Greaves Cotton transforms itself in line with India’s net zero target
In recent years, Greaves Cotton has transformed from a 165-year-old single diesel engine maker into a diversified multi-product and multi-location engineering group, comprising Greaves Electric Mobility, Greaves Finance, Greaves Retail and Distribution, Greaves Technologies, and Greaves Engineering, with focus on electric mobility. In an interview with Sustainability Karma, Nagesh A. Basavanhalli, Vice-Chairman of Greaves Cotton, talks about the group’s sustainability pursuits and contribution to India’s low-carbon journey and his expectation from the upcoming Union Budget 2025-26.

Greaves Cotton has publicly committed to touch 1 billion lives. Nagesh A. Basavanhalli, Vice-Chairman of Greaves Cotton, elaborates that the company is fundamentally a purpose-driven organisation, with its core mission being to empower lives. He notes that Greaves’ commitment to this purpose is evident in its dedication to placing consumers at the centre of an integrated automotive ecosystem. Basavanhalli explains that Greaves’ aim is to continuously make a meaningful impact by offering sustainable solutions with a compelling value proposition. The goal, he stressed, is to democratise sustainable mobility and empower lives, ensuring accessibility and affordability for the masses.
Expanding Reach and Impact
This approach aims to drive sustainable mobility across the entire value chain. Greaves’ ecosystem encompasses a number of companies catering to India’s diverse population. Greaves Cotton touches various segments of the value chain, impacting daily operations through more than 20,000+ mechanics and over 10,000 retailers, alongside millions of engines and vehicles on the road. The company’s reach extends across a broad customer base, with millions of vehicles in operation.
Innovative Technologies for a Greener Future
Aligned with India’s Panchamrit commitment to advance climate action, Greaves Cotton’s thrust on innovation is evident by its focus on fuel-agnostic powertrain solutions. Basavanhalli points out that the company supports a variety of energy sources, including CNG, biodiesel, ethanol, and electric power. This flexibility not only boosts energy security but also fosters the use of renewable energy sources.
He also complements the company’s engineering division, which recently launched a CPCB4-compliant genset that reduces NOx emissions by about 90%, supporting country’s emission reduction targets. In addition, Greaves Cotton has made significant investments in solar energy, with several factories generating approximately 50 lakh units of electricity annually, further contributing to reducing carbon intensity.
Community Engagement
Basavanhalli also underscores the company’s focus on environmental sustainability and community engagement. Over 5,000 trees-plus have been planted across Greaves’ facilities, in addition to undertaking water conservation initiatives, demonstrating the company’s commitment to community well-being and environmental stewardship.
EV Adoption
India has made considerable progress toward its target of achieving 30% EV adoption by 2030, with electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers seeing notable growth, points out Basavanhalli. As of 2024, electric two-wheelers accounted for about 5% of total sales, while electric three-wheelers reached approximately 53%.
He highlights the fact that awareness and acceptance of EV technology have grown, particularly in terms of range and the total cost of ownership. However, challenges remain in areas like local manufacturing, infrastructure development, and policy support. He expresses optimism that continued efforts would lead to greater adoption and improved infrastructure.
SDGs
Basavanhalli outlines several steps to accelerate progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.2, which focuses on sustainable transportation. These include the continued adoption of electric mobility, leveraging sustainable fuel solutions like CNG, and creating supportive infrastructure for charging and battery swapping. He emphasised the need for collaboration between public and private sectors, as well as the importance of fleet management solutions and smart mobility innovations to optimise traffic management and improve user experience.
Budget 2025-26 Wishlist
In anticipation of the 2025-26 Union Budget, Basavanhalli identifies key areas that could further support the growth of green mobility in India. These include strengthening the charging infrastructure, promoting research and development (R&D) for advanced clean technologies, and exploring cost-effective India-centric solutions tailored to Indian conditions.
Furthermore, he stresses the importance of developing manufacturing capabilities to position India as a global leader in the production of EV components. Upskilling and developing human resources, especially in R&D and service sectors, are crucial for ensuring India’s readiness for the next generation of sustainable technologies.
Basavanhalli expresses confidence that India is moving in the right direction to build a sustainable future through cleaner, greener mobility solutions, with key investments in innovation, infrastructure, and human capital to support this transition.