Ministry of Earth Sciences Hosts National Media Interaction on 'Mission Mausam' The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) held a national-level media interaction on the ambitious Mission Mausam at Prithvi Bhavan, New Delhi. The session was led by Dr. M Ravichandran, Secretary of MoES, alongside Dr. Mritunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and Dr. V.S. Prasad, Head of the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF). Approved by the Union Cabinet on September 11, 2024, with a budget of ₹2,000 crores over two years, Mission Mausam aims to transform India into a "Weather-Ready" and "Climate-Smart" nation. The mission focuses on advancing the country's weather and climate observation, modeling, and forecasting capabilities, to provide more accurate and timely services. Key Objectives of Mission Mausam: Develop Cutting-Edge Technologies: Introduce next-generation radars, satellites with advanced instr...
Today, at Vigyan Bhawan Annexe in New Delhi, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, unveiled the advisory document titled “Bharat Zero Emission Trucking (ZET) Policy Advisory.” The launch event saw the presence of prominent figures including Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary at the Office of PSA; Sh. Hanif Qureshi, Additional Secretary (Auto) from the Ministry of Heavy Industries; Sh. Sudhendu Sinha, Adviser on Infrastructure Connectivity & E-Mobility at NITI Aayog; Prof. Shankar Ram from IIT Madras; Sh. M. Ravi, Chief of Operations at the Centre of Excellence for Zero Emission Trucking (CoEZET), IIT Madras; Ms. Sharvari Patki, Program Head of Electric Mobility at the World Resources Institute (WRI); and Ms. Chandana K., Program Associate for Sustainable Cities & Transport at WRI.
In his keynote address, Prof. Sood underscored the critical role of Zero Emission Trucks (ZETs) in advancing India's goals of decarbonization and energy security. He stated, “To successfully introduce and expand the use of ZETs across India, we must leverage technical expertise and implement systematic policy interventions that foster a supportive techno-socio-economic ecosystem.”
Prof. Karthick Athmanathan, a PSA Fellow and Professor of Practice at IIT Madras, provided context for the Bharat ZET Policy Advisory document, while Ms. Patki presented an overview, highlighting the strategic approach and methodology behind the proposed policy interventions.
Sh. Hanif Qureshi and Sh. Sudhendu Sinha also addressed the audience, stressing the urgency of electrifying India's trucking sector. They discussed the roadmap to achieving 100% ZET sales by 2050, a milestone crucial for reaching India's Net Zero 2070 target.
The Bharat ZET Policy Advisory document is designed as a dynamic blueprint, proposing 30 comprehensive policy interventions aimed at accelerating ZET adoption in India. These interventions are organized into five key categories: incentives, regulations, infrastructure, business and financing, and stakeholder-focused initiatives. Each policy recommendation identifies the responsible nodal agency, key stakeholders, its anticipated impact on the sector, and the formulation methodology. The recommendations will undergo further refinement through extensive consultations with stakeholders, including detailed cost-benefit and impact analyses by relevant ministries, departments, and institutions.
The development of this advisory document was spearheaded by a Policy Advisory Panel (PAP) established by the Office of the PSA. A Project Management Unit at CoEZET, IIT Madras, drafted the policy advisory document under the PAP's guidance. The PAP, chaired by Dr. Preeti Banzal, Adviser at the Office of PSA, and vice-chaired by Prof. Karthick Athmanathan, includes notable members such as Dr. Reji Mathai, Director of the Automotive Research Association of India; Sh. S.A. Sundaresan, Vice President and Head of New Technologies at Ashok Leyland Ltd.; Sh. Sushant Naik, Global Head of Government and Public Affairs at Tata Motors Ltd.; Sh. Pawan Mulukutla, Executive Program Director at WRI India; Sh. Karthikey Hariyani, CEO of TecSo ChargeZone Ltd.; Sh. D.M.R. Panda, General Manager for Hydrogen & Renewable Energy at NTPC; Prof. S.A. Soman from IIT Bombay's Department of Electrical Engineering; Sh. Saurabh Sood, Senior Transport Specialist at the World Bank; Dr. Sneha Malhotra, former Chief Technology Officer at the Office of PSA; and Sh. Rajesh S, CEO of CoEZET, IIT Madras.
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