The Ministry of Heavy Industries has released operational guidelines for deploying public charging stations under the PM E-DRIVE scheme, a program aimed at accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles in India. The scheme, approved with an outlay of INR 10,900 crore, earmarks INR 2,000 crore specifically for building a robust EV charging network across cities and highways. The initiative is designed to instil confidence among users by ensuring the availability of adequate charging infrastructure for various vehicle categories.
Eligibility to participate lies with Government of India ministries, Central Public Sector Enterprises, States, Union Territories, and their public sector undertakings. These entities are required to appoint nodal agencies to identify suitable sites, aggregate demand, and submit proposals. Ministries such as Petroleum and Natural Gas, Power, Housing and Urban Affairs, Railways, Civil Aviation, and their associated CPSEs like IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, NHAI, AAI, and Metro corporations can play a role. States and UTs will also coordinate with local bodies and utilities for setting up charging infrastructure.
The scheme prioritizes cities with more than one million population, smart cities, satellite towns linked to metros, state and UT capitals, and cities under the National Clean Air Programme. Highways with heavy traffic and those connecting major cities, industrial hubs, and ports will also be equipped with EV chargers. The infrastructure must comply with Ministry of Power guidelines, with charging standards ranging from light EV DC and AC combo chargers up to 12 kW for two- and three-wheelers, to CCS-II standards with capacities from 50 kW to 500 kW for cars, buses, and trucks.
Battery Swapping Stations and Battery Charging Stations are also eligible under the scheme, but subsidies will only be available for upstream infrastructure. Subsidy support varies by location type. For government premises, 100% subsidy will be given on both upstream infrastructure and charging equipment. For public premises such as railway stations, airports, metro stations, and toll plazas, 80% subsidy on infrastructure and 70% on equipment will apply. Other city and highway locations will receive 80% subsidy on infrastructure, while battery swapping and charging stations at any site will get 80% support on infrastructure costs. Benchmark costs fixed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency will guide subsidy calculations.
The implementation will follow a stepwise process. Proposals will be submitted through the PM E-DRIVE portal, after which approvals will be granted by MHI. Once procurement begins, nodal agencies or charge point operators can claim the first tranche, amounting to 70% of eligible subsidy, subject to proof of procurement and compliance. The second tranche will be released after commissioning, energization, and integration of the stations into the National Unified Hub, a platform being developed by BHEL, which has been appointed as the Project Implementation Agency. IFCI will function as the Project Management Agency.
The scheme introduces a single-window portal for proposal submission, subsidy claims, and progress monitoring. The National Unified Hub will integrate EV charging stations nationwide, enabling real-time updates, charger discovery, digital payments, and booking facilities. The process emphasizes transparency, accountability, and continued uptime of EV chargers.
Through this initiative, the government aims to remove a major barrier to EV adoption, by ensuring affordable and accessible charging across strategic urban and highway networks. The financial incentives and structured implementation mechanism highlight India’s intent to create a future-ready mobility ecosystem powered by clean energy.
