India accelerates national Electric Vehicle (EV) charging grid under PM E-Drive

Union Minister for Heavy Industries, Mr. H.D. Kumaraswamy, chaired an inter-ministerial coordination meeting to review and expedite the implementation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure under the PM E-Drive scheme. Senior officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and Ministry of Heavy Industries participated in the meeting. Launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, the PM E-Drive scheme aims to create a nationwide EV ecosystem that supports clean mobility and reduces India’s reliance on fossil fuels. With a financial outlay of Rs. 2,000 crore (US$ 233.64 million), the scheme will support the installation of around 72,000 public EV charging stations across the country, focusing on 50 national highway corridors and key high-traffic zones such as metro cities, railway stations, airports, toll plazas, fuel outlets, and state highways.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is being considered the nodal agency for demand aggregation and developing a unified digital super app to serve EV users across India. This app will offer features such as real-time slot booking, payment integration, charger availability updates, and deployment tracking dashboards. BHEL will coordinate proposal evaluations and charger deployments with state governments and ministries. Mr. H.D. Kumaraswamy stressed the importance of integrated efforts across government bodies, stating that collaborative federalism is essential for a successful clean energy transition. The PM E-Drive initiative is expected to catalyse green jobs, promote Make in India manufacturing in the EV ecosystem, and contribute significantly to India’s carbon reduction goals, laying a foundation for a net-zero mobility future.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.