India Accelerates Green Mobility: 14,028 Electric Buses Sanctioned Under PM e-Drive Scheme

In a significant step towards sustainable urban transportation, the Government of India has launched an extensive initiative under the PM e-Drive scheme, which aims to deploy 14,028 electric buses with a total financial outlay of ₹10,900 crore. This initiative will be implemented over a two-year period, from April 2024 to March 2026.

The announcement was made following a high-level meeting chaired by Union Minister for Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy. The meeting focused on strategic coordination with states such as Telangana, Karnataka, Delhi, and Gujarat to ensure the effective rollout of the electric mobility plan.

As part of this phase, specific city allocations have been announced:

• Bengaluru will receive approximately 4,500 electric buses,

• Hyderabad will receive 2,000,

• Delhi is set to receive 2,800,

• Ahmedabad will be allocated 1,000, and

• Surat will receive 600 electric buses.

“The PM e-Drive Scheme is not just about distributing buses, it’s about transforming India’s urban transport infrastructure through eco-conscious innovation,” Minister Kumaraswamy stated. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for clean, smart, and inclusive mobility is now being realized on a national scale.

In addition to electric buses, the scheme allocates ₹500 crore each for deploying electric ambulances and electric trucks. The introduction of e-ambulances aims to enhance patient transport comfort, while e-trucks are being implemented to address the high pollution levels caused by diesel-fueled freight transport.

To encourage the adoption of e-trucks, the scheme requires the submission of a vehicle scrapping certificate from MoRTH-approved scrapping centers (RVSF) to qualify for subsidies. This condition ensures that outdated, polluting vehicles are phased out responsibly.

To further support this transition, the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has launched E-vouchers. These will allow buyers of electric vehicles (EVs) to access demand-based incentives under the scheme seamlessly.

The PM e-Drive scheme is now recognized as one of the world’s largest national programs for public transport electrification. With robust cooperation between the central and state governments, the rollout is expected to transform India’s urban mobility sector and set a global example in sustainable transportation.

This ambitious initiative underscores India’s commitment to combating climate change, reducing air pollution, and transitioning towards a greener, cleaner future for the nation.