Theme: Automobiles | What will it take for EVs to truly take off in India?

In this episode of BusinessLine’s State of the Economy Podcast, host Ronendra Singh is joined by Som Kapoor, Partner and Leader for Future of Mobility and Retail at EY India, for a conversation on how India’s mobility sector is rapidly evolving. Som begins with a bold statement: “Mobility in India, all over the world according to me, will change more in the next 5 years than it’s changed in the last 50.” He unpacks the trends behind this shift—from the rise of alternative fuels and electrification to the way people are rethinking car ownership. Traditional models of owning vehicles are being replaced with more flexible approaches like leasing, subscriptions, and shared mobility. As Som explains, “There’s a fair amount of people who may want to buy car for usage rather than buy car for just ownership.” The episode also explores why India is unlikely to rely on a single fuel source. Instead, a mix of electric, CNG, ethanol, hydrogen, and hybrid options will coexist to suit different needs and geographies. But challenges remain—especially when it comes to infrastructure and user confidence. “If there were no challenges, we wouldn’t be only at 2%, we would be at a much higher percentage anyway,” Som notes, referring to the current uptake of electric vehicles. From the growing influence of rural consumers to India’s potential as a global automotive exporter, this episode paints a realistic picture of where mobility in India is heading—and what it means for the road ahead. Listen in! (Host: S Ronendra Singh, Producer: Siddharth MC) About the State of the Economy podcast India’s economy has been hailed as a bright spot amid the general gloom that seems to have enveloped the rest of the world. But several sectors continue to stutter even as others seem set to fire on all cylinders.