The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) took a significant move to hasten the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in India with the launch of the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) program. The program aims to strengthen the EV production ecosystem, increase EV adoption, and build a robust charging infrastructure. The initiative is backed by a two-year budgetary investment of ₹10,900 crore, of which ₹2,000 crore is allocated for the construction of Electric Vehicle Public Charging Stations (EVPCS).
The Ministry of Power (MoP) has recently published detailed guidelines for setting up and running EV charging infrastructure. The regulations, which went into effect on September 17, 2024, emphasize the importance of creating a network of suitable and connected EV charging stations across India.
Karnataka has the most stations (5,765), followed by Maharashtra (3,728) and Uttar Pradesh (1,989). According to MoP data, 25,202 EVPCS have been placed nationwide. With 57 stations, Raipur has the most share of Chhattisgarh’s 271 EVPCS.
The NITI Aayog states that a variety of factors, including the composition of EVs, travel patterns, topography, urbanization, and advancements in EV and charging technologies, influence the necessity for EV charging infrastructure. These standards are always evolving globally, so it is debatable how many charging stations are necessary for a certain EV population.
This information was supplied by Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Steel, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. He underlined the government’s ongoing efforts to promote EV adoption and the development of infrastructure for EV charging.
The government is still focusing on EV ecosystem development and sustainable mobility as part of India’s goal to reduce carbon emissions and move toward a greener future.
