Bhubaneswar: Investors should come forward to promote research and development in exploring the green alternatives, opined entrepreneurs at the ‘Earth Again’ (Punascha Pruthibi) Conference, an initiative by the Sambad Group.

Taking part in a discussion on the ‘Green Alternatives for a Sustainable Future’, Amitabh Saran, Founder and CEO of Altigreen Propulsion Labs stated simplicity is going to be the big driver for an increase in popularity of the electric vehicles. However, there is a need for businesses to support more work on developing ancillary products such as software for the EVs, Saran added.

Saran ruled out the allegations that EVs are not safe to ride due to some recent events of such vehicles catching fire. He added the mishap could be due to wrong software instead of any equipment problems.

Advocating for the EVs, Saran said this is one of the measures through which people in India can minimise the fossil fuel use and reduce the carbon foot print.

Expressing similar views, Abinash Samal, MD of Empreo Prestige Private Limited, said there is a need for more need for R&D on EVs in the country. Raising concerns about ferrous import in the country despite presence of high quality of iron and prevalence of old vehicles on the road, Samal said the situation could be improved by setting up more recycling units.

The country should be self-sufficient in terms of EV manufacturing through R&D. By setting up more recycling units, the country could set up more sustainable cities, Samal added.

The three-day Earth Again Conference has kickstarted in Bhubaneswar in a bid to create further awareness about climate change and find a sustainable solution to the prevailing environmental issues.