Fadnavis inaugurates CPRI's testing lab in Nashik, says it will boost EV industry

Nashik, Sep 10 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday inaugurated the Central Power Research Institute's (CPRI) Regional Testing Laboratory (RTL) at Shilapur near here, and said it would provide a major fillip to the state's power and EV sectors.

"With this laboratory in place, electrical equipment manufacturers will no longer have to depend on Hyderabad or Bhopal for testing. Maharashtra is already emerging as a hub for electric vehicle manufacturing and once EV testing begins here, the sector will get a significant boost," Fadnavis said.

The lab, sanctioned under the 12th Finance Commission, would reduce costs and attract greater investment in transformer and equipment manufacturing, he said.

Maharashtra is working towards installing 45,000 MW of capacity in three years, with an overall energy sector investment of Rs 2 lakh crore planned by 2035 in generation, transmission and distribution, the CM said.

Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who was present, called the RTL a symbol of advanced science and engineering, adding that it would meet the growing needs of industries in western India.

Praising Maharashtra for introducing prepaid smart meters, he said the lab's certification services would aid both domestic and international power equipment markets.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said the facility would help attract multinational companies to Nashik, boosting local employment and positioning the city as an "electric hub".

The Nashik RTL is CPRI's second unit in Maharashtra after Nagpur, and will offer advanced facilities including online short-circuit testing, energy meter testing, transformer routine tests, impulse voltage testing up to 800 kV, and transformer oil analysis.

Fadnavis also said that Maharashtra aims to provide daytime power to farmers by adding 16,000 MW of generation, while industrial tariffs would gradually reduce by 2 percent annually between 2025 and 2030. PTI MR KRK