In Hyderabad, Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy has called for enhanced indigenous manufacturing within the Electric Vehicle sector and its related industries. During the launch of KETO Motors’ commercial bus, he emphasized the need for India to attain self-sufficiency in critical minerals that fuel these sectors.
Mr. Reddy was accompanied by Y. Nagi Reddy, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC), and Venkatesh Challa, Director of KETO Motors Limited, at the unveiling event. He highlighted recent disruptions in the supply of critical minerals, notably after Operation Sindoor, where imports from China faced an eight-month halt.
To combat these challenges, the National Critical Mineral Mission was initiated with an investment of ₹34,000 crore. “Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper are essential for key future sectors including electric vehicles, solar panels, semiconductors, defense, and artificial intelligence. Their importance is comparable to that of oil,” he remarked. Moreover, he noted that the Government of India is actively acquiring mining blocks in various countries to ensure that these vital minerals can be mined and processed domestically.
Mr. Reddy also expressed unwavering support from the Union government towards the electric vehicle domain, stating, “Electric mobility transcends being just an alternative to petrol and diesel vehicles; it is a significant stride towards our nation’s energy security, control of pollution, reduction of imports, and technological independence.”
Discussing the advancements made by KETO Motors, he said, “The achievements of KETO Motors exemplify our indigenous capabilities. It is hoped that their innovation in developing eco-friendly transportation solutions through advanced research will significantly contribute to economic growth and job creation in the future.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Nagi Reddy highlighted that tackling traffic congestion, largely caused by the overwhelming number of private vehicles, requires an enhancement of public transport systems, including buses. He announced that under the PM eDrive scheme, the TGSRTC fleet will see the addition of 800 electric buses this December, followed by another 1,400 buses the subsequent December under a gross cost contract model. Mr. Reddy pointed out that in the near future, the number of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) buses will dwindle significantly.
