The University of Chicago Phoenix The University of Chicago The University of Chicago

Event • December 9, 2025 10:00 am

Dec92025

Driving Change: Shaping India’s Next Decade of Vehicular Emissions Reforms

Location: India International Center, New Delhi

Register Add to Calendar

Delhi’s air pollution challenge continues to be driven largely by vehicular emissions, with road transport contributing nearly half of the city’s annual PM₂.₅ load and most of its NOₓ emissions—highlighting its central role in worsening health outcomes and reducing the impact of broader clean-air efforts. As Indian cities experience rapid motorization, the limits of conventional regulatory tools focused on permits, inspections, and periodic enforcement have become increasingly clear.

The current moment marks a pivotal moment for India’s transport and air-quality agenda: Delhi’s large-scale rollout of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems introduces routine, embedded compliance checks, while advances in On-Board Diagnostics, Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS), and Remote Sensing Technologies are transforming how high emitters are identified and standards enforced. At the policy level, CAFÉ norms, the upcoming BS VII standards, and the forthcoming Delhi EV Policy 2.0 collectively signal a shift toward cleaner engines, better monitoring, and deeper integration of electric mobility. Together, these developments point to a broader transformation that hinges on aligning technology, governance, and behavioral change within a unified, evidence-led framework.

It is in this context that the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago in India (EPIC India) is convening a high-level conference on “Driving Change: Shaping India’s Next Decade of Vehicular Emissions Reforms”. The event will bring together senior government officials, regulators, thought-leaders, and practitioners to examine how India can strengthen its vehicular emissions governance architecture for the next decade.

The discussions will be organized around four interconnected themes that together define the future of clean mobility in India:

  1. Economics of Vehicular Pollution and Congestion: Understanding the costs imposed by emissions and congestion, and designing policies that internalize these externalities.
  2. Regulatory Evolution: Assessing current frameworks and identifying institutional reforms required to manage compliance, monitoring, and enforcement at scale.
  3. Technology and System Innovation: Exploring emerging tools such as ANPR, OBD, PEMS and Remote Sensing, and examining their potential to build a modern emissions oversight system.
  4. Evidence-Led Compliance and Governance: Leveraging data, field experiments, and behavioral insights to design robust, scalable enforcement and mobility solutions.

The conference aims not only to deliberate on these themes but also to foster convergence among government, academia, and industry, ensuring that India’s transition to cleaner transport is anchored in scientific evidence, operational feasibility, and long-term institutional resilience.

Explore the detailed Event Agenda.