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The Hindu
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Bengaluru to get 4,500 electric buses under PM e-Drive scheme
The city is set to receive a significant boost in green public transport with the allocation of 4,500 electric buses under the Union government's PM e-Drive scheme. The development follows a nationwide tender floated by the Centre-owned Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), which falls under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model as per the Ministry of Heavy Industries guidelines. The CESL tender, issued last month, aims to procure, operate, and maintain 10,900 electric buses across five major cities, with Bengaluru alone slated to receive the largest share. The tender also covers the development of supporting infrastructure such as charging stations and related civil works. The Karnataka government had submitted a formal proposal in May, seeking the inclusion of the State in the Centrally sponsored scheme. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy had personally submitted the request to Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, highlighting the urgent need to improve public transport in urban areas like Bengaluru. Responding to the State's request, Mr. Kumaraswamy had earlier assured that Karnataka would 'definitely' be allocated buses under the scheme. The PM e-Drive initiative, with a budget outlay of ₹10,900 crore, aims to deploy 14,028 electric buses across nine major Indian cities between April 2024 and March 2026. Discussions between the Centre and participating State governments are ongoing to finalise plans for the necessary infrastructure, including bus depots, charging points, and maintenance facilities. In September 2024, the Union Cabinet approved a scheme with a total outlay of ₹10,900 crore to support the procurement of electric buses and the installation of over 72,000 charging stations across cities and highways, aiming to reduce 'range anxiety' among electric vehicle users. The scheme will allocate a total of ₹4,391 crore for the procurement of 14,028 electric buses by State transport undertakings in nine cities with population exceeding 40 lakh, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Bengaluru, Pune, and Hyderabad.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Govt floats tender for 10.9K electric buses under PM e-drive scheme
The Union government has floated its largest ever tender to deploy 10,900 AC and non-AC buses under the Prime Minister e-drive scheme, in a big push towards the electrification of public bus fleets in five Indian cities, including the national capital. Govt floats tender for 10.9K electric buses under PM e-drive scheme Bengaluru, infamous for its traffic snarls, has got the highest allocation with 4,500 buses, with Delhi getting 2,800 buses. The three other cities chosen under the scheme so far are Hyderabad (2,000), Ahmedabad (1,000) and Surat (600). The tender is floated at a time when Indian cities are struggling with a low number of public buses leading to overcrowding and private vehicle usage. A recent report by consultancy firm Kearney found that there are an average of 0.26 buses per 1,000 residents in the top four megacities compared to the threshold of 0.6. The buses will be of 9m and 12m length with yearly assured service of 64,800km and 72,000km, respectively, for 12 years, according to the tender document. The tendering process is being conducted by the Union ministry of power, new and renewable energy-owned Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL) under a Gross Cost Contract model, as was done for the PM-eBus Sewa scheme meant for smaller cities without formal public transport. The expression of interest from state government authorities for the scheme was sought from November 2024. According to the policy document, an assessment matrix has been developed to evaluate the performance of states in promoting EV charging infrastructure development. This matrix includes parameters across three main categories: existing EV policies, EV penetration, and enablers for deploying EV charging stations. The scheme operated by the Union ministry of heavy industries was approved by the Cabinet in September 2024 for procuring 14,028 e-buses along with 2.479 million e-2-wheelers, and 316,000 e-3-wheelers. The drive towards electrification in the automotive sector is in line with India's net-zero target by 2070. The PM e-drive scheme was preceded by the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) scheme.
Mint
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Mint
MHI allocates 11,000 e-buses to five of nine cities under PM E-drive scheme
New Delhi: The Centre will give subsidies to Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka and Telangana to press 10,900 electric buses into service. These buses will hit the streets of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Surat, the heavy industries ministry said on Thursday. 'From Bengaluru to Delhi, cities are actively embracing electric buses to make public transport cleaner, smarter, and more efficient," said heavy industries minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who chaired a meeting with ministry officials on the rollout. The government has allocated 4,500 electric buses to Bengaluru, 2,000 to Hyderabad, 2,800 to Delhi, 1,000 to Ahmedabad, and 600 to Surat under the PM E-drive scheme. 'We are not merely allocating electric buses—we are shaping the future of India's transport system with innovation and environmental consciousness. With close coordination between the Centre and states like Telangana, Karnataka, Delhi, and Gujarat, we are determined to deliver on the PM e-Drive promise," the union minister added. Under the PM e-Drive scheme, the Centre plans to provide subsidies for 14,028 buses with an allocation of about ₹ 4,391 crore, forming nearly 40% of the scheme's outlay. This allocation—to be spent till FY26—is aimed at bolstering intra-city green mobility in nine cities with populations above four million. These are: New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Surat and Pune. Mint reported on 5 May that due to overwhelming demand for electric buses from states, they may have to settle for fewer than what they had asked for. The approximate cost of an electric bus is about ₹ 1 crore, of which the government subsidizes ₹ 20-35 lakh, as per the scheme notification. Buses longer than 6m upto 8m will get a maximum subsidy of ₹ 20 lakh; ones over 8m upto 10m, the subsidy is capped at ₹ 25 lakh; while those above 10m upto 12m will get a maximum incentive of ₹ 35 lakh. After the memorandum of understanding is signed between the state transport utility and the selected bidder, the ministry of heavy industries will provide 20% of the agreed subsidy amount as an advance. This will be followed by the disbursal of another 30% of the subsidy once operations begin, while a quarter will be provided after six months of successful operations. The remaining quarter will be given after 18 successful months of commercial operations. After granting electric buses to these states, a competitive bidding process will be conducted by state-run Convergence Energy Services Ltd for state transport utilities to purchase these buses, as per the scheme guidelines. The government's approval for electric buses in five out of nine cities under PM e-Drive came after a moderate FY25. The number of electric buses sold in the country fell 5.7% on-year to 3,314 in FY25, compared with 3,516 in FY24, the Vahan portal data showed. Mint reported on 16 March 2025 that the adoption of electric buses in FY25 at 4.72% was the lowest since 9.34% in FY22. 'The PM e-Drive initiative is a defining move in India's journey toward sustainable public transport. As cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad grow their electric bus networks, we're proud to provide dependable, advanced technology tailored to modern urban needs. This progress highlights a strong collective push for cleaner, smarter mobility," said Aanchal Jain, chief executive officer, PMI Electro Mobility, which had an orderbook of 2,845 electric buses in February 2025.
India Today
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- India Today
Eka to deploy 675 electric buses across Rajasthan
Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Eka Mobility has received the Letter of Award (LOA) in consortium with Chartered Speed for deploying 9-metre and 12-metre electric buses across Rajasthan under the PM e-Bus Sewa large-scale deployment will span eight major cities -- Jaipur, Kota, Udaipur, Ajmer, Alwar, Bikaner, Bhilwara and Jodhpur. The order includes 565 9-metre and 110 12-metre electric LOA for Rajasthan's 675 electric buses follows the issuance of Letter of Confirmation of Quantity (LOCQ) by Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL) for electric buses across India. "This win reinforces our belief that electric mobility is not just the future, it is the present. Rajasthan's bold move toward electrification aligns perfectly with our vision of transforming how millions commute daily and accelerating India's transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future," said Rohit Srivastava, Business Head and Chief Growth Officer, Eka Mobility."This reflects our commitment to a greener, more efficient transport network. Through the PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme, we are transitioning to an electric fleet that will transform urban mobility. Our goal is to lead the shift to a low-carbon future and offer commuters cleaner, smarter travel options shaping a more connected and sustainable India," said Sanyam Gandhi, Whole-Time Director, Chartered order comes shortly after Eka secured two major contracts worth approximately Rs 150 crore from the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) and an order for approximately Rs 400 crore from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).Subscribe to Auto Today Magazine
