NITI Aayog recently hosted the Zero Campaign Forum in New Delhi on the first anniversary of the “Shoonya Campaign” (Zero Initiative). The event was attended by G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, NITI Aayog CEO Mr Parameswaran Iyer, MyGov CEO Abhishek Singh, Delhi Government Principal Secretary Ashish Kundra, Mahindra Electric Mobility CEO Suman Mishra and others.
What is Shoonya Campaign?
NITI Aayog in association with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) launched the ‘Shoonya Campaign’ in 2021 promoting zero-pollution delivery vehicles in collaboration with consumers and related industries.
The campaign aims to improve air quality in India by accelerating the production and the use of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and to create awareness among consumers about the benefits of zero-pollution.
As part of the Shoonya campaign, a program on Corporate Branding and Certification has been launched to recognize and promote the industry’s efforts towards adoption of Electric Vehicles for last mile delivery.
An online tracking platform will share the impact of this campaign through data on electrified kilometers, carbon savings, standard pollutant savings and other benefits of clean delivery vehicles in respect of electric vehicles.
E-commerce companies, fleet aggregators and varioud industry stakeholders like Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and logistics companies are increasing their efforts towards electrification of last mile delivery.
At the start of the Shoonya campaign, around 30 companies including Mahindra Electric, Tata Motors, Zomato, Ashok Leyland, Sun Mobility, Lightning Logistics, Big Basket, Bluedart, Hero Electric and Swiggy joined NITI Aayog to express their support for the campaign and participated in the inaugural meeting held under the chairmanship of CEO of Niti Ayog. Going forward, other companies from the other industries will also be invited to participate in the Shoonya campaign.
Three Key Components of the Zero Campaign
- Corporate Branding Program – The Corporate Branding Program recognizes the efforts made by industry partners to promote vehicle electrification.
- Consumer Awareness Campaign – To spread public awareness about the health and environmental benefits of using electric vehicles.
- Resource Toolkit – Resource Toolkit provides online tools for EV users to assess the cost and impact of electric vehicle adoption.
Way ahead
The success of the Shoonya campaign is the proof that the Green Mobility Revolution is downing upon the world all over. In the future, the whole world is going to be connected with electric mobility. Electric vehicles emit 15-40% less carbon dioxide than other vehicles and have lower manufacturing costs.