New Delhi, July 29 -- India's top energy efficiency agency has snubbed a demand by automakers such as Mahindra and Mahindra and Tata Motors to exclude light commercial vehicles weighing less than 3.5 tonnes from fuel efficiency norms.

In a notification released on Monday night, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) issued the latest draft of fuel efficiency norms which will cover heavy, medium and light commercial vehicles, that is N1, N2 and N3 categories of trucks.

The proposal included light commercial vehicles despite opposition from several carmakers who argued that the segment caters to a poorer segment of the economy and such norms will put pressure on costs. They have made several representations to the government over the past ...