Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has reportedly said that driverless cars will not be allowed in India to protect the jobs of drivers. 

According to a report by Business Today, Gadkari said, “I will never allow driverless cars to come into India because it will take away the jobs of several drivers and I will not let that happen”.

Meanwhile, Gadkari said that if driverless cars are introduced in India then approximately 70-80 lakh people would lose their jobs instantly, creating another significant problem.

While addressing road safety concerns during the Zero Mile Samvad hosted by IIM Nagpur, Gadkari outlined several measures taken by the government to mitigate road accidents, including changes in automotive engineering such as adding six airbags in cars, reducing black spots on roads, and increasing fines through the Electric Motors Act.

“We have increased fines via the Electric Motors Act, kept ambulances and cranes so that things only become better from here. We also raise awareness every year,” Gadkari said. 

On Tesla’s entry into India, he said that the US car maker is invited to operate in India, but manufacturing in China for sales in India is not permissible.