Delivering the opening address and highlighting India’s commitment to cleaner and sustainable fuel alternatives, Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM, said, “Today’s initiative reflects the commitment to further Gas-based mobility in India. Globally, we are the largest Gas-fuel utilizing country in the mobility sector, and we are not stopping there. Industry is committed to CNG adoption. India started adopting CNG for cars, and gradually, we became the biggest gas-based bus and three-wheeler fleet operating nation. Last year’s launch of the world’s first 2W CNG vehicle marks another milestone in India’s CNG journey.”

Dr. Hanif Qureshi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, underlined, “India’s USD 240 billion auto industry is pivotal to achieving carbon neutrality by 2047 and advancing Viksit Bharat through reduced fossil fuel dependence. Gas-based mobility, supported by the PLI scheme with three CNG vehicle components and 11 of 103 components for gas powertrains, is a key driver for the same. Localisation of these components and technologies will strengthen efforts towards Atmanirbhar Bharat while positioning gas mobility as a critical factor in our sustainable and self-reliant future.”

Sudeep Jain, Additional Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, said, “The agriculture sector generates 228 MMT of agri waste, contributing to poor air quality with health costs estimated at USD 35 billion. Converting just 10% of our oil imports to CBG could have a transformative impact. With only 200 CBG plants in India, demand creation is critical, and Indian auto OEMs can lead by building a global hub for green automobiles. CNG infrastructure upgrades will pave the way for CBG adoption, enabling farmers to convert agricultural waste into energy, reducing stubble burning, and positioning India to capture the global market.”

Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., said, “The transport sector is pivotal to India’s energy transition. The government’s continuous support has achieved the target of installing nearly 10,000 CNG stations by 2025. A domestic gas pricing mechanism has created employment for 3 lakh people. Compressed Biogas (CBG) transforms rural infrastructure, benefiting farmers, pollution control, and the economy. LNG’s role in sustainable mobility is promising with enhanced distribution infrastructure. India leads in CNG two-wheelers, with OEMs driving innovation, improving fuel efficiency from 26 km/kg to 34 km/kg, and dedicating more R&D for consumer-friendly solutions.”

Dr. Sujit Kumar Bajpayee, Member, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), highlighted, “Delhi NCR, with PM10 emission averaging over 200 last year, faces multisectoral pollution. The CAQM is working in mission mode, phasing out end-of-life vehicles, redeveloping 68 roads in Delhi NCR to control dust, and reducing stubble burning by 86% in Punjab and 66% in Haryana. Transitioning to CNG, CBG, and LNG is a necessity, not a choice. Bio-CNG’s decentralisation potential can turn pollution into power.”

Dr. Anil Kumar Jain, Chairperson, PNGRB, delivered the keynote address by stating,“The energy transition in India’s transport sector is well underway, with decarbonisation playing a pivotal role. With the manufacturing sector contributing heavily, the gas sector is utilising existing infrastructure to drive this shift. The strong growth in CNG adoption as a transition fuel is a success story we must continue to advance, ensuring gas-based mobility supports India’s sustainable future.”

D Balakrishnan, Co-Chair, SIAM Gas-Based Mobility Group and Vice President (PD), Ashok Leyland Ltd., delivered the closing remarks for the inaugural session.

The thematic session, themed “Accelerating Future Growth and Promoting Gas-Based Mobility”, chaired by Ved Prakash Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, highlighted, “SIAM is consistently supporting the Government in sustainable initiatives and gas-based mobility. Until the transition to EVs takes place, gas will continue to play an important role. The use of gas can help reduce pollution and CO₂ emissions. Over the last 10 years, significant positive changes have been observed in Delhi with the increased adoption of CNG. We aim to reduce pollution and achieve a cleaner future by strengthening collaboration to facilitate gas-based mobility.”

The session featured insights from Dr. Mukesh Sharma, Professor, IIT Kanpur, who noted, “Air pollution, high oil dependency, greenhouse gas emissions, and fuel cost volatility pose significant challenges to India’s mobility. IIT Kanpur’s source apportionment and action plans for 18 non-attainment cities, including Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, are critical for targeted interventions. Transitioning from BS-IV to CNG vehicles has achieved up to 90-95% PM reduction, highlighting the transformative potential of gas-based mobility in improving air quality and sustainability.”

Dr. Gaurav Mishra, Scientist-F, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, said, “With India’s renewable energy capacity at 219.2 GW, bioenergy accounts for 11.5%, with a biopower potential of 42 GW from surplus agricultural residue and bagasse. Promoting bioenergy and waste-to-energy technologies, such as CBG, enhances energy security, reduces fossil fuel dependency, and mitigates environmental impacts.”

The session also included presentations by Subhash Kumar, Director General, Association of CGD Entities (ACE) on “Expanding City Gas Distribution Networks: Enhancing Urban Mobility and Sustainability”; Ashu Shinghal, Managing Director, Mahanagar Gas Ltd. on “Challenges & Opportunities in Gas Based Mobility”, and Milind J Pagare, Vice President (R&D), Bajaj Auto Ltd. on “Emerging New Automobile Technologies of 2025 and Beyond: 2wheeler & 3-Wheeler perspective”.The session was moderated by Payal Goel, Director, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP.

The panel discussion on the topic, “Fuelling the Shift: CBG & LNG for Today’s Mobility and Beyond”, was moderated by Gurpreet Singh Chugh, Managing Director, ICF.

The discussion featured insights by Venugopal Mothkoor, Senior Specialist, NITI Aayog, who said, “NITI Aayog’s roadmap to net zero by 2070 addresses India’s growing transport demands as a developing economy. LNG and electric trucking will play significant roles, with LNG remaining critical while EV charging infrastructure develops. CBG, like ethanol with its successful 20% blending from rural raw materials, requires bridging CAPEX infrastructure costs to scale up, fostering sustainable mobility and rural prosperity.”

Other esteemed panelists included Rajesh Khanna, Co-Chair, SIAM Gas-Based Mobility Group & Sr. General Manager (PD), Tata Motors; Goutom Chakraborty, CEO, GAIL Gas Ltd.; Kamal Kishore Chatiwal, Managing Director, Indraprastha Gas Ltd. (IGL); Rajinder S Sachdeva, Deputy CEO & Chief Transformation Officer, VE Commercial Vehicles; and Sunit Verma, Expert Advisor, PNGRB, who shed light on the gas-based economy in the transportation sector in India.

Ashish Chutani, Chairman, SIAM Gas-Based Mobility Group and Head – Government & Policy Affairs, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., delivered the closing remarks and vote of thanks.

The conference highlighted SIAM and PNGRB’s commitment to operating gas-based mobility as a cornerstone of India’s sustainable transportation ecosystem, supporting the nation’s vision of carbon neutrality by 2070 and the Viksit Bharat by 2047.

The post SIAM and PNGRB Collaborate on “Gas se Gati, Bharat ki Pragati” Roundtable appeared first on NRI News.

GURUGRAM: Nissan Motor India’s popular SUV, the New Nissan Magnite, will now be available with a government-approved CNG retrofitment kit. The CNG Kit is fully developed, manufactured, & Quality assured by Motozen (3rd Party) as per country Regulatory Standards. Motozen will provide a warranty for Kit components. This initiative reflects a focus on providing customer-focused solutions. The fitment of these kits will be carried out at government-authorised fitment centres. The complete retrofitment will be available at a competitive additional price of INR 74,999 only.

The rollout of this eco-friendly CNG kit fitment for the sustainability-aware and environment-conscious customer will be done in a phased manner across the country. In the first phase, Nissan customers can order the CNG kit installation via Nissan authorised dealerships in 7 states, namely Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, and Karnataka. It will later be expanded to other states across the country as part of Phase 2.

The CNG kit option is available only with the New Nissan Magnite 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine with the manual gearbox. The customers will get enhanced fuel economy with the CNG retrofitted kit. All CNG kits will be retrofitted by government-approved vendors, offering a certified homologated kit that complies with current local regulations and safety standards.  

Saurabh Vatsa, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India, commented: “The New Nissan Magnite has been a phenomenal product for us and has led the success story in India. To meet the requirements of customers, Nissan Dealers will provide an alternate fuel option in the form of a government-approved CNG retrofitment kit, which will be carried out at the authorised fitment centres for customers. We are confident that this move will enhance the popular compact SUV’s value proposition and practicality.”

The New Magnite SUV’s bold and stylish design, 20+ first & best-in-segment features, and 55+ safety features make it a standout choice in the compact SUV segment. With its bold road presence, premium features, and expanding global reach, the New Nissan Magnite is now present in over 65 countries, including both the Right-Hand Drive and Left-Hand Drive markets.

The post New Nissan Magnite Now Featuring a CNG Retrofitment Kit for Enhanced Efficiency appeared first on NRI News.