JBM Auto has announced its plans to unveil additional electric buses in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, including Goa.
The company has displayed its intra- and inter-city and tarmac buses at the ongoing three-day transport fair that began today in Goa.
This is in sync with reports that JBM Auto recently bagged orders for 5,000 electric buses from some state transport undertakings (STUs) and private companies.
These orders constitute a combination of General Combination of Contracts (GCC) and independent orders.
Considering the large volume of the orders, JBM Auto is considering deploying an end-to-end e-mobility ecosystem across India by devising and manufacturing products within the country. A part of the orders is for cities in the Western Ghats.
The orders for JBM’s electric buses come at a time when there have been reports of absence of payment security as far as the STUs are concerned.
JBM Auto, with a market capitalization of Rs 16,635 crore, seeks to address the issue by various measures such as inclusion of escrow clauses, especially when the industry has been repeatedly raising the need for a payment security mechanism when most of the STUs continue to struggle with weak financial health.
Regarding the prospective launches, Nishant Arya, JBM Group Vice Chairman and Managing Director, said, “Goa is part of the Western Ghats and is a great national and international tourist destination where environmental sensitivity is our prime concern. Our plans to launch electric buses in the region, including Goa, reflects our commitment to green and clean mobility.”
As many as 70 JBM Auto-built electric tarmac buses operate across several airports in India.
The total orders include the same variant besides the inter-state coaches, city, staff and school buses.
Arya took part in a NITI Aayog-organised conference on ‘Policy Support and Enablers to Accelerate India’s Electric Mobility’ where policymakers and other stakeholders will deliberate on viable financing avenues for transport electrification, electrification of public transport and last-mile solutions, cross-sectoral learnings and the way ahead, and programs and partnership for accelerating the e-mobility transition.
The conference has brought together central and state policymakers, public sector stakeholders, original equipment manufacturers, non-governmental organizations, and multilateral and bilateral agencies to deliberate key opportunities and challenges facing the industry.