Wipro, SBI commit to electric vehicles globally

Global software major Wipro and India's largest public sector lender State Bank of India (SBI) on Wednesday committed transitioning their respective global fleets into electric vehicles by 2030.

Both became the first major Indian businesses to join the international non-profit organisation, The Climate Group's, global electric vehicles initiative, EV100, for accelerating the roll-out of electric vehicles worldwide.

Wipro will begin rolling out its plan in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune, involving nearly 2,000 vehicles, before addressing international markets, according to The Climate Group. It has already leased around 50 electric vehicles in Hyderabad and New Delhi.

In addition to transitioning to electric vehicles, SBI will also set up charging stations in major residential spaces to support the uptake of electric vehicles by its staff.

The news follows the launch of Centre's National E-Mobility Programme in March, which will see the government purchasing 20,000 electric vehicles.

This is in line with India's most recently stated ambition of ensuring that 30 per cent of all vehicles on the road are electric by 2030.

Through EV100, leading businesses can help increase demand for electric vehicles and improve the availability of charging infrastructure, currently a significant barrier to electric vehicle adoption in India.

The announcement by Wipro and SBI comes as The Climate Group has started rolling out EV100 in India, following its global launch in New York in September 2017.

"We are thrilled to welcome Wipro and SBI to EV100. Their leadership on electric vehicles will send a strong demand signal to the market in India and beyond," The Climate Group India Director Jarnail Singh said.

"We expect many more companies to follow their lead, joining hands with the government to bring about a faster roll-out of electric vehicles, boosting low-carbon economic development for all," added Singh.

To encourage employees to use electric vehicles, Wipro has also launched corporate vehicle ownership and lease programmes and installed charging points at all its major facilities in India.

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