- Why in news
- On 2 March 2026, MeitY launched an indigenously developed 30 kW Wide Band Gap (WBG)-based Integrated Drive System for electric vehicles at IIT Madras, Chennai, under NaMPET.
- What it is
- NaMPET is a MeitY programme to build indigenous power electronics technology through partnerships among R&D institutions, academia and industry. The 30 kW Integrated Drive System combines the electric motor and inverter in one compact unit, using wide band gap semiconductors. Such semiconductors handle higher voltage, temperature and switching speed than silicon.
- Developers
- C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram developed it with IIT Madras and Lucas TVS.
- Design
- The unit merges the motor and inverter into one high power-density unit, replacing the separate motor-drive set-up.
- Target segment
- The 30 kW class suits electric passenger vehicles such as compact cars and fleet mobility.
- Import dependence
- A substantial share of high-performance EV powertrain systems and semiconductor-based drive parts is imported now; local development aims to cut this.
- Status
- The system has been designed, fabricated and validated, and is ready for commercialisation.
- WBG materials
- Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are the common wide band gap semiconductors.
Don’t confuse with WBG vs silicon semiconductors: WBG materials (SiC, GaN) have a larger band gap than silicon, so they work at higher voltage, temperature and frequency with lower losses.
Don’t confuse with NaMPET vs PLI schemes: NaMPET is a MeitY R&D mission for power electronics technology. PLI schemes give production-linked financial incentives for manufacturing.
Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Reduces import dependence in EV powertrains and power semiconductors, supporting Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
- Builds domestic IP and opens opportunities for MSMEs and start-ups in the EV supply chain.
Problems
- Moving from a validated prototype to large-scale manufacturing and cost-competitive output.
- WBG semiconductor devices and fabrication still largely depend on imports.
Way forward
- Link the technology to PLI schemes and industry partners for scaled production.
- Build domestic WBG semiconductor fabrication and testing capacity.
- 2025Mains GS3 · Q16Challenges faced by Indian semiconductor industry; India Semiconductor Mission features
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Indigenous EV technology with a lasting mission behind it, but few testable facts. Science and tech is 17% of news-linked Prelims questions, mostly concept-based.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.