Taking the initiative to go green, Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) has recently launched 224 electric vehicles (EV) charging points at 92 of its properties.
The initiative is in line with Paathya, the company’s ESG+ framework to drive its sustainability and social impact measures.
The EV charging points have been installed in collaboration with Tata Power and are present at various Taj, SeleQtions, Vivanta, Ginger and ama Stays & Trails properties across the country.
“At IHCL, sustainability is at the core of all that we do. The installation of the EV charging points is in line with our focus on environmental stewardship, which is one of the key pillars of Paathya. Today, we are seeing a major paradigm shift across the globe as an increasing number of people are gravitating towards alternative or less energy-intensive options of transport,” said Gaurav Pokhariyal, executive vice president, human resources, IHCL.
“At IHCL, we will continue our endeavour to embrace green sources of energy while making sustainability measures easily accessible for our customers,” he added.
IHCL said that the move is aligned with its commitment to cater to the evolving needs of its environmentally conscious customers by reducing their carbon footprint in travel and assisting in the further adaptation of sustainable means of living.
“These chargers can be accessed by the guests staying at various IHCL properties, allowing them to experience the reliability and worry-free facility while discovering breath-taking destinations across the country. With this initiative, driving vacations in electric vehicles will now be even more accessible for guests,” the company said.
According to industry experts, the lack of adequate charging infrastructure is one of the biggest concerns in the country’s EV journey at present. However, a recent joint report by EY, IVC Association and IndusLaw said that India is expected to have more than 100,000 charging stations by 2027.
The Indian government is rigorously pushing for EV adoption with an EV penetration target of 30% for passenger vehicles, 70% for commercial vehicles and 80% for two-wheelers and three-wheelers by 2030.