The Government of India has issued fresh operational guidelines aimed at fast-tracking the installation of approximately 72,300 public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country. This rollout comes under the newly launched PM E-DRIVE scheme, which has allocated ₹2,000 crore out of its total ₹10,900 crore budget for infrastructure development.
Under these rules, subsidies will be given in a tiered manner: government premises (offices, hospitals, educational institutions, residential complexes) will get 100% support for both upstream infrastructure and EV charging equipment—provided the stations are open to the public. In strategic locations like metro hubs, airports, railway stations, toll plazas, and public transport terminals, the subsidy will cover 80% of upstream infrastructure costs and 70% for EV supply equipment (EVSE). For commercial spots such as shopping malls and marketplaces, 80% support will be available for upstream infrastructure.
The plan also lays out technical standards aligned with power ministry norms: lighter EVs will use standards like IS-17017-2-6 (DC) and AC/DC Combo (IS-17017-2-7), while heavier vehicles will be supported via CCS-II connectors (50 kW to 500 kW) depending on charging need. To manage the deployment, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has been appointed as the Project Implementation Agency, while nodal agencies at state and central levels will identify priority locations and consolidate proposals through an online portal.
Funds will be disbursed in two phases: first after procurement and installation, and later once the chargers are commissioned and connected to the national monitoring system. Priority focus will be given to cities with over 1 million population, smart cities, satellite towns, and highways linking industrial hubs, ports and state capitals.
