India, July 5 -- First things first, there is no doubt that vehicular transportation is staring down the barrel of electrification, at least from an urban transportation point of view. But the Indian automotive industry appears to be staring down the barrel of a gun by the government which appears to be in a tearing hurry for electrification. The reasons to switch to electricity as the main mode of tractive power on vehicles are myriad. There is the dream to free the Indian economy from the vagaries of fluctuating crude oil prices as well as the huge amounts of money that India spends on importing crude every year.

Then there is air pollution. Vehicular pollution is a reality of life. It might not be as visible as the huge clouds of dust...