Will never allow driverless cars in India, reaffirms Nitin Gadkari as Tesla doors still open: Here’s why

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways in India, Nitin Gadkari, has once more expressed his reservations about the idea of driverless carsin the country. He has consistently held this stance, emphasizing that he won’t permit these vehicles in India. Gadkari’s primary argument against driverless cars stems from the potential job losses they could bring to India’s large population of drivers.
Recently, speaking to Business Today at the sidelines of Zero Mile Samvad hosted by IIM Nagpur, the minister said “ “I will never allow driverless cars to come into India because it will take away the jobs of several drivers and I will not let that happen.”

It’s no secret that US-based EV marque Tesla has strong intentions to set foot in the rapidly growing Indian automotive market and had also seeked import tax relaxations for the same. Gadkari welcomed the EV maker to set up shop on our shores but laid out one key condition – the cars must be manufactured in India and not imported from China. “It is impossible for Tesla to manufacture in China and import in India,” he added.

While the road for driverless cars in India might be long and unforeseeable, the work on cleaner, safer, and technologically advanced vehicles has already begun in India. Off lately, the automotive industry in the country has evolved and the consumer focus has also shifted from economical options to more, safer, aspirational products – which is one of the factors driving the growth of the SUV segment in the country. In fact, the MoRTH recently introduced the country’s very own crash test rating system, the BharatNCAP, results of its first voluntary lot can be expected soon.
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