Is skill shortage slowing down India’s automotive dream?

India’s automobile sector is undergoing a once-in-a-lifetime transformation. It is moving from an industry centered on internal combustion engines and assembly lines to one increasingly driven by electric vehicles, software-defined cars, connected technologies, and large-scale manufacturing. Government and industry roadmaps envision a massive expansion by 2030, official targets from NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Heavy Industries aim for around US$145 billion in component production and US$60 billion in exports, while some industry projections stretch this ambition to as much as US$300 billion. However, a significant obstacle lies ahead ‘the growing skill gap’ in the automotive sector. The EV Shift: Creating New Jobs, New Challenges The shift to electric mobility involves not just technology, but talent as well. A traditional internal combustion engine vehicle has over 2,000 moving parts, while an electric vehicle has fewer than 200. However, electric vehicles require deep knowledge in battery chemistry, thermal management, motor control, and power electronics skills that remain scarce in India. Despite this, most automotive engineering programs still focus on the fundamentals of internal combustion engines. Consequently, companies often hire fresh graduates and spend months, even years, retraining them before they can contribute. A Growing Industry Facing a Talent Crunch The Indian