The Indian government has announced significant progress under the PM e-DRIVE Scheme, aimed at reducing public transport emissions through large-scale electric bus deployment. The scheme, notified on 29 September 2024, includes a budget allocation of ₹4,391 crore for the rollout of 14,028 electric buses across nine major cities with populations exceeding 40 lakh. The beneficiary cities include Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat and Pune.
According to the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Bengaluru alone has been allocated 4,500 e-buses. The procurement is being carried out by Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) using a competitive bidding process under an aggregation model. The deployment will follow the operational expenditure or Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model through State Transport Undertakings (STUs). CESL and the Ministry are actively coordinating with all nine nominated cities to facilitate implementation.
In addition to electric buses, the government is prioritising nationwide EV charging infrastructure. Under the PM e-DRIVE scheme, ₹2,000 crore has been earmarked for establishing Electric Vehicle Public Charging Stations (EVPCS) across India, including national highways and major metropolitan areas such as Bengaluru. Charging station development remains an unlicensed sector, allowing participation from private entities. Operational guidelines for EVPCS were released on 26 September 2025.
The details were shared in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Heavy Industries, Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, in a written response on Tuesday.
