Ather Energy Co-Founder and CEO Tarun Sanjay Mehta. | Photo credit: BIJOY GHOSH
EV startups have again called for adjustments to the PLI system, pushing for more flexible eligibility criteria that reward innovation rather than reinforcing the imbalance that puts them at a disadvantage compared to legacy OEMs.
“An EV policy architecture that defines champions primarily through a legacy benchmark, not even a benchmark within the EV industry, can create an unintended imbalance. It puts EV start-ups at a 13-16% price disadvantage at a stage when they continue to invest heavily in capability building,” wrote Tarun Mehta, co-founder and CEO of Ather Energy.
His remarks come in response to a report in The Hindu that the government has no plans to introduce a separate system of automatic PLI for start-ups, citing their limited capital, market access and R&D capabilities.
Published – 30 Apr 2026 19:43 IST
