India, April 5 -- The ongoing West Asia crisis is an important warning on India's energy dashboard. India imports over 87% of its crude oil requirements, and more than a fifth originates from or transits through this region. India must view petroleum as a strategic liability and use the current crisis to transition to a self-reliant future, with the electrification of transport as the single-most decisive action.

India is the world's third-largest automobile market. But the sector stands at a pivotal inflection point. A global technological transformation is rapidly shifting the auto industry away from internal combustion engines (ICE) toward electrification. And this transition is accelerating faster than many expected.

What is needed ...