India EV Conclave 2026 puts EV future on agenda

New Delhi, 27 October 2026: Senior executives from India leading car makers are at the India EV Conclave, suppliers, charging firms and industry groups are meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday for the Autocar Professional India EV Conclave 2026, to discuss the next phase of electric mobility in India. The day long Autocar Professional event is being held at Hyatt Regency, New Delhi, under the theme Electric Mobility 2.0: Ideas, Innovations and Impact on India. More than 25 industry leaders, five panels and three fireside chats are listed on the agenda, with over 200 senior attendees expected.

Who is at the India EV Conclave

Representatives listed for the conclave include Tata Motors, Mahindra, Hyundai Motor India, Yamaha, Olectra Greentech, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo Cars, BYD, ZF Group, Ather Energy and Amara Raja Group, along with other firms and industry associations. The opening remarks are by Hormazd Sorabjee, Editor of Autocar India. He will then hold an inaugural fireside chat with Hanif Qureshi, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Heavy Industries, on the topic India EV Moment: What Comes Next?

The opening panel, Scaling India EV Market: Converting Momentum into Sustained Demand, brings together Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility; R Velusamy, Managing Director of Mahindra Electric Automobile; Tarun Garg, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Hyundai Motor India; Mahesh Babu, Managing Director of Olectra Greentech; and Jim Aota, Chairperson of Yamaha Motor India Group. Sorabjee will moderate the panel.

What the India EV Conclave will discuss

Discussions at the India EV Conclave cover sustaining demand for electric vehicles, improving ownership economics, strengthening domestic supply chains and expanding EV charging infrastructure. Other sessions listed include charging, batteries and the energy ecosystem, and a look ahead to 2035, when organisers ask whether India can move from a domestic market to a global leader in electric mobility. Policy, manufacturing, batteries and drivetrains are also on the agenda, along with the shift from early purchase incentives to longer term supply and technology issues.

In a fireside chat at the conclave reported on Tuesday, Qureshi said India EV policy is shifting focus from purchase subsidies to supply chain localisation, battery manufacturing, cybersecurity and overseas production. He said India recently closed bidding for domestic production of sintered rare earth magnets, received bids from 21 to 22 companies, and will select five makers, with commercial production projected to begin within 18 months, give or take six months. He also warned about software risks in imported automotive electronics, and said the road transport ministry is working with makers on stronger cybersecurity and data protection standards.

Why the India EV Conclave matters now

Electric vehicle sales in India have grown from a small base, but EV charging, battery costs, resale values and service networks still shape whether EV demand grows among buyers choosing an electric car over a petrol or diesel model. Makers and suppliers at the conclave face the same set of choices: which models meet EV demand in India, which parts to source locally, and how to price cars once early incentives are phased out. The India EV Conclave does not set policy, but it brings the firms that build cars and the officials who frame policy into the same room on the same day.

Registrations for the conclave are now closed, according to the event site, after what organisers called a strong response. For readers, the value of the India EV Conclave lies in what speakers say on record about demand, costs, charging and supply chains, and in whether those remarks point to firmer plans for models and plants. The event runs through Tuesday at Hyatt Regency, New Delhi, with panels and fireside chats across the day.