With the government pushing auto companies to adopt Bharat Stage (BS) -VI emission norms, car and bike makers are meeting the Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to discuss all the nuances and difficulties in pre-poning the roll out of more stringent norms.
In attendance are Vinod Dasari, Managing Director of Ashok Leyland and current President of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Vikram Kirloskar - former SIAM President, Pawan Goenka - Executive Director of Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) and Ravi Pisharody - Head of the commercial vehicles division at Tata Motors.
Representing the foreign carmakers manufacturing in India are Ronald Foger of Mercedes Benz and Renault's Sumit Sawhney, while Rajiv Bajaj and Venu Srinivasan, among others, are there to put forward the two-wheeler sector's concerns.On the issues discussed at the meet, Dasari said that the preponing of the BS-VI implementation is harsh as no country has so far been able to leapfrog from BS-IV to BS-VI (equivalent to Euro-IV to Euro-VI standards globally) within such a short period. Dasari and some of the leading automakers also expressed concern on availability of the BS-VI compliant fuel by the deadline even if the vehicles are ready by then. At the meet, Dasari also relayed his thoughts on the recent ban on registration of 2000cc+ cars in New Delhi, pointing out that less than 20 percent of pollution actually comes from auto emission in the city and he wishes the myth that cars are polluting India is dispelled.
Dasari further stated that he believes the court was not provided with accurate data before its decision on the ban.
He, however, also highlighted that he supports the Supreme Court decision to ban old trucks as they are the most polluting vehicles.
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