Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday chaired a meeting to advance the rollout of electric buses under the PM e-Drive Scheme. The initiative is set to transform urban transit in key cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Surat.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries announced that approximately 4,500 electric buses will be allocated to Bengaluru, 2,000 to Hyderabad, 2,800 to Delhi, 1,000 to Ahmedabad, and 600 to Surat in the current phase of the scheme. This ambitious deployment underscores India’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and modernizing its public transport infrastructure.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister Kumaraswamy emphasized the transformative impact of the initiative. “Thanks to the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, India is taking bold strides toward sustainable urban mobility,” he said. “From Bengaluru to Delhi, cities are actively embracing electric buses to make public transport cleaner, smarter, and more efficient.”
The PM e-Drive Scheme, launched with a financial outlay of ₹10,900 crore, aims to deploy 14,028 electric buses across India over two years, from April 2024 to March 2026. Described as one of the world’s largest national efforts to electrify public transport, the initiative reflects strong Centre–State collaboration, particularly with states like Telangana, Karnataka, Delhi, and Gujarat.
“We are not merely allocating electric buses—we are shaping the future of India’s transport system with innovation and environmental consciousness,” Kumaraswamy added, highlighting the scheme’s focus on timely delivery, operational readiness, and strategic partnerships.