FOCUS: Japanese auto, motorcycle makers back India's drive to cut fossil fuel use

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent appeal to Indians to reduce petrol and diesel consumption is reinforcing a broader shift in the country's mobility strategy, with Japanese automakers, a major presence in the country's market, taking a technology-neutral approach.

During his monthly radio address in May, Modi urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption by using public transportation, carpooling and electric vehicles, saying lower fossil fuel consumption would strengthen India's energy security and economic resilience.