NITI Aayog launches PACT, ZET marketplace to boost electric trucking
Economic Times, 8 Sep '26
Rajiv Gauba, Member, NITI Aayog, on September 6th launched the Platform for Aggregating Clean Transport (PACT) and the Zero Emission Truck (ZET) Marketplace, with a focus on electrification of India's freight sector.
Speaking at the 5th E-Fast India Summit 2026, Gauba said India's transition towards electric mobility was an environmental, economic and strategic requirement for achieving the country's net-zero target by 2070 and the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
He said PACT and the ZET Marketplace were designed to address barriers to electric truck adoption through demand aggregation, financing mechanisms and corridor-based projectisation.
Gauba noted that heavy-duty trucks account for only 3%-4% of India's vehicle fleet but contribute more than one-third of transport-sector carbon emissions. Around 800 heavy-duty electric trucks were sold in 2025, indicating limited adoption in the segment and the need to focus on electrification of key freight corridors.
With around 70% of India's freight transported by road, Gauba called for coordination among logistics companies, vehicle manufacturers, charge point operators and financiers.
Focus on financing and freight corridors
Gauba identified fragmented logistics operations, high financing costs and the absence of coordinated corridor planning as key challenges to electric truck adoption. He called for blended finance mechanisms, leasing models and stronger data systems to reduce the cost of capital for electric trucks and bring it closer to that of diesel vehicles.
He also highlighted government initiatives, including the PLI schemes for automobiles and advanced chemistry cells, charging infrastructure investments by oil marketing companies, and demand-side programmes such as FAME, PM E-Drive, Parivartan and PM e-Bus Sewa, as measures supporting India's EV transition.
Gauba called on industry stakeholders to engage with the new platforms, saying PACT could enable market participants to develop freight corridors, financing instruments and commercial models for electric trucking.
