floor to leadership roles at organizations such as Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, and Ashok Leyland, he has led large-scale manufacturing ecosystems, international operations, and complex supply chains, while driving excellence in quality, cost, and delivery.

As CEO of Switch Mobility and President & COO of Ashok Leyland, he is at the forefront of advancing electric mobility and strengthening global operations. He is recognized for driving EV innovation, operational discipline, and sustainable growth, while fostering people-centric leadership and building future-ready organizations in the automotive sector.

In an exclusive interaction with Thiruamuthan, Assistant Editor at Industry Outlook, S. Ganesh Mani, CEO, Switch Mobility and President & COO, Ashok Leyland Limited, shares insights on how zero-emission mobility is reshaping urban transport ecosystems. He discusses the role of policy support, infrastructure readiness, and evolving economics in accelerating EV adoption, while highlighting the need for integrated ecosystems, operational efficiency, and long-term sustainability to build future-ready mobility solutions in India.

Given India’s push toward cleaner urban transport, how are zero-emission mobility solutions reshaping city-level planning and infrastructure priorities?

Road transportation contributes nearly 12% of India’s total air pollution and over 25% of urban air pollution, making cleaner mobility a key priority for cities. As a result, zero-emission mobility is driving greater focus on charging infrastructure, depot electrification, route planning and grid readiness to support large-scale EV adoption.

The shift towards zero-emission mobility is helping cities reduce emissions at urban congestion hotspots. A single traffic signal can generate up to 500 kg of COâ‚‚ annually from idling vehicles, emissions that can be significantly reduced through EV adoption. Additionally, cities are increasingly adopting data-driven approaches to fleet operations, energy management and vehicle uptime, ensuring that transport systems are not only cleaner but also more efficient. Going forward, these infrastructure and planning priorities will play a critical role in building sustainable and future-ready urban mobility ecosystems.

Amid rising urban pollution and congestion, what factors are accelerating the adoption of electric and other zero-emission transport systems across Indian cities?

The adoption of electric and zero-emission transport systems across Indian cities is being driven by strong policy support, regulatory momentum and improving economics.

Government programs such as FAME-I, FAME-II, PM e-Bus Sewa and the PM E-Drive scheme, with an outlay of Rs 10,900 crore for EV adoption and charging infrastructure, have been key enablers of electrification, particularly in public transport. This is further supported by state EV policies offering capital subsidies, favorable electricity tariffs, regulatory mandates and registration fee waivers.

At the same time, concerns around urban pollution, congestion and fuel dependence are accelerating the shift towards cleaner mobility. Improvements in battery technology, charging infrastructure and fleet management are also strengthening operational efficiency and reducing total cost of ownership. Together, these factors have already translated into scale, with nearly 18,000 electric buses now operating across India, reflecting the growing maturity of the country’s zero-emission mobility ecosystem.

As state governments roll out EV policies and incentives, how effective have these measures been in driving real adoption on the ground?

State EV policies and incentives have been highly effective in translating intent into on-ground adoption by building early demand visibility and market confidence.

Take Delhi as an example, the city has scaled up to nearly 4,000 electric city buses today, supported by a comprehensive ecosystem approach that includes incentives for charging infrastructure, lower EV charging tariffs, waiver of registration charges and tolls, and support for local EV component manufacturing.

Similar policy-led momentum is visible across several states including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where structured EV frameworks have helped accelerate deployment across public transport and other segments. Overall, the effectiveness of these policies lies not just in incentives, but in their ability to create an enabling ecosystem that brings together infrastructure readiness, procurement visibility and long-term operational viability for fleet operators.

Also Read: Balancing Efficiency and Innovation in R&D Operations in Automotive Sector

When evaluating the transition to zero-emission mobility, what infrastructure gaps—especially in charging and grid readiness—still need urgent attention?

While the transition to zero-emission mobility is gaining momentum, infrastructure readiness still remains a critical focus area. The priority today is not just expanding charging networks, but ensuring that charging infrastructure is reliable, scalable and aligned to real operating patterns, particularly for commercial fleets and public transport.

Grid readiness is another important aspect, especially in dense urban areas where large-scale fleet electrification can significantly increase power demand. Faster approvals, stronger utility coordination and investments in depot electrification will be essential to support long-term scale. From an industry standpoint, the focus now has to move towards building an integrated ecosystem where vehicles, charging infrastructure, energy management and operations work together seamlessly.

Across public transport systems such as buses and last-mile connectivity, how is electrification progressing in terms of cost, efficiency, and reliability?

Electrification across public transport and last-mile mobility is steadily moving from early adoption to scaled deployment, supported by improving economics, stronger ecosystem maturity and operational efficiency gains.

Lifecycle economics is a key driver of this transition. Electric buses today offer a cost advantage of more than Rs 5 per km compared to diesel buses over a 12-year operating cycle in city applications, making them increasingly viable for large-scale fleet deployment. Alongside this, advances in battery technology, charging infrastructure, connected vehicle platforms and predictive diagnostics are improving reliability, reducing downtime and lowering operating costs for fleet operators.

At the same time, the industry focus is clearly shifting from upfront acquisition cost to long-term performance metrics such as uptime, energy efficiency and total cost of ownership, with operators increasingly prioritizing solutions that deliver consistent operational and economic value over the vehicle lifecycle.

While technology advancements continue in batteries and energy storage, how are these innovations influencing the economics of zero-emission mobility?

Advancements in batteries and energy storage are directly improving the economics of zero-emission mobility by enhancing vehicle utilization and reducing downtime.

Higher energy density, better charging efficiency and longer battery life are improving range and operational reliability, while faster charging and larger capacity batteries is emerging as a key enabler for commercial viability. For instance, most electric buses today take around two hours for a full charge; as charging times reduce, operators will be able to run more trips per day, improve fleet utilization and enhance passenger convenience, especially in intercity operations.

At the same time, we are constantly working on steadily lowering the total cost of ownership, making electric mobility increasingly competitive in high-utilization segments like buses. As a result, the focus is clearly shifting from upfront cost to lifecycle economics, where uptime, charging time, range and energy efficiency define overall operator viability.

Considering the role of urban consumers and fleet operators, what behavioral and financial barriers still limit widespread adoption?

One of the biggest barriers continues to be the higher upfront acquisition cost, particularly for commercial operators who closely evaluate capital deployment and payback timelines. Access to financing and residual value confidence also remain important considerations for wider adoption.

From a behavioral standpoint, concerns around charging availability, range predictability, uptime and long-term reliability still influence decision-making, especially among first-time adopters. However, as vehicle performance improves and operators gain more real-world experience with electric mobility, the market is gradually shifting from perception-led concerns to a stronger focus on operational economics and lifecycle value. We have strong 5000+ customers who trust our products and services. We set high standards of maintaining 98%+ uptime across our vehicles.

Also Read: Building EV Bus Ecosystems for India's Clean Mobility Goals

LOOKING AHEAD:  What will define India’s success in zero-emission urban mobility—policy consistency, infrastructure readiness, or ecosystem collaboration?

India’s success in zero-emission urban mobility will depend on the combined strength of policy consistency, infrastructure readiness and ecosystem-wide collaboration. Long-term regulatory clarity through initiatives such as PM e-Bus Sewa, state EV policies and evolving efficiency frameworks like CAFE III will play a critical role in accelerating industry investments and technology adoption. At the same time, scalable charging infrastructure, grid readiness and financing mechanisms will be essential to support large-scale electrification across cities.

However, sustainable transformation cannot happen in silos. The next phase of growth will require deeper collaboration between OEMs, governments, energy providers, fleet operators, financiers and technology partners to create an integrated and commercially viable mobility ecosystem. Going forward, success will not be defined only by the number of electric vehicles deployed, but by the industry’s ability to deliver reliable, efficient and future-ready transportation solutions at scale.

What guiding principles or personal mantra have shaped your approach to leading teams and navigating complex decision-making in your career?

One principle that has consistently guided me is the importance of balancing long-term vision with execution discipline. In industries like mobility and manufacturing, transformation does not happen overnight, so it is important to stay focused on long-term goals while remaining agile in day-to-day decision-making. We also strongly believe in building teams that are empowered, collaborative and willing to challenge conventional thinking. Some of the most meaningful progress happens when diverse teams come together with a shared sense of purpose.

Finally, we believe that leadership is ultimately about adaptability. The mobility industry is evolving rapidly, and staying open to change, technology and new ideas is critical to navigating complexity and driving sustainable growth.