The NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) has designed a framework for a national unified hub that will allow EV users to seamlessly discover chargers, book charging slots, and make payments, a top official said on Thursday.
According to Hanif Qureshi, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the ministry is in advanced stages of seeking the necessary approvals for the project.
"The issue we saw with chargers was the multiplicity of apps. I think there are more than 103 apps made by OEMs or charge point operators. So we have been talking with the NPCI, which has now created a framework for a national unified hub. This platform will serve as an interface to onboard chargers from various vehicle manufacturers and charging points onto a single platform. It will provide a seamless experience for customers," Qureshi said.
Platform will have three functions
He explained that the hub will have three main functions: "discovering the charger, slot booking, and payment for the chargers. All three will be available. We are now in the advanced stages of seeking all the approvals for it. Once that is done, I believe the customer journey and range anxiety will be addressed to a large extent".
Qureshi was speaking at the annual convention of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
Safety standards for e-rickshaws
Meanwhile, the government is thinking about introducing safety standards for e-rickshaws, much like the ones used in the Bharat NCAP, to make roads safer. This was announced by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari during the 7th Edition of the FICCI Road Safety Awards and Symposium.
During his speech, Gadkari, who is in charge of Road, Transport, and Highways, emphasised that road safety is very important to the government. He pointed out that India sees nearly five lakh road accidents every year, which sadly leads to around 1.8 lakh deaths.
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