Kumaraswamy Urges Quality Focus in EV Charging

Union Minister for Heavy Industries H. D. Kumaraswamy has urged a shift in priorities within India’s electric vehicle (EV) charging ecosystem, emphasizing the need to focus on service quality, ease of access, and interoperability rather than just increasing the number of charging points.

He made these remarks while launching the Light Electric-Vehicle Acceleration Forum (LEAF), a new industry consortium aimed at strengthening the EV charging ecosystem. Kumaraswamy highlighted that a reliable and seamless charging network is essential to deliver a better user experience and accelerate EV adoption.

India’s EV adoption is still at an early stage, with charging infrastructure emerging as a key bottleneck. Despite having over 29,000 public charging stations, users continue to face issues such as multiple apps, varied payment systems, and non-functional stations.

The government aims to achieve a 30% EV market share by 2030. In 2025, EVs accounted for around 8% of total automobile sales, led by electric two-wheelers contributing nearly 56% of total registrations. However, infrastructure expansion has lagged behind vehicle growth, with the EV-to-charger ratio rising from 12:1 in 2024 to 20:1 in 2025.

To bridge this gap, the government has allocated ₹2,000 crore under the PM E-Drive Scheme to support the rollout of public charging and battery-swapping infrastructure.

The LEAF forum aims to enhance interoperability across charging networks, improve service reliability, and ensure a consistent user experience. It will also promote standards such as LECCS (Light Electric Combined Charging System), approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards as a “Type 7” connector supporting both AC and DC charging.

Industry experts believe that improving reliability and interoperability will help reduce range anxiety and play a crucial role in accelerating the next phase of electric mobility adoption in India.