Govt unveils ₹2,000 crore plan to boost EV charging under PM E-DRIVE

The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has issued operational guidelines for the rollout of public charging stations under the ₹10,900-crore PM E-DRIVE scheme, aimed at fast-tracking India’s shift to electric mobility.

The guidelines earmark ₹2,000 crore for setting up electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across cities and highways. Subsidies of up to 100% of costs have been announced for certain categories to encourage faster deployment.

Government offices, hospitals, educational institutes and CPSE premises will be eligible for full subsidy on infrastructure and chargers. Locations like airports, railway stations, fuel retail outlets of state-run OMCs, metro stations and bus depots will get 80% subsidy on infra and 70% on charging equipment. Even malls, markets and other private locations can claim 80% subsidy on infra costs. Battery swapping and charging stations are also covered, with 80% subsidy support.

Deployment will be prioritised in million-plus population cities, state capitals, smart cities and National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) cities, apart from high-traffic highways connecting major industrial hubs and ports.

To oversee implementation, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has been designated as the Project Implementation Agency, while IFCI will serve as the Project Management Agency. BHEL will also develop a National Unified Hub and mobile app to integrate EV chargers, offering discovery, real-time updates, slot booking and payment facilities.

Subsidy disbursement will be done in two stages — 70% at the procurement stage and the remaining 30% after commissioning and integration with the Unified Hub.

Charging standards have also been finalised: up to 12 kW for two- and three-wheelers, and 50 kW to 500 kW fast chargers for cars, buses and trucks.

The move is expected to address one of the biggest bottlenecks in EV adoption — availability of reliable charging stations — and provide a major boost to the country’s green mobility targets.