The Indian government has stepped up efforts to expand Electric Vehicle Public Charging Stations (EVPCS) with substantial funding allocations. Under the FAME-II scheme, Rs 839 crore was designated for charging infrastructure, while an additional Rs 2,000 crore has been allocated under the PM E-DRIVE scheme to set up EV charging stations nationwide, including in urban and rural areas.

In September, 2024, the Ministry of Power issued the “Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure-2024”, emphasising public-private partnerships to accelerate EV adoption. Additionally, setting up an EV charging station has been designated a de-licensed activity, simplifying the process for businesses and investors. To support research and development (R&D) in electric mobility, the government has implemented various incentives: Engineering R&D and product design & development costs can be counted as part of eligible investment under the PLI ACC scheme.

Under the Capital Goods scheme of the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), up to 80 percent of the cost of R&D projects, including those related to EVs, is covered, with leading academic institutes like IITs and IISc housing these initiatives. The remaining 20 percent is funded by industry partners.

This information was provided by Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.