India’s government is ramping up support for electric vehicles with new guidelines from the Ministry of Heavy Industries. Under the Rs 10,900 crore PM E-DRIVE scheme, they’ve set aside Rs 2,000 crore to offer subsidies of up to 100 percent for building public EV charging stations in cities and along highways.
If you’re setting up chargers at government spots like offices, hospitals, schools, or central public sector enterprises, you can get full 100 percent coverage for both the upstream infrastructure and the EV charging equipment—but only if the chargers stay open and free for the public.
For other key locations, the subsidies adjust a bit. Bus stations run by state transport, metro stations, municipal parking lots, public sector ports, and toll plazas or rest areas controlled by NHAI or state governments qualify for 80 percent off on infrastructure and 70 percent on the EV supply equipment. The same rates apply to airports, railway stations, and fuel retail outlets from oil giants like Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum, as well as metro stations and bus depots.
Battery swapping stations get 80 percent subsidy support too, making it easier to expand options for EV users across India.
The scheme focuses first on big urban areas with over one million people, smart cities, towns linked to major metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad, plus state capitals and busy national or state highways. Public transport spots such as railway stations, airports, and fuel outlets will also see boosted infrastructure for EV charging.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), a major public sector player, steps in as the Project Implementation Agency, while IFCI handles project management. BHEL will create a National Unified Hub and a handy mobile app to connect all EV chargers. Users can discover stations, check real-time availability, book slots, and pay right from their phones.
Subsidies come in two parts: 70 percent upfront when you procure the equipment, and the final 30 percent once everything’s up and running and linked to the hub.
To keep things standard, the guidelines set charging specs at up to 12 kW for two-wheelers and three-wheelers, and fast chargers from 50 kW to 500 kW for cars, buses, and trucks. This push aims to make electric vehicle adoption smoother and more widespread in India.
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