Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad And Surat Among Key Beneficiaries As Centre Set To Deploy 14,028 E-Buses Under PM E-Drive Scheme

The central government has approved a financial outlay of Rs 10,900 crore under the PM e-Drive scheme, the Free Press Journal reported. 

This initiative aims to deploy 14,028 electric buses across India over two years from April 2024 to March 2026, marking a major push towards sustainable urban mobility.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries announced on Thursday (22 May) that under the current rollout phase, approximately 4,500 electric buses will be allotted to Bengaluru, 2,800 to Delhi, 2,000 to Hyderabad, 1,000 to Ahmedabad, and 600 to Surat.

The scheme also includes the allocation of Rs 500 crore each for the deployment of electric ambulances and electric trucks. The government aims to promote e-ambulances for more comfortable patient transport and to reduce emissions from commercial trucking.

The Ministry is also rolling out e-vouchers as part of the scheme to offer demand-side incentives to Electric Vehicles (EV) buyers.

“Thanks to the leadership of PM Modi, Indian cities are making bold advances in electric mobility. From Bengaluru to Delhi, electric buses are transforming public transport into a cleaner and smarter system,” Kumaraswamy said.

He added that the initiative is not just about deploying vehicles but about reshaping the future of India’s transportation landscape with a strong emphasis on environmental responsibility and innovation.

For e-truck buyers to avail of subsidies under the scheme, submission of a vehicle scrapping certificate, issued by a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)-approved registered vehicle scrapping facility (RVSF), will be mandatory.