Tech, policy, human behaviour to shape India's mobility future: NITI Aayog member V K Saraswat

Bengaluru, Mar 9 (PTI) NITI Aayog member V K Saraswat on Monday emphasised that India's future mobility landscape will be shaped by a combination of technology, policy, economics, environmental considerations, and human behaviour.

He also highlighted the role of digital innovation in India's mobility transformation.

Speaking at the Japan--India Mobility Summit 2026 here, Saraswat said India and Japan bring deeply complementary strengths to the future of mobility.

While India offers scale, market growth and expanding capabilities in software and AI, Japan contributes advanced technological depth, engineering excellence and global leadership in safety and mobility systems.

"The next phase of our partnership should move beyond infrastructure towards technology co-creation - from hydrogen mobility and smart transport systems to next-generation vehicles and integrated mobility platforms," he said.

Saraswat stressed that mobility transformation today is not merely a sectoral reform; it represents a structural redesign of energy, infrastructure, data and industry.

"Through pragmatic pathways and sustained collaboration, India and Japan can together build scalable solutions that accelerate decarbonisation while setting a global benchmark for sustainable mobility," he said.

Saraswat also underscored that India's mobility transition must address the needs of 1.4 billion people, while reducing logistics costs--which currently account for 13-14 per cent of GDP--and supporting rapid urbanisation.

He stressed that no single technology or fuel can meet the mobility needs of a country on India's scale.

"India has therefore adopted a diversified and technology-neutral strategy that includes battery electric vehicles, strong and plug-in hybrids, ethanol blending, compressed biogas, LNG, green hydrogen for heavy mobility, and sustainable aviation fuels," Saraswat said.

He noted that electrification is already gaining momentum in India, with electric vehicles accounting for approximately 8 per cent of total vehicle sales in 2025. Electric three-wheelers represent about 16 per cent of the segment, while electric buses account for around 7 per cent of annual bus sales.

Saraswat said that initiatives such as intelligent transport systems, digital traffic management, unified digital payment systems, and the FASTag electronic toll collection system--which has achieved nearly 98 per cent penetration--are enabling seamless and efficient mobility across the country.

According to an official statement, the summit brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and technology innovators to advance collaboration in building the future of sustainable mobility.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), in close collaboration with NITI Aayog and key industry players underscored how the two countries' complementary strengths - India's scale, growing digital capabilities and manufacturing ambition, and Japan's technological depth and engineering excellence, can accelerate innovation across mobility systems.

Speaking at the summit, Keisuke Hosonuma, Director for Automotive International Trade Policy, METI said, The transition to carbon neutrality in mobility will not follow a single pathway. Different markets require different solutions based on their economic realities, policy environments and consumer preferences.

"Japan's multipathway strategy therefore, combines electrification, hybrid technologies and next-generation energy solutions while strengthening international collaboration. India is a critical partner in this journey, offering immense opportunities for innovation, scale and sustainable mobility development," he added.

The summit focused on strengthening cooperation across advanced mobility technologies, energy transition pathways, intelligent transport systems, and next-generation mobility while exploring new opportunities in hydrogen mobility, smart urban transport networks, and integrated multimodal infrastructure, the statement said.

S Selvakumar, Principal Secretary for the Commerce and Industries Department, Govt of Karnataka, during his session said, "Karnataka has emerged as one of India's most dynamic hubs for mobility innovation, bringing together advanced manufacturing, a thriving startup ecosystem, and one of the country's strongest clusters of automotive engineering and digital technology capabilities." According to him, with over 800 R&D centres, a vibrant network of global capability centres and progressive policies such as the clean mobility policy 2025-30, the state is building an integrated ecosystem that supports the entire mobility value chain--from design and engineering to manufacturing and deployment.

"We see immense potential to further deepen our engagement with Japanese industry and technology leaders as we work together to accelerate the next generation of mobility solutions," Selvakumar added. PTI AMP ADB