India's EV and battery manufacturing future depends on states playing to their strengths
New Delhi, April 23, 2026— India can become a global electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing hub—but depends on getting state policy design right. States can move beyond broad policy incentives toward targeted industrial strategies built around their existing strengths, according to a new report.
As the 2026 global energy crisis continues to expose India’s vulnerability to volatile oil markets, accelerating the adoption of EVs can reduce exposure to fuel price shocks. But without an effective parallel strategy to localize EV and battery manufacturing, accelerated EV uptake will only deepen reliance on imported cells, components, and high-end technology, widening the trade deficit and leaving the sector exposed to supply chain disruptions.
A new report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, States in the Driver’s Seat: Policies localizing electric vehicle and battery manufacturing in India, shows how state governments can adjust their incentives to deepen the domestic localization of EV and battery supply chains. By mapping what states are offering—and where gaps remain—the report highlights why getting state policy design right is now central to India’s industrial and energy policy.
The IISD report identifies three priorities for closing that gap. Policy support across central and state levels must do more to de-risk capital-intensive, first-of-their-kind investments. States must move beyond fragmented incentive packages toward integrated ecosystems that combine industrial infrastructure, testing and certification capacity, workforce development, and small and medium enterprise integration. And demand certainty—through public procurement, zero-emission vehicle mandates, and low-emission zones—will be essential to reduce market risk and draw private investment across the value chain.
While 33 of 36 states and union territories now have EV policies, most focus on deployment. Supply-side measures to promote EV and battery manufacturing exist in some states but are often spread across industrial, electronics, and EV policies. The result is that net localization remains below 20% for several high-value components, including battery cells, motors, convertors, and on-board chargers—showing a gap between policy intent and policy support.
"States have laid the foundation for EV manufacturing in India through common incentives like financial support, land concessions and tax waivers," said Swasti Raizada, senior policy advisor, IISD.
The next step is to design policies that are built on each state’s industrial strengths and by targeting support to the most capital and technology-intensive parts of the supply chain.
A comparative assessment of 14 major automotive states in the IISD report reveals that India’s EV manufacturing push is broad but uneven. While vehicle and battery assembly capacity is expanding, upstream and midstream segments—where capital requirements, technological complexity, and supply chain risks are highest—continue to receive comparatively less policy attention at the state level. States show wide differences in manufacturing maturity, policy coherence, and readiness to support capital and technology-intensive segments of the EV and battery supply chain.
State that aligns policies—and target specific segments of the EV and battery value chain—based on their comparative advantage, can better attract investments, deepen local value addition and create integrated manufacturing ecosystems.
"Deepening localization of EV and battery manufacturing will require states to effectively use risk-sharing tools beyond subsidies," adds Raizada.
States need to lower entry barriers and support the creation of intellectual property—drawing lessons from India’s semiconductor push—to differentiate themselves, accelerate progress in high-value battery segments, and reduce import dependency.
Optimizing state policies is critical to future-proofing India’s automotive manufacturing base that delivers local jobs, serves rising domestic demand, and reduces India’s exposure to volatile fuels and component imports.
Media Contacts
Swasti Raizada, Senior Policy Advisor, [email protected]
Madhulika Verma, Senior Communications Officer, [email protected]
About IISD
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a globally recognized think tank with 3 decades of experience working to solve the world’s most pressing sustainable development challenges. We combine deep expertise in a wide range of issues with a collaborative approach to research, policy advice, and hands-on support to ensure these solutions are brought to life. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we are a diverse team of over 300 professionals working from offices in Canada, Switzerland, and other locations around the world.
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