India has intensified its efforts to build a nationwide electric vehicle (EV) charging network under the ₹2,000 crore PM E-Drive scheme, with Union Minister for Heavy Industries H.D.
Kumaraswamy leading an inter-ministerial meeting to coordinate deployment strategies. The meeting included top officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and the Ministry of Heavy Industries. The PM E-Drive scheme, launched under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, aims to install around 72,000 public EV charging stations across India. These chargers will be strategically located along 50 national highway corridors, as well as at metro hubs, railway stations, airports, toll plazas, fuel stations, and major urban roads. Minister Kumaraswamy described the scheme as a foundational step toward clean, affordable, and accessible mobility. “We are not just building infrastructure; we are laying the foundation for energy security and green economic growth,” he said, highlighting the broader goal of reducing India’s reliance on fossil fuels and accelerating the shift to sustainable transport.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is being considered the nodal agency for coordinating the rollout. The PSU will manage demand aggregation, proposal evaluation, and the development of a unified super app for EV users. The app will include features such as real-time charger availability, slot booking, integrated payment, and dashboards tracking the scheme’s national deployment. Officials said that the initiative will follow a convergence model, requiring active collaboration across ministries, states, and public sector units. Kumaraswamy stressed that “the clean energy transition cannot succeed in silos” and called for joint action to ensure timely results. The minister added that PM E-Drive is expected to catalyse green industry growth, generate employment, and promote domestic manufacturing under the Make in India campaign. The deployment of this EV charging infrastructure is also seen as a critical step in enabling the country’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions in transport.
As India’s urban centres continue to expand and its vehicle fleet electrifies, the success of the PM E-Drive will be pivotal in shaping a reliable, user-friendly EV ecosystem. By ensuring accessible public charging across regions, the scheme is expected to improve EV adoption, support local industries, and reinforce India’s position as a global leader in sustainable mobility.
