Haryana seeks to drive next chapter of auto industry with EVs, batteries, R&D: Minister Arvind Sharma

Haryana cabinet minister Arvind Sharma on Wednesday said the state is seeking to drive the next chapter of India’s automotive industry by focusing on electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, battery production, advanced components and research and development (R&D).

Sharma made the remarks at the inaugural HT Auto Leaderboard Awards 2026. He said Haryana had emerged as one of the country’s key automotive hubs, with a strong ecosystem of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), component makers and global suppliers.

“When you drive a car on an Indian road, there is a strong chance that a part of Haryana travels with you,” Sharma said.

“From Gurugram and Manesar to Bawal, Rewari and Faridabad, our state has built one of the country's most complete automotive ecosystems. Here, great OEMs work side by side with component makers, and global suppliers have found not just a factory site, but a home,” he said.

Sharma said Haryana’s position as an automotive powerhouse was built on skilled workers, connectivity and government support, but added that the state would now have to prepare for the technological changes reshaping the sector.

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Haryana looks beyond its auto legacy

“This did not happen by chance. It happened because of skilled hands, strong connectivity, and a government that stands with industry,” he said.

“But Haryana does not want to rest on yesterday's success. The vehicle of the future will be defined as much by its battery, its electronics and its software as by its engine,” Sharma said.

He said the state’s policy framework was now looking towards EV manufacturing, battery production, advanced components and research and development.

“That is why our policy framework now looks firmly ahead, towards EV manufacturing, battery production, advanced components and research and development. We want the next chapter of mobility to be not only driven in Haryana, but designed and built in Haryana,” the minister said.

On the state’s push towards cleaner mobility, Sharma pointed to the government’s recent decision to approve a 100% exemption from motor vehicle tax for eligible electric vehicles priced up to ₹30 lakh and a 50% exemption for vehicles priced above that threshold.

“Our commitment to clean mobility is not only on paper. Our government has recently approved a 100 percent exemption from motor vehicle tax for eligible electric vehicles priced up to ₹30 lakh, and a 50 percent exemption above that,” Sharma said.

“The message is simple: when a family in Haryana chooses a cleaner vehicle, the state will walk that road with them,” he added.

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EV push and tax incentives

Sharma also pitched Haryana as a manufacturing and export base for global automotive companies, saying the state’s 2026 industrial policy push would focus on investment, manufacturing, employment and future-ready development.

“Our ambition, however, goes beyond our borders. Through our 2026 industrial policy push, focused on investment, manufacturing, employment and future-ready development, we invite the world to make Haryana its base,” he said.

“Build here for India's vast market, and export from here to the world. Deepen your supply chains with us, and you will find a partner that moves at the speed of business,” Sharma added.

The minister also underlined the role of workers and skill development in the automotive sector’s transition towards new technologies.

“Yet no factory, however modern, runs without people. The real engine of this transformation is talent,” Sharma said.

He said Haryana would need to prepare its young workforce for emerging areas such as EVs, artificial intelligence, connected vehicles and advanced manufacturing, while also ensuring that existing workers were not left behind.

“We must prepare our young people for EVs, artificial intelligence, connected vehicles and advanced manufacturing. And equally, we must make sure that the worker who has served our industry for decades is not left behind, but is reskilled and carried forward into this new era,” he said.

“A transition that leaves people behind is not progress. A transition that lifts everyone is,” Sharma added.

Haryana pitches itself as global manufacturing base

Sharma said India was aiming to become a globally competitive manufacturing and mobility hub, and said Haryana was ready to play a key role in that ambition.

"Today, India dreams of becoming a globally competitive manufacturing and mobility hub. Haryana is ready to be the engine of that dream, balancing consumer choice with affordability, sustainability with growth, and technology with employment,” he said.

He concluded by inviting companies to invest and innovate in the state.

“So let me end with an invitation. Come to Haryana. Invest in Haryana. Innovate with Haryana. Together, let us build vehicles that India is proud of, and that the world wants to buy,” Sharma said.