On Thursday, NITI Aayog and the World Resources Institute (WRI), India, unveiled e-FAST India (Electric Freight Accelerator for Sustainable Transport – India), the nation’s first national electric freight platform.

Supported by the World Economic Forum, CALSTART and RMI India, the platform brings different players together throughout the freight ecosystem. It will help strengthen partnerships and identify and support innovative freight solutions. The platform also aims to promote freight electrification, supported by ground-based demonstration pilots and research that is supported by evidence. Additionally, it will assist with scalable trials and provide information for policymakers that aim to hasten India’s freight electrification.

The freight sector makes the distribution of commodities and essential resources possible, which is important to India’s economy. According to Sudhendu J. Sinha, Advisor (Infrastructure Connectivity & E-Mobility), NITI Aayog, “With India being the third-largest truck market, after China and the United States, the freight sector sustained its growth despite disruptions during the COVID crisis, ensuring a steady movement of essential goods and medical supplies across India” (DPIIT).