Telangana Meets Retrofit Firms to Convert Petrol, Diesel Autos to Electric Vehicles

Hyderabad: Ahead of the National Mobility Summit scheduled to be held in Hyderabad on Tuesday, the Telangana transport department on Monday held consultations with electric retrofit companies as part of efforts to formulate a policy to convert petrol and diesel autorickshaws into electric vehicles.

The initiative is part of the state government’s effort to promote an environmentally friendly, accessible and sustainable urban transport system and move towards a net-zero emissions target.

Themed “Accelerating the Future of Mobility”, the summit will bring together policymakers, transport officials, industry representatives, startups and technology providers to discuss the future of sustainable and integrated mobility in the country.

The government is also expected to outline plans to gradually convert the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGRTC) fleet to electric vehicles, officials said.

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar will attend the opening session of the summit. The government is currently consulting refurbishment companies on proposals to convert petrol and diesel autorickshaws to electric vehicles as part of its clean mobility strategy.

The transport department, in partnership with Elets Technomedia and Hyderabad Metro Rail, will organize the 2nd National Mobility Summit-2026 at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre.

Meetings with companies interested in the electrical equipment of three-wheelers were held in two stages on Monday, officials said. The first meeting was attended by Dr. transport commissioner from IAS. While K. Ilambarithi chaired the second meeting, the second meeting was chaired by Vikas Raj, IAS, Special Secretary, department of transport, roads and buildings.

During the meetings, discussions were held on the proposed policy of converting existing petrol and diesel autorickshaws operating in Telangana Core Urban Region into electric vehicles using retrofit kits. Discussions covered technical standards, safety regulations, certification procedures, cost structure, battery technologies, including swappable and fixed battery systems, and application methods.

Representatives of retrofit companies shared their views on the feasibility of converting existing autorickshaws into electric vehicles and said the initiative could help reduce air pollution, reduce operating costs for drivers and improve urban air quality.

The government is exploring the possibility of providing financial assistance for conversion of petrol and diesel autorickshaws into electric vehicles under the proposed scheme, officials said.

Officials added that the suggestions received from the companies will be examined and applicable proposals will be taken into account while finalizing the policy.