Latest news with #MaharashtraEVPolicy2025
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Maharashtra's Big Transport Shift: EV Push, Port-Linked Growth and Vadhawan as an Economic Catalyst
As India accelerates its shift toward cleaner mobility, smarter urbanization, and strategic maritime infrastructure, Maharashtra is positioning itself at the forefront of this transformation. From recalibrating its electric vehicle policy to launching one of the country's most ambitious port-led development projects at Vadhawan , the state is pushing forward a multidimensional agenda—combining sustainability, technology, and regional economic growth. In this wide-ranging conversation with Puja Banerjee and Ashutosh Mishra of ETGovernment, Sanjay Sethi , Additional Chief Secretary, Transport and Ports, Government of Maharashtra, speaks with ETGovernment about the state's evolving policy landscape—from building an integrated EV ecosystem and redefining urban transport planning to catalyzing shipbuilding and port-centric industrialization. With a sharp focus on implementation, public-private partnerships, and data-driven governance, Sethi lays out how Maharashtra aims to balance environmental imperatives, investor interests, and infrastructure demands in the coming decade. Edited Excerpts: Maharashtra's EV policy has been in focus in the past few days. What are some of the key priorities under it? Through the Maharashtra EV Policy 2025, the thrust is on increasing penetration by working on both demand and supply. We're offering subsidies across all vehicle categories and have also waived motor vehicle tax. Two and three wheelers initially picked up, but we're now pushing for four wheelers, commercial fleets, trucks, trailers, and utility vehicles like garbage contractors to come under the policy's ambit. These categories were earlier left out of benefits, and that's changing now. Apart from that, charging is a central pillar under the policy. We've identified specific pockets - Pune, for example, has exceeded targets already. Mumbai, on the other hand, lagged behind because of multiple reasons. So we're dealing with both the physical and regulatory bottlenecks. New rules now push for setting up charging stations in bus depots, fuel stations, and all new residential and commercial buildings. We aim to have one station every 25 km on the highways. The power regulator has also been roped in to ensure load management and pricing. So, we're building a robust charging ecosystem to eliminate both supply and financial hurdles. Another big development in the port and maritime area is the Vadhawan port. What is the vision behind Vadhawan Port? Why is it being positioned as a key growth zone? Vadhawan is not just a port, it's an anchor for regional economic transformation. The idea is to not let ports function in isolation. Globally, successful models like Singapore show how a port area becomes an engine of commercial activity. We're planning for the entire Vadhawan zone to be developed as an economic and employment hub - with logistics, manufacturing, services, and housing all integrated. This is the first central government port project with state equity. Decisions are being taken jointly so that both central and state objectives are aligned. There is also a plan to promote shipbuilding and repair in Maharashtra. What's the proposal? India has begun promoting shipbuilding more actively, and the Centre has created a Maritime India fund that offers capital support. We're working on a model where Maharashtra will develop basic shipbuilding infrastructure, similar to plug and play industrial parks, and offer it to private players. They bring in the machinery, manpower and operations. We'll provide ready space, connectivity, and utilities. It's being framed under PPP models, with room for leasehold or revenue sharing agreements. Are you seeing investor interest in such a shipbuilding ecosystem? The response from stakeholders has been positive. There's a strong case for ship repair and mid-sized shipbuilding yards along the coast. Our job is to reduce entry barriers - by ensuring land availability, regulatory ease, and backend logistics. We're currently ironing out the capital and policy components so these projects can move forward. Something like viability gap funding is also under consideration. Switching to urban issues, what is the thinking around the state's parking policy and congestion control? The number of vehicles in cities has reached a point where PM 2.5 levels are far above standards. If this continues, people won't be able to commute at all, and that affects everything from work to leisure. So we need stronger parking regulations. One of the proposals is proof of parking for vehicle purchase, not as a ban, but as a way to check unregulated growth. But we also need to expand public parking to avoid making it punitive for today's generation. This must come from local urban bodies, via zoning, DC rules, and developer mandates. Does this also involve a rethink of urban design and carrying capacity? Urban transport can't be solved in silos anymore. We have to assess how much traffic an area can realistically bear. If road capacity is saturated, we must regulate fresh inflow. At the same time, robust public transport and parking options must exist. We've had extensive discussions with stakeholders, and a multidisciplinary policy is in the works. But it has to be phased, equitable, and practically implementable. There has been news about a possible consideration of regulating cab prices in Maharashtra. What is going on in that area? We have received concerns around excessive fluctuations in cab pricing from citizens for quite some time now. So we have decided to come up with a framework that will define pricing slabs for aggregators. The idea is not to fix prices, but to create a band, say, a minimum and a maximum fare. It gives some leeway but prevents exploitation. The concern is both from commuters, who find surge pricing arbitrary, and from driver partners, who feel the commission structures are not transparent. So the policy will cover both. We're studying different models and consultations with stakeholders are happening for now. How is the transport department using technology like AI and IoT in its operations? AI is deeply embedded already. We operate around 18,000 buses, and GPS based geofencing helps monitor routes and performance. Cameras and radar-based devices are used for speed enforcement, alert systems, and data analysis. From informing passengers about bus arrivals to detecting route deviations, technology is improving safety and efficiency. But we must use AI intelligently - not just for automation, but for insight and preventive decision-making. What's your policy approach when facing competing needs and limited resources? The idea is to not just respond to individual complaints but to solve systemic problems. For instance, a local traffic jam may point to flawed planning or coordination. So if we're drafting a policy, it should address root causes - not just be a patch. Each solution should be a stepping stone to something larger, not just a fix for one constituency.
NDTV
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
Maharashtra Introduces New EV Policy, Aims To Achieve 30 Percent EV Adoption By 2030
The Maharashtra government has introduced the Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2025 to encourage the use of electric vehicles in the state. The budget for this plan is Rs 1,993 crore over five years, more than double the previous budget of Rs 930 crore. This policy aims to provide financial incentives and infrastructure support to encourage a 30 percent increase in EV adoption by 2030. Maharashtra EV Policy 2025: Details Subsidies for Electric Vehicles: Transport and commercial electric cars can receive incentives up to Rs 2 Lakh, while electric buses can get benefits of Rs 20 Lakh. These incentives are available for a total of 25,000 four-wheelers and 1,500 buses. The previous rule limited benefits for personal electric cars to Rs 1.75 Lakh, but this new policy only covers transport and commercial vehicles. Toll Exemption: Electric cars and buses won't have to pay tolls on major expressways, including the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu). Tax Benefits: All electric vehicles registered in Maharashtra will not have to pay road tax or registration fees. Charging Stations: The policy requires charging stations to be set up every 25 kilometers on state and national highways. Every government parking lot must have at least one EV charging station. New residential buildings must include one community charging point, while new commercial buildings should dedicate 50 percent of their parking spaces for EV charging. Older commercial properties must allocate 20 percent of their parking for this purpose. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, Maharashtra made up 12.52 percent of India's EV sales, with 246,221 units sold. The state led in sales of electric two-wheelers, cars, SUVs, and commercial vehicles, with 17,133 electric passenger vehicles sold, a 21 percent increase from the previous year. The new Maharashtra EV policy aims to make electric vehicles easier to access and use, helping to create a cleaner and more sustainable environment in Maharashtra.
Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Maharashtra's new EV policy offers subsidy, toll exemption on key expressways and Atal Setu; push charging infrastructure
The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday cleared the Maharashtra Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2025 under which the government will offer financial incentive aggregating to Rs 11,373 crore over a period of five years to incentivise EV manufacturing, adoption and developing charging infrastructure in the state. The cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, also cleared the aggregator policy to regulate app-based transportation operators like Ola, Uber and Rapido. The newly adopted Maharashtra EV Policy 2025 that will be in force until March 31, 2030 replaces the previous 2021 policy that expired in March 2025. Under the new policy, the government will bear a financial burden of Rs 11,373 crore over a period of five years. Aimed at encouraging mass EV adoption across every vehicle segment — two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers, buses, commercial vehicle fleets — the policy also focuses on creating a strong public and private charging infrastructure in urban, rural areas, and alongside important highways. Under the policy, charging points would be installed at every 25-km segment on state and national highways. In a bid to reduce the cost of EV adoption, the policy provides direct purchase incentives. While electric two, three, and non-transport four-wheelers, STU buses will receive a maximum subsidy of 10 per cent of the base cost of the vehicle, goods carriers, agricultural use electric tractors, and large capacity passenger vehicles will be subsidised up to 15 per cent. In another move that will ease adoption, all EVs registered in the state under the policy period will also be exempt from motor vehicle tax as well as registration/renewal charges. The policy also aims to spur industrial and research development in the EV industry through various incentives for local production, battery recycling, and skill building. One of the major environmental goals is the development of a 'Clean Mobility Transition Model', which will reduce 32 tonnes of PM 2.5 and 1 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector by 2030. To promote cleaner city-to-city transport, all four-wheeled passenger EVs and buses plying on the Mumbai – Pune Expressway, Mumbai–Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, and the Shivdi–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu will be free of charge for toll. A 50% concession on toll will be given on other national and state highways under the Public Works Department. With regard to infrastructure, the government will collaborate with oil marketing companies to provide all highways' existing and new fuel stations with EV charging points, depending on technical feasibility. STU bus depots and terminals will also have fast-charging units. 'The new EV Policy is geared towards increasing both the production and uptake of electric vehicles. It has provisions for passenger EV subsidy and exemptions on toll charges on certain roads and highways for select EVs. Improving the charging infrastructure is also a high priority,' Fadnavis said. App aggregator policy Apart from the EV policy, the cabinet also approved an aggregator policy to govern app-based transportation operators like Ola, Uber, and Rapido. The policy has been drafted according to a Supreme Court directive and suggestions by a high-level panel led by retired IAS officer Sudhir Kumar Srivastava. As per the new regulations, the aggregators will have to obtain proper licences and adhere to various safety and technical requirements that include real-time GPS tracking of vehicles, emergency contact integration, background checks for drivers, passenger and driver insurance, and having an efficient grievance redressal mechanism. Aggregator apps and websites also have to comply with cyber security standards under the Information Technology Act, 2000. Significantly, the policy has a dedicated provision for women passengers who prefer ride-pooling — they can opt for women-only modes of travel, both in the form of drivers and fellow-travelers. A comprehensive rulebook for enforcement of the policy will be issued separately so that app-based mobility services are subject to a system that protects commuter interests while fostering urban mobility innovation. This policy applies to all app-based transport aggregators which function mainly in the urban areas. Taken together, the EV Policy 2025 and the aggregator policy reflect the state government's efforts towards cleaner, safer, and smarter transportation solutions.
