Government Approves 4,874 EV Chargers Under PM E-DRIVE

The Ministry of Heavy Industries organized a national conference in Bengaluru to discuss the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across India. During the event, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H. D. Kumaraswamy announced the approval of proposals worth Rs 503.86 crore under the PM E-DRIVE scheme for the installation of 4,874 EV chargers nationwide. Out of this, Karnataka has been allocated Rs 123.26 crore for the deployment of 1,243 chargers.

According to the ministry, the charging infrastructure will be deployed across states including Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Public sector oil companies such as Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited will play a key role in implementing these projects. The ministry stated that the charging network will support electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, passenger cars, buses, and trucks.

The PM E-DRIVE scheme has a total financial outlay of Rs 10,900 crore, of which Rs 2,000 crore has been earmarked for public EV charging infrastructure. The scheme also includes Rs 3,679 crore in demand incentives to support the adoption of 24.79 lakh electric two-wheelers and 3.16 lakh electric three-wheelers. Additionally, Rs 4,391 crore has been allocated for the deployment of 14,028 electric buses across the country.

The government has further allocated Rs 780 crore for the modernization of vehicle testing agencies under the Ministry of Heavy Industries. The Bengaluru conference witnessed participation from senior government officials, OEMs, and charge point operators, with discussions focused on standardization, coordination, and accelerating the deployment of EV infrastructure to strengthen India’s growing electric mobility ecosystem.