Government Committed to Building a Future-Ready EV Ecosystem: H.D. Kumaraswamy

Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), Government of India, organized a National Conference on “Enabling Nationwide EV Charging Infrastructure under PM E-DRIVE Scheme” on 12 May 2026 in Bengaluru.

Addressing the gathering, Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, stated that the Government of India is committed to creating a modern and reliable EV charging ecosystem to support the country’s clean mobility transition. He remarked that the PM E-DRIVE Scheme reflects the Government’s determination to make electric mobility affordable, dependable, and widely available across urban as well as rural India. He further emphasized that strengthening EV charging infrastructure is essential to accelerating large-scale EV adoption under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

The Hon’ble Minister announced approval for proposals of Karnataka involving 1,243 EV chargers with an outlay of ₹123.26 crore. So far, EV charging proposals with a total financial outlay of ₹503.86 crore have been approved, covering the installation of 4,874 EV chargers across various States and CPSEs. The approved proposals include major CPSEs such as HPCL, IOCL, and BPCL, as well as States including Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

Dr. Hanif Qureshi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, stated that the PM E-DRIVE initiative is laying the foundation for a seamless and future-ready EV charging network across India. MHI will support EV chargers for electric 2ws, e-3Ws, e-cars, e-buses and e-trucks. He emphasized that coordinated efforts between the Centre, States, BHEL, Charge Point Operators and industry stakeholders will be instrumental in creating an efficient charging ecosystem capable of supporting the next phase of electric mobility growth in the country.

Apart from PM E-DRIVE MHI is running several schemes to promote EVs. These are PLI Auto (Rs 25,938 crores), PLI ACC (18,100 crores), Payment Security Mechanism (Rs. 3,435 crores) and Scheme for Rare earth Magnets (Rs. 7,280 crores)

Conference Focused on Accelerating Nationwide EV Charging Infrastructure

The Conference served as a key platform for deliberations on accelerating the deployment of EV Public Charging Infrastructure (EV PCS) across the country and strengthening India’s electric mobility ecosystem. The event brought together senior representatives from States and Union Territories, Charge Point Operators (CPOs), EV Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), automobile industry associations, and other key stakeholders.

States Shared Best Practices and Implementation Strategies

Senior State officials attending the Conference included Shri Navin Mittal, IAS, Special Chief Secretary (Energy), Government of Telangana; Shri Puneet Kumar, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary (Power), Government of Kerala; Shri Minhaj Alam, CMD, KSEB, Government of Kerala; Shri Gaurav Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary (Energy), Government of Karnataka; and Shri Amitabh Thakur, Transport Commissioner, Government of Odisha. The officials shared their experiences, policy initiatives, and State-level strategies for scaling up EV charging deployment and strengthening charging accessibility.

PM E-DRIVE Scheme Advancing Nationwide Charging Network

Under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, the Government of India has approved a total outlay of ₹10,900 crore for promoting electric mobility and supporting EV ecosystem development across multiple segments. The Scheme provides demand incentives and infrastructure support across various vehicle categories and associated components. Around 24.79 lakh electric two-wheelers (e-2Ws) and approximately 3.16 lakh electric three-wheelers (e-3Ws), including e-rickshaws, e-carts, and L5 category vehicles, are proposed to be supported under the Scheme. In addition, the Scheme envisages support of ₹4,391 crore for deployment of over 14,028 electric buses. Dedicated support has also been included for e-ambulances and e-trucks to encourage adoption in commercial and public service segments.

Out of the total outlay, ₹3,679 crore has been earmarked for demand incentives for e-2Ws, e-3Ws, e-ambulances, e-trucks, and other emerging EV categories.

 ₹2,000 crore has been earmarked for development of EV Public Charging Infrastructure across the country. Additionally, ₹780 crore has been allocated for modernization and upgradation of vehicle testing agencies under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.

Collaboration Critical for Scalable and Reliable EV Infrastructure

The Conference underscored the importance of close coordination among State Governments, Central Ministries, OMCs, OEMs, CPOs, and implementation agencies to ensure scale, interoperability, standardization, and reliability of EV charging infrastructure across the country. Participants highlighted the need for faster deployment, common technical standards, and enhanced public-private partnerships to support India’s rapidly growing EV ecosystem.

MHI Reiterates Commitment Towards Clean Mobility Goals

The Ministry of Heavy Industries reiterated its commitment to supporting States and stakeholders in the timely rollout of EV charging infrastructure, which remains critical for accelerating India’s transition to clean mobility and advancing the national vision of Viksit Bharat, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and achieving Net Zero emissions by 2070.

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TPJ

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