Kerala Enters NITI Aayog’s Electric Mobility Index with Innovation

Thiruvananthapuram: The NITI Aayog made a special mention of Kerala in its Electric Mobility Index – 2024. Kerala was acknowledged based on its progress in transportation electrification, availability of charging infrastructure, and research related to electric vehicles. In the first-ever Electric Mobility Index published by NITI Aayog, Kerala secured 36th place.

The state has seen a significant surge in EV startups, along with a rise in vehicle sales. Kerala also carried out exemplary awareness campaigns among the public. The prototype lithium-titanate (LTO) battery developed jointly by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and Travancore Titanium Products also received a special mention. The report states that this marks Kerala’s decisive step into the e-mobility program.

Scoring 36 out of 100 points, Kerala has been categorised in the "Aspirant" group. In specific rankings, the state stood at 33rd in transport electrification, 46th in EV research, and 34th in availability of charging infrastructure. In the EV startup sector, Kerala ranked 60th. No state has achieved the “Achiever” status, which requires a full score of 100. Delhi (77), Maharashtra (68), and Chandigarh (65) secured the top three positions respectively.

One of the key factors behind Kerala receiving this recognition is the development of the indigenously produced Lithium Titanate (LTO) battery in 2023. As part of formulating the state’s EV policy, the nodal agency K-DISC (Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council) took the initiative to form the EV Development and Manufacturing Consortium, which led the efforts. The consortium includes partners like VSSC, Travancore Titanium Products Ltd (TTPL), C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram, and the Trivandrum Engineering Science and Technology Research Park. The battery’s key features include high energy density, fast charging capability, and high safety standards.