35-40% of Cars Sold in India Will Be Electric by 2027: Nitin Gadkari
Nitin Gadkari expects EVs to account for 35-40% of car sales in India by 2027 and highlights green hydrogen and flex-fuel vehicles.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that electric vehicles could account for 35-40% of total car sales in India by 2027. His projection comes amid rising EV registrations and growing interest in alternative fuel technologies across the country.
The Indian electric passenger vehicle market has recorded strong growth, even as overall car sales faced pressure. According to JATO Dynamics data cited in reports, electric vehicle registrations increased by 74.7% in October 2026, while non-electric vehicle registrations declined by 17.9%.
EV penetration in the passenger vehicle market nearly doubled from 3.6% to 7.3% over the same period. Tata Motors and Mahindra were among the key contributors to this growth, recording year-on-year increases of 76.3% and 84.2% in their EV registrations, respectively.
Gadkari's projection reflects expectations of faster electric vehicle adoption as automakers expand their EV portfolios and charging infrastructure continues to develop.
Gadkari Highlights Green Hydrogen as Future Fuel
Gadkari also highlighted the potential of green hydrogen, saying India could become a net exporter of clean hydrogen. He stressed the need for the country to become more self-reliant in the energy sector, particularly as global fossil fuel prices remain vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, including conflicts in West Asia and the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to the minister, alternative energy sources such as green hydrogen could play an important role in reducing India's dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Toyota Innova Flex-Fuel Model Expected to Launch
Gadkari also revealed that Toyota is preparing to launch the Innova Flex-Fuel model in November 2026. The vehicle is expected to be compatible with E100 fuel, which contains nearly 100% ethanol.
Earlier in June 2026, Maruti Suzuki India introduced the Wagon R Flex Fuel, which is designed to run on ethanol-petrol blends ranging from E20 to E100. Other manufacturers, including Tata Motors and Hyundai, are also working on flex-fuel vehicles for the Indian market.
Government Updates Rules for E100-Compatible Vehicles
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) recently notified amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), allowing for the classification and regulation of vehicles capable of running on E100 fuel.
The revised provisions cover vehicles designed and certified to use ethanol blends above E20, including E85 and E100. However, these fuels are not suitable for vehicles designed only for regular petrol or E20. Using higher ethanol blends in vehicles without the required compatibility could cause damage and is not permitted under the applicable specifications.
The amendments also update certain vehicle classifications, fuel specifications and technical references related to emission testing. In addition, the government has increased the applicable weight threshold for certain light petrol and diesel vehicles from 3,000 kg to 3,500 kg.
The government had earlier proposed wider changes to vehicle emission rules to support alternative fuels, including E85, E100, B100 biodiesel and hydrogen-CNG combinations. These steps are aimed at creating a regulatory framework for wider adoption of alternative fuel technologies across vehicle categories.
