Gadkari no to driverless cars, but yes to e-cars

New Delhi: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari said that India does not need driverless cars at present. In an interview with Forbes India, the minister said that there won’t be driverless cabs in India with a view to saving jobs.

Stating that India should consider the problem of unemployment when dealing with technology, Gadkari said manpower is the country’s strength. “We need technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and electronics. But, at the same time we have to protect the employment of the country’s youth,” he emphasised.

India has a shortage of 22 lakh drivers in rural and tribal areas. Poor people live there and the nation has to take care of their employment, the minister opined. Asserting that his government is not against development and technology, Gadkari clarified that the government has to consider India’s specific socio-economic scenario and fabric while devising policies.

However, stating that India presently does not need driverless cars, he stated that the government will think about it in future as an experiment. He further explained that developed countries are innovating this technology as they suffer from shortage of manpower. But, India has vast human resources and skilled manpower that understands driving and hence the cost is less, the Transport Minister averred.

The Transport Ministry is opening driver training centres across the country to provide jobs in this sector. Further clarifying his government’s stand on technological innovations in this sector, Nitin Gadkari said that the NDA government is encouraging Indian automobile sector to keep pace with global technology by encouraging electric cars and other innovations.

By Special Correspondent