India's Automotive Mission Plan 2047 to Map Life-Cycle Carbon Emissions of All Vehicles
The Indian government is taking a groundbreaking step to comprehensively assess the environmental impact of vehicles by mapping carbon emissions across their entire life cycles. This initiative, part of the draft Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) 2047, aims to transform India into a globally competitive clean-mobility hub while settling long-standing debates over automobile emission norms.
Beyond Tailpipe Emissions: A Holistic Approach
Currently, emission analyses in India focus primarily on tailpipe emissions or well-to-wheel assessments, which measure fuel energy consumption and greenhouse gas output from origin to vehicle use. However, these methods overlook significant climate impacts from manufacturing processes and end-of-life disposal.
The new life-cycle analysis (LCA) approach will calculate emissions throughout the entire value chain, starting from mining critical minerals and metal ores used in the auto industry, through vehicle operation, and extending to scrapping and recycling of electric vehicle batteries. This comprehensive assessment represents a paradigm shift in how India evaluates automotive environmental impact.
Settling Industry Debates and Creating Clear Policy Pathways
The move comes at a crucial time when the automotive industry faces division over emission norms. Automakers are currently split over benefits for small cars under the upcoming corporate average fuel efficiency norms (CAFE 3), scheduled for implementation in April 2027. There's also disagreement about whether to include electric vehicle energy efficiency in these calculations or count it as zero.
"The life-cycle analysis of all vehicle segments could answer questions about carbon emissions made by different powertrains – ICE vehicles, hybrids, electric vehicles, and flex fuel vehicles," said one anonymous source familiar with the developments. "Currently, all the different methods of calculating emissions do not cover emissions from mining for lithium and other critical minerals, or even in the process of recycling these elements."
Strategic Importance for India's Economy
The AMP 2047 assumes particular significance given the automotive sector's substantial contribution to India's economy. The industry accounts for 7.1% of the country's total economic output and nearly half of its manufacturing output. A clear, long-term policy pathway is essential for aligning industry investments, innovation priorities, and government policies.
The draft plan emphasizes that life-cycle assessment is crucial for shaping development pathways in India's automobile sector. It calls for policy measures, preferably incentive-based, to ensure that LCA outcomes and polluting tailpipe emissions are adequately reflected in vehicle prices.
Comprehensive Roadmap for Clean Mobility
The AMP 2047 outlines a coordinated approach across multiple fronts, including electrification, hydrogen mobility, battery manufacturing, and circular value chains. The plan sets ambitious targets, calling for near-complete electrification of two- and three-wheelers, and at least half of cars, buses, and trucks on Indian roads to be EVs, hydrogen, or flex-fuel vehicles by 2047.
Gurudas Nulkar, professor and director of the Centre for Sustainable Development at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, emphasized the importance of this approach: "Automobile design done on the basis of natural resource management and emissions has the potential to make this process more sustainable, compared to making designs only on the basis of comfort and convenience. For this, an LCA is required—it is a scientific tool to reduce resource intensity."
Addressing Global Competitiveness and Energy Security
Experts highlight that a long-term plan for the auto sector is essential for maintaining global competitiveness. With tightening emission norms worldwide, Indian vehicles must meet green standards to remain exportable. The transition roadmap is also vital for attracting capital inflows, as funds increasingly flow toward sustainable manufacturing and low-carbon technologies.
Poonam Upadhyay, director at Crisil Ratings, noted: "Domestically, shifting to electrification and alternative fuels reduces reliance on imported crude, enhancing energy security and shielding the economy from oil price fluctuations."
Learning from Global Examples
The development of AMP 2047 gained urgency after China restricted exports of rare earth magnets – crucial components in vehicle transmissions – creating turmoil for global manufacturers, including Indian companies. China's 2023 new energy vehicle policy, which created tax incentives for cleaner alternatives, demonstrated how long-term policies can shape industry strategy.
Amit Bhatt, India managing director at the International Council on Clean Transportation, observed: "Countries that develop long-term policies provide clear direction to industry. For example, China's new energy vehicle policy has shaped the automobile strategy of the country's manufacturers, first for the domestic market and then for global markets."
Implementation Timeline and Industry Engagement
The AMP 2047 playbook will involve short-term objectives until 2030, medium-term goals until 2037, and long-term targets until 2047. These will focus on decarbonizing the sector, boosting exports, and strengthening supply chains. The government has facilitated discussions among seven sub-committees and will begin evaluating the first draft in coming weeks.
The draft also pitches for tax incentives for creating auto sector intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, and designs. It emphasizes the need to scale up electric vehicles and localize battery manufacturing by 2040, while also calling for strategies to integrate Indian auto components makers into global value chains.
As India moves forward with this comprehensive approach to vehicle emissions assessment, the AMP 2047 represents a significant step toward sustainable transportation and global leadership in clean mobility technologies.
