Video: Inside the green issue - July 2018

With vehicular emissions seen as a key contributor to the rising pollution levels in most major Indian cities, EVs are clearly the next big opportunity. Not surprisingly, Anand Mahindra—who has been the first mover in this space since he bought Chetan Maini’s Reva Electric in 2010—sees EVs as an area where his company can be the leader and also emerge as a major source of technology and components.

Anand Mahindra’s trusted managing director, Pawan Goenka, credited with much of what the group’s flagship automobile company, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), has achieved in recent years, says the need for less polluting vehicles and the imminent decline in battery costs were reasons why Mahindra decided to go big on EVs.

Mahindra’s bet is well timed. The government is pushing the auto industry to go electric and ministers have even set an unofficial target of 2030 by which time India should ideally not see any petrol or diesel cars being sold.

Mahindra’s EV strategy is the cover story for July’s green issue.

Apart from Anand Mahindra’s bet on electric vehicles, the issue also has in-depth stories on green bonds and renewable energy.

Outside the green package, the issue also has a detailed story on the allegations of corruption against AirAsia India for which the airline is facing a probe.

Editor Sourav Majumdar and deputy editor Ashish Gupta discuss this and more from the latest issue.