Ziraat Times Team Report
New Delhi, Dec 9: The Ministry of Heavy Industries has announced major progress in expanding India’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure, backed by an allocation of ₹2,000 crore under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme.
According to the Ministry, the Ministry of Power’s “Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure 2024”—issued on 17 September 2024—define standards for creating a connected and interoperable EV charging ecosystem, including provisions for battery-charging and battery-swapping stations.
Officials clarified that setting up an EV charging station is an unlicensed activity, enabling EV manufacturers, charger makers, private companies and other entities to freely establish and operate charging stations across the country.
Subsidy Structure for EV Charging Stations
Government ministries, CPSEs, state governments, UTs and their PSUs are eligible to submit proposals and avail subsidies under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme. These agencies act as nodal bodies to aggregate demand and oversee project implementation.
The scheme offers capital subsidies for upstream infrastructure and charging equipment (EVSE) based on four location categories:
- Category A – Government premises including offices, residences, hospitals and educational institutions: 100% subsidy on upstream infrastructure and EVSE.
- Category B – Railway stations, airports (AAI-run), PSU fuel outlets, bus terminals, metro stations, municipal parking lots, ports and NHAI/state-managed highway facilities: 80% subsidy on upstream infrastructure and 70% on EVSE.
- Category C – All other public locations such as market complexes, malls, streets and non-government highway locations: 80% subsidy on upstream infrastructure.
- Category D – Battery swapping and battery-charging stations: 80% subsidy on upstream infrastructure.
The costs for upstream work and EVSE components are benchmarked as per standards issued by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
Implementation Guidelines Issued
To streamline deployment, the Ministry of Heavy Industries issued “Operational Guidelines for Deployment of EV Public Charging Stations” on 26 September 2025, detailing mechanisms for coordination, installation and station maintenance.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
