India has installed 39,485 public EV chargers across the country under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, according to inputs provided by Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), the project implementation agency. Of these, 8,414 are fast chargers for electric cars, marking a significant step in addressing charging accessibility and range anxiety among EV users.
To further strengthen the ecosystem, the Ministry of Power has issued the 2024 Guidelines for EV Charging Infrastructure, outlining standards, interoperability norms and protocols for both charging and battery-swapping stations. Setting up charging stations remains an unlicensed activity, allowing private entrepreneurs to participate freely. The PM E-DRIVE Scheme has also earmarked ₹2,000 crore exclusively for public charging infrastructure.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) highlighted ongoing efforts to boost electric mobility and manufacturing. Under the PM E-DRIVE’s electric bus procurement programme, 10,900 e-buses have been allocated to five cities in Phase I, with bids opened on 14 November 2025. Another 2,900 e-buses have been sanctioned under Phase II.
While no fixed national EV targets have been set, the Centre is implementing multiple incentive-led schemes:
- PLI Auto & Auto Component Scheme (₹25,938 crore) to promote domestic manufacturing of advanced automotive technology, including EVs.
- PLI for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Batteries (₹18,100 crore) to build a 50 GWh battery manufacturing ecosystem.
- PM E-DRIVE Scheme (₹10,900 crore) supporting e-2W, e-3W, e-trucks, e-buses, e-ambulances and public charging infrastructure.
- PM e-Bus Sewa–PSM Scheme (₹3,435 crore) enabling deployment of over 38,000 electric buses with payment security support.
- Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI) requiring minimum investment of ₹4,150 crore and localisation milestones of 25 per cent (Year 3) and 50 per cent (Year 5).
Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma shared these updates in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, noting that the government’s multi-scheme approach is aimed at accelerating EV adoption, strengthening domestic manufacturing and building a reliable charging network nationwide.
