Maruti Suzuki says emission targets should be set, industry can choose technology to reach them

The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India suggested the government to set targets for emission and energy efficiency, and leave it to the industry to adopt appropriate technology to meet those milestones. The company, which has around 50 per cent share in the domestic passenger vehicles segment, also sought a single nodal ministry to regulate the sector instead of multiple ministries. "Is it possible that the government sets a target on its objective of emission or energy efficiency and allows the industry the freedom to choose the technology to achieve that goal," Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa said here at the annual convention of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

He further said once the "regulatory end-objective" is taken care of, which design or technology is used should be left open to the customer to choose. "By leaving the choice to the customer, it will help engineers to design the most optimal solution without any compromise on reaching the end goal," Ayukawa said. Such a step, he said, "will help us, as manufacturers, to be clear which investment we can undertake. Then we can have investment and GDP growth and employment and social and environmental objectives". Commenting on the need for a single nodal ministry to regulate the sector instead of many ministries and departments, Ayukawa said, "Let me explain my point with an example. The Carbon Monoxide emission in a car is regulated by one ministry but the Carbon Dioxide emission is regulated by another ministry".

And the fuel that goes into the car is regulated by a third ministry, he said, adding on top of it there are many courts and judicial bodies. "In the future, with more technologies and regulation, the complexity will grow manifold," he cautioned. He recollected the concept of a National Automotive Board or NAB with specialised automotive experts to provide knowledge and stakeholder consultation for all auto-related policy-making which was floated a few years ago. "Is it possible to have a central common platform for all ministries?" he asked, adding that can be a forum to discuss a 360-degree approach for making policy on the automotive sector.