Niti Aayog launches prog to promote zero-pollution delivery vehicles

The government thinks tank Niti Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) on Wednesday launched an initiative to promote zero-pollution delivery vehicles by working with consumers and industry, according to an official statement.

The campaign, Shoonya, aims to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the urban deliveries segment and create consumer awareness about the benefits of zero-pollution delivery, the statement said.

Initially, close to 30 companies including Mahindra Electric, Tata Motors, Zomato, Ashok Leyland, Sun Mobility, Lightning Logistics, Big Basket, Bluedart, Hero Electric, and Swiggy among others attended the kick-off meeting chaired by Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, the statement said.

Subsequently, additional industry players will be invited to join the initiative, it added.

Highlighting the primary objective of the campaign, Kant said that he is confident that India's dynamic private sector will rise to the challenge of making Shoonya a great success.

According to the statement, as part of the campaign, a corporate branding and certification program is being launched to recognize and promote the industry's efforts towards transitioning to EVs for final-mile deliveries. Urban freight vehicles account for 10 per cent of freight transportation-related CO2 emissions in India, and these emissions are expected to grow by 114 percent by 2030.