Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said that fossil-fuel-powered vehicles are heading toward obsolescence and that the shift to cleaner alternatives is no longer a matter of choice.
Speaking at the Busworld India Conclave 2026 in New Delhi, Gadkari issued an unambiguous directive to manufacturers still anchored to conventional engines.
"One thing which is very clear — there is no future for diesel and petrol engines," he said, urging manufacturers to switch to alternatives such as biofuel, warning that petrol and diesel are creating a "serious problem" from the perspectives of import dependency and pollution.
Gadkari stressed that rising fuel imports and pollution concerns make the transition to alternative energy inevitable, underlining that India's dependence on fossil fuel imports poses both economic and environmental challenges.
The minister also laid out a clear roadmap for what he believes should replace the internal combustion engine. Gadkari spotlighted electric mobility, ethanol blending, CNG, LNG, and green hydrogen as the pillars of India's transport revolution.
"We are running hydrogen trucks and buses on 10 routes. Hydrogen is the fuel of the future," he said. Major players including Tata Motors, Volvo, Ashok Leyland, and Mahindra & Mahindra are already participating in hydrogen truck and bus trials.
Gadkari also turned his attention to the bus manufacturing sector, flagging a stark gap between India's current capacity and global standards. India currently has only two buses per 1,000 people compared with a global benchmark of eight, and the requirement for electric buses alone could touch 1.5 lakh units over the next three years.
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Additionally, he announced tighter accountability norms, requiring manufacturers to upload registration details, inspection records, and video proof on the government's digital VAHAN portal — replacing the previous self-certification regime.
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