The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has rolled out operational guidelines for a Rs 2,000 crore subsidy scheme under the Rs 10,900 crore PM E-DRIVE initiative, aimed at boosting electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across India. The scheme offers subsidies of up to 100% for setting up public charging stations in cities and along highways.
Government premises including offices, hospitals, educational institutions, and central public sector enterprises will be eligible for full subsidies on both upstream infrastructure and EV charging equipment, provided the chargers are open for free public use.
For bus stations run by state transport undertakings, metro stations, municipal parking lots, public sector ports, and NHAI/state-run toll plazas, the scheme provides 80% subsidy on infrastructure and 70% on EV supply equipment. Locations such as airports, railway stations, fuel retail outlets of Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum, metro stations, and bus depots will also receive 80% subsidy on infrastructure and 70% on charging equipment. Battery swapping stations are included under the scheme, receiving 80% support.
The scheme prioritizes urban centers with populations exceeding one million, smart cities, satellite towns linked to seven metros Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad—state capitals, and high-density national and state highways. Public transport hubs like airports, railway stations, and fuel retail outlets have also been earmarked for infrastructure support.
Public sector giant Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) will serve as the Project Implementation Agency, while IFCI will function as the Project Management Agency. BHEL will develop a National Unified Hub and mobile app to integrate EV chargers, enabling real-time discovery, slot booking, payment facilities, and updates.
Subsidies will be disbursed in two stages: 70% during procurement and the remaining 30% after commissioning and integration with the Unified Hub. Charging standards have been finalized, with 12 kW chargers for two- and three-wheelers, and fast chargers ranging from 50 kW to 500 kW for cars, buses, and trucks.