Electric vehicles are not the only route to reducing pollution in India, TVS Motor Chairman Emeritus Venu Srinivasan said on Monday, calling for a technology-agnostic approach that also considers ethanol blending, vehicle performance and global quality standards.
Speaking on the sidelines of the IFQM Symposium 2026, Srinivasan said the automotive industry should assess the overall effect of different technologies on pollution, quality and the environment instead of treating electric vehicles as the sole answer. “I always believe we have to be agnostic (in technology) and look at the net effect on the country in terms of pollution, quality and environment. So, EV is not the only solution,” he said.
Srinivasan said electric vehicles should be allowed to grow organically, with consumer choice playing an important role. Electric mobility has been gaining ground in India, particularly in the two-wheeler and three-wheeler segments, according to the report by The Hindu BusinessLine.
His comments come as India’s transport sector considers multiple pathways to reduce emissions and dependence on imported fuels. Srinivasan backed ethanol blending in petrol, saying the policy could help reduce fuel imports and that its effect on vehicle performance had so far been limited.
“The degradation in performance is very marginal. I think that should not deter us. After all, the whole of Brazil runs on ethanol,” he said. He added that a minor reduction in fuel economy should not overshadow the potential benefits of reducing imports and using a fuel that he described as more ecologically friendly.
Srinivasan said consumers might not necessarily need a choice of fuel blends up to E10, but argued that a choice could be considered at higher blending levels because of concerns about the effect of greater ethanol content on vehicle materials. “There might be a mild fuel drop, but I think that is being played up too much. The country should look at the imports. And it is ecologically more friendly…I always believe that their choice should be there,” he said.
The remarks highlight the competing considerations facing India’s vehicle transition: reducing tailpipe emissions, managing fuel-import dependence, protecting vehicle performance and ensuring that existing vehicles and materials remain compatible with changing fuel compositions. The supplied report does not provide a new government decision or regulatory change linked to Srinivasan’s comments.
He also said Indian manufacturers would need to improve quality and productivity if the country is to expand its presence in global markets. “We have to make India synonymous with the word quality,” Srinivasan said.
The statement places the emissions debate alongside a broader manufacturing challenge. For vehicle makers, the transition involves not only selecting technologies but also meeting international benchmarks in quality and productivity, while consumers continue to influence the pace at which electric vehicles and alternative fuels gain acceptance.
