New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on 4 December said the Centre is accelerating its shift toward cleaner mobility solutions as air pollution continues to affect Delhi.
Speaking during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, he said the government is prioritising alternative fuels and highlighted his own use of Toyota’s hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, Mirai.
“The futuristic fuel is hydrogen… I have also got a car, which is hydrogen and the car is from Toyota. It gives the same comfort as Mercedes. The name of the car is Mirai, which is a Japanese word meaning future,” Gadkari told the House.
He noted that India’s dependence on fossil fuels is both costly and environmentally damaging. The import of crude and petroleum products, he said, costs the country about Rs 22 lakh crore annually, while worsening pollution levels.
India imported nearly 300 million metric tonnes of crude and petroleum products in 2024-25 and exported about 65 million metric tonnes. The country currently meets around 88 per cent of its crude oil and 51 per cent of its gas requirements through imports.
Gadkari said the government is promoting policies that encourage the transition to alternative and bio-fuels, calling them essential for a cost-effective, pollution-free and indigenous energy future. He added that India’s automobile industry, now valued at Rs 22 lakh crore, has become the third largest globally, overtaking Japan.
With the rise of electric vehicles and an expanding biofuel ecosystem, he expressed confidence that India could emerge as the world’s leading auto market in the coming years.
