The government will adopt an integrated approach and emerge with a policy to make India self-reliant in the area of advanced battery technologies to power electric vehicles (EV) and other applications, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday.

He said India today stands at the cusp of becoming the world leader in this field as well as automobile manufacturing. He made the remarks after chairing a high-powered meeting focussed on research and development in the area of alternative fuel. The meeting was held last night.

Central government's Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay Raghavan, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, Highways Secretary Giridhar Aramane and senior representatives from DRDO, ISRO, CSIR and IITs besides Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways VK Singh participated in the meeting.

''So far work is happening in silos in the area of alternative fuel. We will now work in an integrated and concerted manner bringing together the best technologies. We will also focus on economic viability...We need a policy in this regard and for it we have decided to take an integrated approach,'' Gadkari  said before media.

He said scientists, academia and industry can together harness green hydrogen-based energy through water, for it being a cost-effective and easily available mode in the country. He indicated towards the lowering costs of solar power in India, which can help energize other modes of fuels.

He also urged various stakeholders including NITI Aayog, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO), CSIR, Ministries of Science and Technology, Heavy Industries, Commerce, Road Transport and Highways, IITs and private institutions to join hands in this regard.

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