India proposes electrifying motorbikes, scooters in six to eight years: source

An auto-rickshaw travels along a road in Hyderabad, India, on Friday, March 15, 2019. The success of India's $5 billion swap auction on March 26 will decide whether it will become a popular instrument in the central bank's liquidity tool box. The move will bulk up the central bank's foreign-exchange reserves while injecting cash into the banking system to ease the liquidity crunch typically seen before the fiscal year-end in March. Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg

NEW DELHI: The Indian government's leading think-tank has proposed electrifying most motorbikes and scooters within the next six to eight years to curb pollution and reduce dependency on fossil fuels, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The draft proposal from Niti Aayog, which is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and plays a critical role in policymaking, also recommends electrifying the country's popular three-wheeled autorickshaws, said the source, who declined to be identified as the proposal is not public and still needs the go ahead from the government.