Electric vehicles (EVs) offer a cleaner and increasingly cost-effective alternative to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. Their contribution to India’s net zero by 2070 goals is expected to be significant. According to modelling estimates by the World Resources Institute, transport electrification could contribute 16.66-48.7 per cent to the total required emissions reduction, depending on the extent of modal shifts and reliance on road-based freight and private transport. This will require the rapid deployment of charging infrastructure. The adoption of EVs in India has accelerated in recent years, with a total of 1.95 million EVs sold in 2024. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, this accounted for 7.44 per cent of all vehicles registered that year. As EV adoption accelerates, it becomes important to integrate charging infrastructure with the current distribution network, the burden of which falls on discoms.
Against this backdrop, developing an EV charging ecosystem and facilitating distribution of the growing demand by discoms are set to take centre stage in India to meet the rising EV demand. As of March 2025, the total number of public EV charging stations is 26,367. Of this, Karnataka boasts the largest number of stations at 5,879, followed by Maharashtra at 3,842 and Uttar Pradesh at 2,113.
Policy and regulatory focus
The central government has introduced a series of policy interventions and financial support mechanisms. In September 2024, the Ministry of Power (MoP) issued the revised Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure to simplify approvals and promote rationalised tariffs across state and city jurisdictions. The guidelines enable fast-track clearances for public charging stations and the inclusion of charging infrastructure in urban planning.
In January 2025, the MoP issued the “Guidelines for Battery Swapping and Charging Stations”, outlining minimum standards for battery interchangeability, charging point location coordination and interoperability across multiple operators.
These regulatory measures are reinforced by significant budgetary support under the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme. The PM E-DRIVE scheme has a total outlay of Rs 109 billion, to be implemented from October 1, 2024 to March 31, 2026. The scheme provides support for the installation of 72,000 public charging stations through an allocation of Rs 20 billion.
Furthermore, the 2025-26 Union Budget announced the decision to expand import duty exemptions to cover 35 categories of capital goods essential for battery production, such as cobalt and lithium-ion battery scrap. This move will likely improve the cost economics for domestic manufacturers under the advanced chemistry cell production-linked incentive scheme and reduce supply chain dependence on imports.
Roles of discoms and regulatory bodies
As noted in the “Handbook of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Implementation” by NITI Aayog, the expansion of EV charging infrastructure is expected to qualify for its recognition as a distinct consumer. This will place a new type of demand on India’s electricity distribution network, which will require discoms to play a key role in ensuring grid connectivity and reliability. Discoms could institutionalise regulatory measures, such as EV tariff categories, and establish clear standard operating procedures. This will enable them to strengthen their ability to plan and deliver connections for charging stations. They are well positioned to streamline processes to support efficient deployment. The handbook proposes that state electricity regulatory commissions should mandate discoms to provide public-facing application guidelines and enable a single-window system for EV connections. They should also conduct technical pre-feasibility checks to help charge point operators (CPOs) understand the sanctioned load availability. Additionally, there must be guidelines for private EV users to ensure broader access to EV-specific tariffs and incentive programmes. Discoms are also advised to establish internal e-mobility cells dedicated to handling queries, processing applications and conducting site visits for EV infrastructure.
Technology trends
According to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India’s EV charging specifications are aligned with international protocols developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which ensures global compatibility and ease of trade. A major focus has been the push for interoperability across equipment and operators. To enable this, initiatives such as the Bharat Charge Alliance (which is a collaboration with the CHAdeMO Association) have been launched to develop better protocols and promote multi-brand compatibility. The alliance aims to adopt BIS-published specifications such as IS 17017-25 (based on IEC 61851-25) and IS 17017-2-6 (IEC 62196-6) for charging connectors and inlets. On the technology front, fast charging capabilities are rapidly evolving. Most EVs today operate on 400 V battery systems, which can take up to 10 hours to fully charge using AC home chargers. However, the latest superchargers can deliver 80 per cent charge in just 20-40 minutes. Additionally, ultra-fast 800 V systems (expected in EV models post-2025) can achieve the same charge percentage in under 10 minutes.
Emerging technologies, such as quantum charging, wireless charging pads and solar-powered charging stations, are being piloted in Indian cities such as Delhi and Mumbai. Software also plays a critical role in charging operations. Most public chargers are now linked to mobile apps that enable real-time station discovery, pricing visibility, remote reservation and digital payments. On the back end, these platforms support load balancing, predictive maintenance and integration with renewable energy sources, which is enabling the emergence of a smart charging network.
Challenges and bottlenecks
Despite the policy support and an overall positive market outlook, the deployment of EV charging infrastructure in India still faces several operational and structural challenges. One of the key concerns is the impact of clustered and high-capacity charging loads on local grid stability. The sudden draw of power from multiple chargers during evening peaks can lead to voltage dips, harmonics and transformer overloading in low voltage systems. These effects are compounded by the high resistance-to-reactance ratios typical of distribution lines, which will make the network more susceptible to voltage instability.
According to industry estimates, the national roll-out of around 2 million charging points could add an incremental demand of 40,000-50,000 MW, putting a significant burden on existing infrastructure. Another challenge is the lack of coordination across departments. There is a lack of integrated planning between discoms, urban planning authorities and private developers, which results in delays in load sanctioning, transformer siting and service connection approvals.
Finally, land availability remains one of the most pressing obstacles. Many CPOs do not own the sites they wish to develop and are forced to negotiate with public authorities, private landlords or parking contractors. Furthermore, the high cost of urban land discourages investment in premium locations. Municipal- and metro-operated parking lots often lease space at market-linked rates, which makes it financially unviable for early-stage CPOs to operate without assured footfalls or demand.
Future outlook
India stands at a critical juncture, with EVs emerging as a key component in achieving national energy security, enabling air quality improvement and advancing climate goals. While adoption has gained momentum in the two- and three-wheeler segments, the long-term success of electric mobility will depend on how efficiently and equitably the EV charging ecosystem is scaled up across the country.
According to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency guidelines, public fast chargers must be available within 1×1 square km in urban areas and at 20 km intervals on highways. Achieving this density will require not only more capital investment, but also coordinated efforts between central ministries, state transport departments, discoms and private operators.
Discoms, in particular, will need to evolve from power suppliers to playing an active role in shaping urban charging strategies and enabling grid compatibility. If planned and executed with foresight, EV infrastructure can move to a future-ready distribution network that serves both transport and energy sector priorities.
The way forward lies in integrating smart planning with smart technology. This includes co-locating chargers with solar rooftops or distributed generation systems to reduce grid stress, using time-of-day tariffs to incentivise off-peak charging and expanding support for vehicle-to-grid capabilities that can help balance local loads. Several cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, are already experimenting with wireless charging pads and solar-powered charging stations.
Public and private sector partnerships will be crucial in this journey. Public sector undertakings can help in land provisioning, grid infrastructure and standardisation, while private firms bring innovation and speed to this partnership. Ultimately, India’s success in building a world-class EV charging network will rest not only on financial incentives or regulatory clarity, but also on institutional coordination between multiple stakeholders and adaptability to adopt evolving technology.
Mohammed Ali Siddiqi
