In a significant push toward sustainable urban mobility, the Indian government has issued a grand tender for the deployment of 10,900 electric buses across multiple cities under the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme. The initiative, spearheaded by Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), marks one of the largest public e-bus procurement drives in the country.
Bengaluru emerges as the biggest beneficiary, with a staggering 3,500 e-buses allocated to improve the city’s public transport system. The move is aligned with Karnataka’s ongoing efforts to electrify its fleet and reduce urban emissions. The tender includes various bus types—standard, midi, and mini—tailored to city-specific needs and infrastructure capacities.
The tender has been strategically structured into two categories: Gross Cost Contract (GCC) and Operating Expenditure (OPEX) models. Under these models, private players will be responsible for supplying, operating, and maintaining the buses, reducing the financial burden on urban local bodies while ensuring service efficiency.
Apart from Bengaluru, other major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Ahmedabad are also in line to receive significant allocations. The buses will be deployed in phases, with the initial batch expected to hit the roads by 2026. The PM e-Bus Sewa initiative aims to electrify India’s public transportation while creating a replicable framework for other urban centers.
This ambitious tender falls under the broader FAME-II scheme and is expected to significantly boost India’s EV ecosystem, including domestic manufacturing, battery supply chains, and charging infrastructure. CESL’s model encourages competition, transparency, and cost-efficiency—key pillars for sustainable public transport.
With this move, the Centre reiterates its commitment to achieving net-zero goals while fostering smart mobility solutions across urban India. As cities brace for the e-bus transformation, the success of this mega tender will play a critical role in defining the future of clean mass transit in the country.
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