The domestic automobile industry has not sought any deferment or delay in the implementation of BS-IV emission norm and it is fully geared up for production of such vehicles, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said on Wednesday.

“Contrary to the misinformation being perpetuated by certain sections of the society, especially environmental activists, the auto industry is fully committed to commence manufacturing of BS IV vehicles from April 1 across the country,” said Vinod Dasari, President.

The auto industry has fully complied with all technical regulations in the past and will remain fully compliant in future also, he said.

Dasari said that the Indian auto industry has been the fastest in the world to upgrade its emission norms.

While Europe took 13 years to implement the Euro-IV stage, Indian industry took only 10 years to introduce BS-IV emission norms, which were first introduced in 2010.

Therefore, the industry has been manufacturing Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) compliant passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles since 2010.

The record of the Indian automotive industry in respect of compliance with all technical regulations has always been impeccable, Dasari said.

“Subsequently, pan-India BS-IV norms for vehicles had been delayed due to the non-availability of BS-IV fuel across the country, forcing some categories of four-wheeled vehicles to remain at the BS-III stage till April 1, when all India BS-IV norms will become applicable to all vehicles manufactured from that date,” he said.

The statements suggesting that the auto industry wants to delay or postpone the emission norms are, hence, totally false and deliberately designed to malign the name of the auto industry, he added.

rajesh.kurup@thehindu.co.in

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