BHEL Set to Lead National EV Charging Infrastructure Rollout and Demand Mapping

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), a public sector unit under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, is under consideration to become the nodal agency for gauging and aggregating demand for electric vehicle (EV) chargers across India. The company will also develop a dedicated application to streamline EV charging infrastructure, the Ministry of Heavy Industries announced on Wednesday.

The upcoming app will provide real-time slot booking, payment integration, live charger availability status, and dashboards to track national deployment under the PM E-Drive scheme.

Under this flagship scheme, the government targets the installation of 72,000 public EV chargers by the end of FY26, backed by an outlay of ₹2,000 crore. These chargers will be strategically deployed across 50 national highway corridors and key high-footfall locations, including metro cities, toll plazas, railway stations, airports, fuel outlets, and state highways.

Heavy Industries Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy held consultations with officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to expedite the implementation of this nationwide infrastructure push.

“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is on the path to becoming a global model for sustainable transport. The PM E-Drive scheme is a transformative initiative aimed at giving our citizens access to clean, affordable, and convenient mobility options. We are not just building infrastructure; we are building the foundation for energy security and green economic growth,” Kumaraswamy said.

He emphasised that the clean energy transition depends on collaborative federalism. “This meeting reflects our commitment to working as one government. Ministries, public sector enterprises, and states are all aligned to deliver results on the ground. We are confident that PM E-Drive will catalyse new industries, generate green jobs, and offer seamless electric mobility to every Indian,” he added.

As of April 1, there were 26,367 public EV charging stations across India, according to data from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), cited in a Rajya Sabha disclosure on April 4. Between January and March 2025 alone, 1,165 new charging stations were added.

Expanding EV charging infrastructure is central to reducing “range anxiety,” a major hurdle in EV adoption, which refers to the fear of running out of charge without access to a nearby station. To address this, the government is also exploring revisions to the cost structures of setting up EV public chargers due to recent volatility in raw material and component prices.

Also Read: Jaipur Metro Phase-2 DPR Approved by Rajasthan CM, Sent for Central Approval

The PM E-Drive scheme also focuses on electrifying public and commercial transport. Nearly 40% of the total ₹10,900 crore scheme outlay is dedicated to incentivising electric buses, while ₹500 crore is allocated for electric trucks. The scheme mandates manufacturers to sell EVs at subsidised prices, with the government reimbursing the difference—similar to the model followed under the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) schemes, which operated from FY15 to FY24.

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