India to overtake China as world's largest automobile maker by 2027: Gadkari

New Delhi: Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari has said that India is on course to overtake China to become the largest automobile manufacturer in the world by 2027.

In his address at the 27th World Road Congress in Prague, the minister said that India has set a target to become the world's biggest automobile producer in the next three to four years.

The statement comes in the backdrop of India surpassing Japan to become the third largest automobile manufacturer last year next only to China and the US.

Gadkari had recently pointed out that the size of the Indian automobile industry has crossed Rs 7.5 lakh crore. The industry has so far created 4.5 crore jobs, and it pays the maximum Goods and Services Tax (GST) to the Central and state governments.

The minister said he expected the size of the Indian automobile sector to double in the next five years to double to Rs 15 lakh crore.

As part of his trip to Prague in the Czech Republic, Gadkari took a test ride in a Skoda H'CITY hydrogen bus, showcasing the government's commitment to explore sustainable and eco-friendly mobility solutions for India. On his way back he stopped at Sharjah for a test ride on the Sky Bus which runs on an elevated rail cable system.

The minister said that the Sly Bus will be coming to India as it offers a sustainable, congestion-free urban mobility solution, reducing pollution and traffic congestion while providing efficient mobility for urban residents. Its elevated rail cable system minimises land use, making it a valuable addition to the nation's mobility infrastructure.

"USky Technology has developed Sky Bus solutions, and iSky Mobility has tied up with uSky to bring these mobility services to India," the minister said on 'X'.