New Delhi, Nov. 18 -- India wants clean cars, but how much leeway they should get in upcoming emission norms is now the subject of a sharp split.

While global clean-transport bodies-Geneva-based International Road Federation (IRF) and the US-based International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)-have warned that generous "super credits" weaken India's emissions framework, the Indian auto industry lobby has urged the government to increase them.

Super credits-which allow one electric vehicle (EV) to be counted as three vehicles and one strong hybrid as two in calculating a company's corporate average fuel efficiency (Cafe-III) emissions-were introduced to help carmakers meet targets by gradually adding cleaner vehicles.

In its final...