A | The electric vehicle ecosystem in India is still at a very nascent stage, but the number of electric vehicles on Indian roads is on the rise every day.,Despite the growth, there are a lot of challenges that need to be addressed with regard to the EV infrastructure.,Road safety is one of the major concerns, as the country ranks first in terms of number of road accident deaths in the world. Last year, the World Economic Forum (WEF) launched the Road Safety 2.0 program in India with an aim to introduce technology which would promote the 4Es of road safety i.e. Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Emergency care.,In an interview with Sputnik, Akhilesh Srivastava, Project Head of the World Economic Forum’s Road Safety 2.0 program and Member of the NHEV Knowledge group, talked about measures to be taken to ensure road safety in India and discussed the challenges presented by the battery swapping policy in India.,Sputnik: According to government data, India ranks first in the number of road accident deaths in the world. As you lead the World Economic Forum’s initiative Road Safety 2.0 in India, what measures are required to reduce such fatalities?,Akhilesh Srivastava: With 11 percent of global road fatalities, India ranks worst in terms of the sheer number of road accident deaths in the world. The impact of road accidents on Indian GDP is nearly INR 2.5 trillion ($31.7 billion) i.e., over 1.85 percent of the GDP.,It is clear that old or conventional methods of road safety are not working and there is an urgent need for a new solution. The WEF-led Road Safety 2.0 is one such next-gen solution, where the power of technology is leveraged to save lives on roads.,A few of the measures have been enumerated in it are: the use of technology is the best way to quickly and effectively reduce accidents; сontinuous tracking driving behavior using IoT to generate Safe Driving Scores. The SDS can be used as a monitoring mechanism for incentivizing good driving behavior and reskilling the bad drivers; use of Safety measures like seat belt and helmet with sensors attached; use of AI with the integration of Traffic Lights; implementation of ITS-based penalty set up to penalize people; scaling awareness about the regulations among the people;,Sputnik: WEF’s Road Safety 2.0 talks about an approach to create a human-centric road ecosystem. Could you elaborate what sort of road ecosystem it aims to create?,Akhilesh Srivastava: Human-centric design is a method of product creation that places the requirements, desires, and abilities of users at the forefront of the process. Rather than expecting users to change and conform their behaviors to the product, it involves making design decisions based on how people can, need, and want to do tasks.,Moving on from existing to a human-centric road ecosystem will help the highway builders, manufacturing industry and the enforcement agencies tackle the needs of the people and then accordingly devise the road safety setup and create a human-centric road ecosystem.,For Example, the presence of air bags in the car is for the drivers and passengers' safety. Why only the front seat should have air bags, people in the back seats are equally vulnerable. As per the human-centric approach, the seat belt should be for all humans in the vehicle. All seats in private vehicles like cars and for all passengers in long-distance public transport buses.,Pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users should be given due space and weightage while framing the policies. In India, pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheelers constitute the majority but the roads and road rules, are made keeping in mind the bigger vehicles.,Sputnik: FASTags in India were adopted to make travel seamless on National Highways and Expressways. However, despite the complete roll-out we see long queues of vehicles at toll plazas and technical glitches being reported. How can an effective and glitch-free usage of FASTags be adopted?,Akhilesh Srivastava: FASTag has made travel hassle-free on highways and expressways in India. There are no queues. FASTag has made tolling very efficient and transparent. Last year’s toll collection was the highest ever at nearly INR 400 billion (Over $5 million),Apart from this, the FASTag has saved fuel wastage of worth over INR 200 billion ($2.5 million) which happened due to idling of vehicles at toll plazas. It also resulted in saving at least 50 million MT of carbon emission.,Sputnik: Regarding the electric vehicle segment, it is a well-known fact that in India it is at a very nascent stage. What are the major challenges that stakeholders are facing and how can they be tackled?,Akhilesh Srivastava: With 100 percent FDI available, new production centres, and a greater push to improve charging infrastructure, India's electric vehicle industry is gaining traction.,Other growth factors for the Indian EV industry include federal subsidies and policies supporting deeper discounts for Indian-made electric two-wheelers, as well as a boost for localized ACC battery storage manufacture.,Furthermore, in September 2021, the federal government authorized a production-linked incentive program for the automotive sector to stimulate the manufacture of electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. In 2021, India sold over 300,000 electric vehicles.,Some of the challenges that exist but are being tackled by the stakeholders are: inadequate charging infrastructure; reliance on battery imports; reliance on imported components and parts, range anxiety among consumers; current high price of EVs; lack of options for high-performance EVs; inadequate electricity supply in parts of India; lack of quality maintenance and repair options.,Sputnik: You have links with the NHEV (National Highway for Electric Vehicle) programme. What initiatives are being taken under the programme to expand EV infrastructure?,Akhilesh Srivastava: Yes, I appreciate this question which talks about Electric Vehicles and being a member of the Knowledge group of NHEV, I wish similar kind of road safety in India, however, some additional concerns are to be kept in mind are:,• The EV is directly connected to a regular household power outlet. This mode is the simplest possible charging mode and does not support any communication between the EV and the charge point, hence it is prohibited in many countries due to safety concerns.,• The onboard charger converts AC to DC. It uses a special type of charging cable equipped with an in-cable control and protection device. This can be used for private charging, but its public use is subject to restrictions in many countries.,• Batteries are the key element. And we noticed a few cases of fire recently. There should be a proper set of technical and regulatory guidelines for the batteries, about its specifications, unique Id number of batteries, uniformity in the charging system, and even uniformity in batteries so that battery swapping can be done easily.,Tracking of batteries can give alerts about the health of batteries so that unsafe batteries can be removed timely.,Sputnik: Ever since the Finance Minister announced the battery swapping policy, it has been a much talked about topic across the segment. Do you think it can be realized?,Akhilesh Srivastava: I appreciate the announcement by Finance Minister about the battery swapping policy. A detailed policy for battery standardization, specifications, and safety protocols is being prepared.,We should think of the battery as a service for battery swapping. This will allow the setting up of battery stations on a mass level; a battery swapping policy will be brought in and interoperability standards will be formulated.,The private players should be encouraged to develop sustainable and innovative models for the battery as a service which will increase efficiency in the electric vehicle ecosystem. This will reduce the cost of Electric Vehicles and give impetus for electric vehicle growth in the coming years.,Sputnik: Electric vehicles are an alternative to petrol and diesel vehicles, and commonly seen as a way to reduce carbon emissions. However, the source of electricity remains non-renewable, so what roadmap has the NHEV adopted to generate electricity for the electric vehicles through renewable sources?,Akhilesh Srivastava: The transport sector accounts for 18 percent of total energy consumption in India. This translates to an estimated 94 million tons of oil equivalent (MTOE) energy.,If India were to follow the current trends of energy consumption, it would require an estimated 200 MTOE of energy supply annually, by the year 2030 to meet the demand of this sector. As of now, this demand is being met mostly through imported crude oil, which therefore makes this sector vulnerable to volatile international crude oil prices. Moreover, the sector also contributes an estimated 142 million tons of CO2 emissions annually.,Electric mobility presents a viable alternative in addressing these challenges, when packaged with innovative pricing solutions, appropriate technology and support infrastructure and thus, has been on the radar of the Government of India.,The point of renewability of electricity is being addressed too with renewable energies like solar energy, wind energy and other forms other renewable sources of energy. The growth of India in this has been spectacular and the country is ahead of many developed countries in this regard.,Want to know more? Check out our Koo & Telegram accounts!,Koo: https://www.kooapp.com/profile/sputniknews,Sputnik India: https://t.me/sputniknewsindia。 Sputnik: How do you assess the results of the XIV BRICS Summit for Russia and India?,Denis Alipov: The XIV BRICS Summit held on 23 June this year was certainly another significant step in the development of the BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] grouping, which in essence reflects the formation of a new reality in international relations - the transition from a unipolar system to a polycentric world order.,The important thing is that, against the backdrop of geopolitical collisions, the five countries send a powerful message of common understanding of global processes - from reforming the multilateral system of economic governance to the situation in disarmament and non-proliferation, information security, counter-terrorism and other challenges. There was a clear consensus against arbitrary sanctions, which are the exclusive prerogative of the UN Security Council. We also shared a disapproval of the distorting effects of any discriminatory measures in international trade, which mainly affect developing countries.,Of course, our main target now is to build a smooth and reliable system of mutual settlements as an alternative to a compromised mechanism based on the dominance of the US dollar. We suggest developing a new international currency, to connect the banks of the BRICS countries to the Russian System for Transfer of Financial Messages, SPFS (a SWIFT analogue), to integrate national payment systems into a unified network for cross-border clearing settlements.,Clearly, no less importantly are steps to strengthen BRICS’ sectoral cooperation, which, according to the results of this year's work, continues to expand in the spheres of health, science and technology, space, etc. The New Development Bank, having a loan portfolio of $29Bln, stands out for its successful project activities.,The BRICS+ High-level Forum on Sustainable Development received a great response, which demonstrated the considerable interest developing countries have in cooperating with BRICS, and the positive global agenda that the grouping is building.,I believe that the BRICS, contrary to criticism, will have an increasing influence on world processes.,Sputnik: How does India and China's interaction within the BRICS framework unfold against the backdrop of the territorial dispute between the two countries in Ladakh? And how does this disagreement generally affect how the 'Five' interact and work with each other? Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday said that “common interests of India and China 'far outweigh' the differences” at a meeting with India’s ambassador to Beijing - is that really true?,Denis Alipov: Interaction within BRICS is mature and constructive. The active participation of India and China in all BRICS events this year clearly demonstrates this. The most important thing is that the member states use this platform not to antagonize each other but to promote mutually beneficial cooperation and synergy of interests.,The "Five" offer an extensive common agenda on these very foundations, that in one way or other will also contribute to overcoming bilateral disagreements.,Sputnik: Does BRICS plan to expand in the near future (according to media reports, China is in favor of this), and how do Russia and India view this?,Denis Alipov: The interest of like-minded countries in the "Five" is proof positive of how inclusive the association is, its openness to cooperation with all constructively minded partners, ready to seek answers to the challenges which are facing the international community at present.,Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that the discussion of BRICS expansion is justified and timely. The idea itself received principled support at the XIV BRICS Summit. Another thing to remember is that haste in this matter may be counterproductive. It is necessary to think in detail about the principles, standards and procedures of such a process, which should be developed through debate and by consensus. The main thing is that the accession of new members will help to increase the effectiveness and practical impact of the “Five's” activities.,Sputnik: How do you assess BRICS' role as a platform for building relations between the members of the association and enhancing relations between Russia and India in particular?,Denis Alipov: BRICS plays an important role in building relations between member countries. It has a great deal of institutional capacity and experience in practical cooperation. As I have already said, the “Five” share a common understanding of the need to build an equitable and fair polycentric model of the global system that corresponds with the political, economic and cultural diversity of today's world and meets the interests of all its states.,The decisions made at this platform undoubtedly also contribute to enhancing cooperation between India and Russia. It is sufficient to cite a few examples of the mechanisms that have been created: the New Development Bank, the Vaccine Research and Development Center, and the Joint Committee on Space Cooperation. Each of them provides a platform for experts to share experiences and find promising solutions in specific areas, and they can use this useful experience both at home and with regard to the interaction between our two countries.,BRICS May Defuse Frozen Border Issues Between India and China, Expert Says27 June, 10:14 GMT,Sputnik: India has recently come under pressure from the West because of its balanced stance on Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. Have the anti-Russian sanctions affected the cooperation between Moscow and New Delhi? And have you personally noticed any changes in the Indian position?,Denis Alipov: The partnership between Russia and India rests on a deep strategic foundation, drawing its strengths not only from strong historical roots, but also on a coinciding vision of the future world order. As you see, the external conjunction is incapable of affecting our relations in any meaningful way. We have regularly seen evidence of this in statements by the Indian leadership in recent months.,We are grateful to New Delhi for its objective assessment of the Ukrainian events. Clearly, they understand the background of the present geopolitical and geo-economic situation and the forced nature of Russia's actions in Ukraine. They see the destructive role of illegitimate restrictions in the genesis of the present global food and energy crisis, the responsibility for which the West seeks to place entirely on our country.,India does not support attempts to isolate Russia in multilateral forums and is critical of the West's wish to reduce the international agenda to the conflict in question, ignoring other key global and regional problems, which the West itself has exacerbated significantly. The pressure exerted by the West, aggressively imposing its conditions about who one can and cannot be friends with, causes the rejection of such diktat.,At the same time, we must be realistic about what is happening: India is interested in developing cooperation with the rest of the world, including the United States and Europe. National interests and the need to preserve strategic autonomy guide the Indians in their actions, rejecting the very idea of dividing lines and the paradigm of bloc confrontation.,As for the sanctions as such, they certainly throw up challenges, which will require a certain time to adapt and, I am sure, will be overcome in time. The main thing is that our cooperation actively continues because it is based on common interests and an understanding of each other's special place in mutual strategic arrangements.,Sputnik: In December 2021, Russia and India outlined many new goals for cooperation, including doubling mutual trade and investment. How realistic do these goals now seem?,Denis Alipov: First and foremost, it should be noted that the goals outlined in December 2021 at the annual bilateral summit in New Delhi are fully consistent with the enormous potential of our relations. The India-Russia partnership operates on all sorts of levels. We are expanding cooperation in communications, diamond processing, forestry, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, tourism, railroads, metallurgy, civil aviation, shipbuilding and oil refining. Our military and military-technical cooperation is being strengthened. We are progressively implementing the plans adopted at the 2019 Vladivostok Summit to work together in the Far Eastern and Arctic regions, and we are building up cooperation in the trade, economic, investment, banking and financial sectors.,The dynamics of bilateral trade speak for itself. According to India's statistics, from January to April 2022, it amounted to $6.4Bln. This is almost twice as much as for the same period last year. If we maintain these volumes throughout the year, we will have a turnover of more than $19Bln by the end of 2022. To put this in context, let me remind you that in the previous year we had an absolute record of $13.6Bln.,I expect that despite the West's sanctions against Russia, the positive dynamics of trade will continue. Unfortunately, in the first months after the launch of the special military operation in Ukraine there were certain difficulties with supplying Russian goods to India and vice versa. However, today we have successfully overcome most of these barriers. We are confident that Indian exports to Russia (including science-intensive ones) will gain momentum in the near future.,We see good prospects for Indian pharmaceutical products, leather and textiles, agricultural goods, components for machinery and equipment, telecommunications equipment, organic chemistry products. We expect growth in mutual turnover of services in such sectors as tourism, finance and insurance, telecommunications and information technology, transport and construction. We have great hopes for the implementation of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project.,The withdrawal of many western companies from the Russian market opens up many new opportunities for Indian businesses. The Russian business community is very serious about strengthening ties with India. Russia invites Indian companies in the aviation and metallurgical industries, in the wood-processing chain, and firms producing consumer goods for business cooperation.,Our main task today is to adjust our trade and economic relations to the new realities, to synchronize the payment systems of the two countries, giving priority to the increased use of national currencies.,Sputnik: US media giants, despite the diversity of the Indian media sphere, have been successful in infiltrating it. How far do you think has US propaganda penetrated local media? How do you view your interaction with the Indian media against this backdrop?,Denis Alipov: Indeed, western media has taken a very strong hold around the world and in India as well. These circumstances – and many local analysts point this out – limit the ability of national media outlets to offer their audiences an independent view of global processes. Much of the content published here is reprints from Reuters, the Associated Press, and AFP, all of which openly promote the interests of the so-called collective West, not shying away from fostering Russophobic sentiments and trafficking fake news.,India Discussing Rupee-Ruble Payment Mechanism With Russia24 June, 13:35 GMT,This is especially evident in the Indian media's coverage of events around Ukraine. Local newspapers sometimes publish absolute nonsense, exposing a basic ignorance of the region and history. There is no shortage of blatantly ordered articles aimed at denigrating the activities of Russian companies in India. This is nothing but an attempt at unfair competition.,Obviously, we respond appropriately. We publish our own material and rebuttals. We work with the press corps and explain all the nuances of the events from a historical and geopolitical point of view. We make active use of internet resources in this area.,It is noteworthy that local authorities have also intervened in the situation. In April this year, India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued recommendations to satellite TV channels, indicating the unacceptability of spreading inaccurate and misleading information, including in the context of covering Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.,We know that the vast majority of our Indian friends, including in the journalistic community, do not share the one-sided view of the situation imposed on them. They prefer to trust facts, which, incidentally, are in the public domain - every day relevant materials are posted on the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense's websites. They can also be found on the embassy's website and its social media accounts.,Some Indian journalists visited the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, wanting to see with their own eyes what was really going on. Their reports and interviews are now available to the public. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for their work.,Furthermore, I would like to thank our audience on social media. Thanks to their comments and support, we can see that attempts to tarnish Russia are doomed to failure.,Sputnik: You are an expert on India and speak Hindi. Please tell us, what made you fall in love with this country?,Denis Alipov: India for me is a life-long journey. I have spent more than 27 years here, studied its history in college, and been directly involved with the development of relations with it throughout my tenure.,As it did for my mentor and predecessor, the late Ambassador Alexander Kadakin [Russia's ambassador to India from 2009 to 2017], India became for me a 'Karmabhoomi' - a land of action.,India is an incredible country, an ancient civilization that combines centuries-old traditions and modern trends, the diversity of cultures, languages and beliefs. It is the brightest embodiment of the formula of unity in diversity. Rapid economic, scientific and technological development, the large young active population, the impressive growth of authority in the global arena have ensured its strong place among the world powers that will determine the future of our planet.。
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