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INTERVIEW
‘Embracing E-mobility: Q&A with Sajid Mubashir, Scientist G, Dept. of Science and Technology’ The development and research on energy storage technologies is the key for widespread electric mobility and adoption of renewable energy. Keeping in mind this target, the Ministry of Science and Technology has led several energy initiatives through Dept. of Science and Technology (DST). ETN spoke to Sajid Mubashir, Scientist G at DST and membersecretary of the new DHI-DST Technology Platform for Electric Mobility (TPEM), to learn more about the efforts underway to make India a leading developer in energy storage technologies. Q: DST’s energy initiative aims to develop national capacities and capabilities in research-led clean energy and energy-efficiency options and the program research spectrum also include energy storage technologies. Can you share what approach DST is taking to enable India to become
a leading developer in advanced energy storage technologies and what’re the specific initiatives in this regard. A: The DST is doing a lot of activities, in short, it is developing capabilities in the country in terms of energy security. I would not be able to enumerate all the programs at DST, but I can speak on one important aspect and that’s electric mobility. I have been active for more than two decades in this area of automotive research now so we try to do consortium projects and by 2011 we narrowed down on electric mobility as a major activity to take up so the DST was involved in the formulation of FAME I mission. In fact, that program had 20 percent money reserved for R&D. That means out of the 800 crores, 160 crores were set for R&D and the slogan was use that 20 percent money to get rid of the 80 percent subsidy. So, we tried to do that, but it didn’t work. But now, we are developing a very focused EV R&D program; it’s still in works. Other than this activity there are a whole lot of programs in DST in the energy storage space such as grids, some basic work and more but they are too many to enumerate.
Q: How will DST’s program assist Sajid Mubashir Scientist G, Dept. of Science and Technology
in manufacturing of advanced storage technologies in India? Especially, how can the Indian industry engage in these efforts.
| January-February 2020
A: If you look at the FAME mission with its three years condensed program and with the ambitious outlay of 10,000 crores, it still talks about everything being made in the country. I think the benchmark is that at least 50 percent of the things should be manufactured in the country, which is a tall order because many of these things are not disaggregated – you cannot take the battery out and have some parts developed in India and some from outside. The manufacturing process doesn’t work like that. If we take the basic component and assemble, to some extent, we can do indigenous effort but beyond that it is difficult. There is a need for major R&D. Akin to the Himalayas that have protected us from outside influences all our history, in the electric vehicle moment, I think this hot tropical climate is what will save us. No vehicles which developed outside can be brought directly to India and expected to be a success. Just the fact that our tropical climate is much different than the operating conditions the vehicle was originally built for makes everything different. Expensive vehicles are still fine, they can be cooled. But there are many things to be cooled – there’s the battery, power electronics and motor. You would need to do a lot of expensive cooling. For India, therefore, we may have to redesign things. At least the battery should be made more
