Electric car charging center in Cubbon Park, Bangalore. |Photo source: Sudhakara Jain
According to the Energy Efficiency Bureau, Karnataka has become the leader in Indian electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, with the largest number of public charging stations in the Tier-1 city.
The state has 5,880 public charging points, of which 4,626 are concentrated in the first-class cities in Bengaluru. This puts Karnataka ahead of other major states such as Maharashtra, which has 2,454 stations while Delhi and Delhi have 1,951, all of which have been established in the past five years.
Although the capital accounts for the majority of infrastructure, Karnataka’s EV footprint is expanding into the metropolitan area. Data shows that Level 2 cities in the state now have 285 public charging stations, while Tier-3 towns collectively have 969 sites.
Environmental issues
State Department of Energy officials attributed this success to environmental issues and policy vision.
“Rising fuel prices and worsening urban air quality have pushed electric mobility to the forefront. Karnataka is the first state in India to introduce EV policies in 2017, which lays the foundation for progress today,” an official said.
At the time of policy introduction, Karnataka’s annual EV registrations were about 11,000 units.
The expansion of charging infrastructure is provided by a combination of funding mechanisms, including the central government’s reputation (faster adoption and manufacturing of hybrid and electric vehicles), investments from the Bangalore Electric Power Supply Company (BESCOM), green CESS revenue from the Ministry of Transport and several public partnerships.
Government Initiative
To further advance the state’s electric mobility mission, the Karnataka government announced several forward-looking initiatives in the 2025-26 state budget proposed on March 7. These plans include plans to establish cutting-edge electric vehicle testing tracks, as well as the establishment of dedicated EV manufacturing and research clusters in the Bangalore region. The government’s investment target is Rs 5,000 crore, with the aim of creating 100,000 jobs in the cleaning industry.
A senior official from the Ministry of Transport revealed that Karnataka will deploy 14,750 electric buses under programs such as PM E-Drive, PM-Ebus Sewa and various external ancillary projects as part of its strategy to electrify public transport. “Of course, 9,000 of them will be introduced to the fleet of Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). In the current fiscal year alone, the state has introduced 716 electric buses on its roads.”
To encourage the adoption of electric vehicles at the community level, the government has launched a program to provide financial assistance to the unemployed in backward communities. Qualified beneficiaries can receive up to Rs 3 lakh to help purchase electric quad bikes. “This initiative aims to address employment and environmental issues by supporting clean mobility solutions,” the official said.
Reasons for success
Transport experts say the state’s early and aggressive policy decisions are the cause of current success.
“Karnataka’s EV policy for 2017 was a good move. The number of charging stations in Bengaluru alone shows how infrastructure builds consumer trust. But now, it’s time to focus on enhancing interoperability, standardizing pricing, and providing real-time availability data to improve the user experience to improve the user experience,” MN Srihari, Transportation Expert.
Mr. Srihari has added extended charging infrastructure to Level 2 and 3 cities and national highways, which must be the next priority. “To make electric cars truly mainstream, charging stations need to be as easy to find as gasoline pumps. Only then will consumers feel confident enough to switch,” he said.
Bee data shows that India now has 26,367 public charging stations. However, the data also highlights distinct regional differences, with many states lagging behind in infrastructure outside major cities.
publishing – April 10, 2025 at 12:28 pm IST
