Just Transition to Zero-emission Trucking in India

The report examines the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) trucks to zero-emission trucks (ZETs) in India, focusing on the potential for job displacement across direct, indirect, and induced employment categories. It projects ZET sales through 2040 under business-as-usual and ambitious scenarios and highlights the vulnerability of informal sector mechanics and truck-stop service providers. To mitigate these risks, the authors propose the establishment of a Just Transition Fund for India (JTFI) to finance reskilling and alternative livelihoods.

• The Indian road logistics sector is a significant source of pollution, accounting for 4% of the country's energy-related CO2 emissions and 53% of particulate matter emissions.
• The trucking industry supports a massive workforce comprising 8 million direct jobs, approximately 9.4 million indirect jobs, and 4 million induced jobs.
• Battery electric technology is identified as the most viable ZET solution for India due to its technological maturity and lower total cost of ownership compared to hydrogen fuel-cell alternatives.
• CPI projections for annual ZET sales by 2040 range from 0.27 million units in a business-as-usual scenario to 0.38 million units in an ambitious scenario.
• The transition to ZETs is expected to cause significant job displacement, particularly for informal sector mechanics and induced job holders at informal truck rest stops, as charging infrastructure formalizes the industry.
• Current ZET models available in India have a limited range of 110 km to 180 km per charge, which is insufficient for some heavy-duty vehicles that travel up to 460 km per day.
• The report proposes a Just Transition Fund for India (JTFI) with an estimated capitalization of INR 254 billion (USD 3.1 billion) to support reskilling and alternative livelihood grants.
• The proposed JTFI would be administered by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and leverage existing schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana and Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana.

APA

Krishnan, A., Kumar, M., & Sen, V. (2024). Just Transition to Zero-emission Trucking in India. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Just-Transition-to-Zero-emission-Trucking-in-India.pdf

Chicago

Krishnan, Arun, Manish Kumar, and Vivek Sen. Just Transition to Zero-emission Trucking in India. Climate Policy Initiative, 2024. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Just-Transition-to-Zero-emission-Trucking-in-India.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Krishnan |first1=Arun |last2=Kumar |first2=Manish |last3=Sen |first3=Vivek |title=Just Transition to Zero-emission Trucking in India |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=August 2024 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Just-Transition-to-Zero-emission-Trucking-in-India.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{krishnan2024just, author = {Krishnan, Arun and Kumar, Manish and Sen, Vivek}, title = {{Just Transition to Zero-emission Trucking in India}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2024}, month = aug, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Just-Transition-to-Zero-emission-Trucking-in-India.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }