No Serious LPG Shortage for Auto Component Makers, Assures Government

The government on Monday said that there is no serious LPG supply shortage for auto component manufacturers. The government is in touch with auto industry body, auto component manufacturers association (ACMA) to ensure an adequate gas supply and prevent any supply chain disruptions, according to a senior official from the ministry of heavy industries.

“Regarding supply chain issues, the ministry is in constant touch with the automobile industry and is making appropriate efforts to address them. The government has also advised the industry to use cleaner fuels, such as electric furnaces and PNG, wherever available,” said additional secretary in the ministry of heavy industries, Hanif Qureshi, while addressing an inter-ministerial briefing here on the recent developments in West Asia.“LPG is used in the component manufacturing industry, and the government is in touch with ACMA and the industry associations. We are taking all measures to ensure that adequate supply is there, along with the Ministry of Petroleum, and no serious shortages have been reported. In fact, if we look at the production base of March, then about 15 to 16 per cent increase in the production of vehicles took place in the month of March,” Qureshi said.

Regarding alternative fuels and the emphasis on electric vehicles, the official observed that apart from the Prime Minister's e-DRIVE scheme -- which provides incentives to consumers on the purchase of electric vehicles -- the PLI auto scheme covers manufacturers. “So both these schemes continue, and along with the scheme to promote the manufacturing of rare earth magnets, that will also improve the supply chain, and it will be a push towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat,” he said.