India to ban autonomous cars

India, the world's second-most populous country, has announced it will make autonomous cars illegal after an edict from the government last week.

As the rest of the world is going troppo for autonomous driving technology, with car makers and tech companies spending billions of dollars to get an edge, and governments re-writing road regulations to suit, India has a planted a big stop-sign in front of self-driving cars.

"We won't allow driverless cars in India. I am very clear on this," Nitin Gadkari, India's transport minister, stated at a press conference reported by the Hindustan Times.

The advent of robotics and automation is expected to cause job losses on a large scale across a wide range of industries, and India is taking a tough stance on future employment. At issue is the potential of autonomous vehicles to eliminate many jobs in the transport industry, including those of truck, bus, taxi and courier drivers. "We won't allow any technology that takes away jobs," said Mr Gadkari.

Most developed nations have shown an eagerness to adopt autonomous vehicles, citing benefits such as improved safety and reduced traffic congestion and emissions, but the Indian government says jobs must come first.

Mr Gadkari observed that India currently needs 22,000 more commercial drivers and this number is actually expected to increase in coming years.

"In a country where you have unemployment, you can't have a technology that ends up taking people's jobs," explained the Indian transport minister.

The government is investing in around 100 driver training centres across India to help new drivers meet the demand for more trucks on Indian roads.

Technology experts have already pointed to countries like India, with poorly maintained roads and chaotic conditions, requiring considerably more time to safely deploy autonomous vehicles. Significant infrastructure upgrades will be a prerequisite in India, but the country’s biggest car maker, Tata, currently has its own self-driving research group called Elxsi.

Tata-Elxsi is already developing self-driving software and hardware to cope with the unique Indian road conditions, prompting Minister Gadkari to suggest the ban on autonomous vehicles could be lifted in the future.

"Maybe some years down the line we won't be able to ignore it, but as of now, we shouldn't allow it," he stated.

Should other countries pay due diligence to the social side-effects of vehicle automation, or is India making a big mistake? Have your say in the comments below.