Road Safety must precede speed, says State Highways Engineer Manu Neethi

Emphasising the need to place public safety above the rapid acceleration of automotive technology, Mr. G. Manu Neethi, Divisional Engineer – Road Safety, Tamil Nadu State Highways, underscored that performance advancements in vehicles must be accompanied by robust safety measures.
He was speaking at the inaugural session of the Conference on Electric Vehicles & Allied Industries, held in Coimbatore on Thursday.
Organised by the Society for Smart E-Mobility (SSEM), the conference was themed “Electric Vehicles – The Future of Transport.” 
In his address, Mr. Manu Neethi, the Chief Guest, drew attention to the sobering statistics on road accidents in India. “Every day, around 480 people lose their lives on Indian roads. Last year alone, 1.85 lakh fatalities were recorded. That’s more than most public health crises,” he said. In the absence of Shri K. Ramasamy, Patron & Trustee of SSEM and Chairman of the Roots Group of Companies, the keynote address was delivered by Mr. Manikandan, Founder President of SSEM and Founder of Greenerg Solutions Pvt. Ltd. He outlined India’s goal of achieving 30% electric vehicle penetration by 2030, focusing on the expansion of EV charging infrastructure, battery safety, and consumer education.
“Transitioning to electric mobility is essential for environmental and economic sustainability,” said Mr. Manikandan, highlighting recent developments such as the Mobis India EV battery plant in Sriperumbudur and Tamil Nadu's emerging EV ecosystem.
The event also featured a welcome address by Dr. Chandrasekar, Founder Trustee and Vice President SSEM.
The conference saw active participation from SSEM leadership and members, including Smt. Hemalatha Annamalai, Patron & Trustee, SSEM and Founder & Chairperson, Green Collar Agritech Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Shri Sudhakar V, Executive Committee Member, SSEM and Managing Director, Surya Batteries Pvt. Ltd.