The central government is working on a dedicated programme to fund research and development (R&D) of subsystems required for an electric vehicle (EV).
The programme will be jointly managed by the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) and the ministry of heavy industries (MHI).
“This joint call for proposal seeks to encourage a consortium approach for developing technologies. Focus is on supporting practical application of R&D in the EV value chain,” Hanif Qureshi, additional secretary, ministry of heavy industries, told ET, adding that the initial fund allocation is INR 100 crore, which can be scaled up depending on the quality of proposals received.
The goal is to aid research in electric drive train with motors and drive controllers, EV charging infrastructure with multiple charging options in various voltage and current levels, grid disturbances due to EV and battery management systems with safety and intelligence, among others.
Under the proposed plan, MeitY will have the right to take over ownership of intellectual property rights (IPR) arising out of the project. “IPR transfer to the private industry may be considered based on contribution by them,” Qureshi added.
According to the call for proposals, the expected outcome (technology or product) must be cost effective, quality competitive and ready for commercialisation. These projects will be supported for 24 months or less (including product development and commercialisation), but the prototype must be ready and testing should start within 18 months.
“The maximum project duration (including product development, field testing and commercialisation) may be up to 36 months depending upon the complexities. However, the proposals with shorter duration will be preferred,” a joint note from both the ministries said, adding that this initiative is expected to deliver indigenous EV subsystems at an affordable cost following quality standards.
To ensure that the technology developed stays in the country, only domestic companies will be eligible for the sops on offer. All scientific societies, R&D laboratories or institutions, central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) and state level public enterprises (SLPEs) will also be eligible to submit their proposals for financial support.
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