The Centre has approved proposals worth ₹503.86 crore to install 4,874 electric vehicle charging stations across India under the PM E-Drive scheme, giving a major boost to the country’s electric mobility infrastructure. The announcement was made by Union Heavy Industries and Steel minister HD Kumaraswamy during a conference in Bengaluru focused on EV charging infrastructure development across states, per a report by Hindustan Times.
According to the approved plan, Karnataka received the highest allocation with 1,243 EV chargers sanctioned at a cost of ₹123.26 crore. Other states included in the rollout are Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.
Public sector oil marketing companies, including Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum will help implement the charging network across the country.
Also Read | Four newborn cheetah cubs found dead at Kuno National Park
Charging network for multiple EV segments
The new charging stations are expected to support electric vehicles across segments such as electric cars, buses, trucks, two-wheelers and three-wheelers. Most of these charging points are planned to be installed at petrol pumps operated by public-sector oil companies, making charging facilities more accessible to daily commuters and long-distance travellers.
As per the reports of Hindustan Times, speaking at the event, Kumaraswamy said that the development of charging infrastructure is essential for India’s transition towards cleaner transportation. He also noted that under the earlier FAME scheme, oil marketing companies had already installed 8,932 EV charging stations across India, including 721 in Karnataka.
Part of PM E-Drive scheme
The EV charging expansion is part of the larger PM E-Drive scheme, which has a total outlay of ₹10,900 crore. Out of this, ₹2,000 crore has been specifically allocated for building public EV charging infrastructure nationwide.
The scheme also includes ₹3,679 crore as incentives to support the adoption of 24.79 lakh electric two-wheelers and 3.16 lakh electric three-wheelers. Additionally, ₹4,391 crore has been earmarked for deploying 14,028 electric buses across India. Another ₹780 crore has been allocated for upgrading vehicle testing agencies under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
Unified EV charging platform planned
As per the reports of Hindustan Times, Kumaraswamy also announced plans for a unified EV charging platform named “Unified Bharat eCharge.” The platform is expected to help EV users locate charging stations, access charging networks, and make digital payments through a single interface, similar to the convenience offered by UPI for online transactions.
Also Read | Vijay govt drops astrologer from Officer on Special Duty post amid ally, opposition criticism
The government believes the expansion of charging infrastructure will help reduce range anxiety among EV users and encourage faster adoption of electric vehicles across urban and highway networks in India.
