Ather Energy cofounder and CEO Tarun Mehta has criticised the government’s stance on excluding startups from the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for automobiles and auto components, arguing that the current framework risks undermining India’s EV ambitions.
His remarks came after a senior government official told ET Auto that PLI schemes are “not meant for startups but for global champions”, effectively ruling out the inclusion of electric-first OEMs.
Notably, the existing auto PLI scheme, overseen by the Ministry of Heavy…

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