New Delhi – If you’ve ever played the national sport of “Find the Charging Point Before Range Anxiety Kicks In,” here’s your relief: India is gearing up for an electrifying transformation—literally.
In a high-voltage inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Union Minister for Heavy Industries, H.D. Kumaraswamy, the government unveiled the next big leap in sustainable transport—a ₹2,000 crore allocation under the PM E-Drive scheme to establish 72,000 public EV charging stations across the country. Yes, 72,000—enough to finally stop asking petrol pump attendants, “Bhaiya, yahan charging hai kya?”
The mission is simple: turn India’s highways, airports, fuel outlets, and metro cities into a seamless, socket-filled utopia for EV users. Whether you’re road-tripping through Rajasthan or stuck in traffic on Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road, soon there will be a charger nearby and, hopefully, an Ola driver not using it as a parking spot.
To keep the entire ecosystem running smoother than a lithium-ion battery on a winter morning, BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited) is being considered as the nodal agency. Not only will they handle demand aggregation, but they’re also building what’s being dubbed a “super app” for EV users. It will let users book charging slots in real-time, make payments, track charger availability, and—because it’s 2025—possibly even order chai while waiting.
Speaking about the move, Minister Kumaraswamy said, “We are not just building infrastructure; we are building the foundation for energy security and green economic growth. Under PM Modi’s leadership, India is not plugging in late—we’re leading the global charge.”
The initiative is expected to jolt India’s transition towards net-zero mobility, boost local EV infrastructure manufacturing under Make in India, and—importantly—create a whole new industry of ‘charging station chaiwalas’.
So, while the world debates EV futures, India’s already drawing up blueprints, laying cables, and booking slots on its soon-to-be famous EV super app. The future’s not just electric. It’s socketed, supercharged, and proudly Made in India.
