₹2,000 crore allocated to establish 72,000 EV public charging stations across India

Union Minister for Heavy Industries, Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy, today chaired a high-level inter-ministerial coordination meeting with senior officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and the Ministry of Heavy Industries to review the progress and accelerate the nationwide rollout of EV charging infrastructure under the PM E-Drive Scheme.

Launched under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the PM E-Drive Scheme is a cornerstone of India’s sustainable transport vision. With a financial outlay of ₹2,000 crore, the scheme aims to deploy approximately 72,000 public EV charging stations across the country—marking a giant leap towards cleaner mobility and reduced dependency on fossil fuels.

The charging stations will be strategically installed along 50 national highway corridors, and in key high-traffic zones such as metro cities, toll plazas, railway stations, airports, fuel outlets, and state highways.

Speaking at the meeting, Union Minister Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy said:

“Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is rapidly evolving into a global leader in sustainable transportation. The PM E-Drive scheme is not just about infrastructure—it’s about ensuring that clean, affordable, and accessible electric mobility becomes a reality for every Indian. This is a crucial step toward our long-term goals of energy security and green economic growth.”

The Minister also highlighted the pivotal role of inter-agency coordination in the successful implementation of the scheme. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is being considered as the nodal agency for demand aggregation, as well as for the development of a unified national digital platform (Super App) to streamline EV user experience.

The proposed Super App will include features such as real-time charger availability, slot booking, integrated payments, and deployment dashboards to track nationwide progress. BHEL will work closely with state governments and relevant ministries to evaluate and approve proposals for charger installation across India.

Reinforcing the importance of collaborative federalism, Shri Kumaraswamy stated:

“India’s clean energy transition requires synergy, not silos. This meeting underlines our commitment to ‘One Government, One Mission’. Ministries, public sector undertakings, and state agencies are united in this goal. PM E-Drive will be a catalyst for new green industries, local job creation, and a seamless EV ecosystem.”

The successful implementation of the PM E-Drive Scheme is expected to contribute significantly to reducing transport-sector emissions, promoting ‘Make in India’ manufacturing, and laying the foundation for a net-zero mobility future.