Union Minister for Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said the Center is promoting the use of electric vehicles to address the pollution crisis at the 19th edition of the Symposium on International Automotive Technology (SIAT 2026) at the Pune International Exhibition and Convention Center (PIECC) in Moshi.
Automotive Research Association of India’s (ARAI) flagship biennial event, SIAT 2026, coincides with ARAI’s Diamond Jubilee Year and has brought together global leaders, technocrats, researchers, policymakers and innovators under the theme ‘Innovative Pathways for Safe and Sustainable Mobility’. On the occasion, Kumaraswamy also launched the Global Automotive Safety Regulations Book, SIAT 2026 minutes and technical reference documents published by ARAI.
In his inaugural address, the chief guest praised ARAI for its 60-year contribution to India’s automotive ecosystem. Highlighting India’s rapid economic progress towards becoming the world’s third largest economy, Kumaraswamy underlined the government’s drive for sustainable and technology-driven mobility through initiatives such as the Capital Goods Scheme, FAME Scheme, PM e-Drive Scheme and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes. He also recognized the role of the automotive sector in the growth of manufacturing, exports, advanced R&D and the rise of software-based mobility solutions.
“Looking at the scale of this conference, the depth of technical content that will be presented and the impressive expertise gathered here, I believe this event will result in an exciting exchange of information that will generate new knowledge and ideas that will show the pathways for India to aim to become a developed country and achieve net zero emissions by 2047 and 2070,” Kumaraswamy said.
He further pointed out that public transport vehicles account for 40 per cent of pollution in India and said the Center is promoting electric vehicles to address the problem. Kumaraswamy added that plans are afoot to significantly increase the number of charging stations across the country in the coming period.
Expressing confidence in India’s global prospects, the minister said the agreements reached with the European Union under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have a positive impact on both the Indian and European markets. He added that the Indian automobile industry is poised not only for domestic expansion but also for a stronger international presence in the coming years.
Addressing the gathering, Shailesh Chandra, Director General of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, spoke about the global transformation of the automotive industry driven by emerging technologies. He highlighted India’s growing stature and noted that the country is now the world’s largest producer of three-wheelers, among the top two producers of two-wheelers, among the top four in passenger vehicles and among the top five in commercial vehicles, with record vehicle exports recorded in 2025.
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During the event, Kumaraswamy also inaugurated several state-of-the-art mobility research and testing facilities at Takwe in Punewhich includes an advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) smart city test track, a cylinder test facility and a high energy impact test facility.
Welcoming the minister and participants, Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors and Vice Chairman, ARAI Governing Council, lauded the role of the government through various schemes for the automobile sector and appreciated ARAI’s contribution to the growth of the industry.
Dr Reji Mathai, Director of ARAI and Chairman of the SIAT 2026 Advisory Committee, said the symposium, which included more than 250 technical presentations, reaffirmed the shared responsibility of global stakeholders in advancing next-generation security, sustainability and mobility technologies.