Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, on Tuesday, announced the approval of ₹123.26 crore to set up 1,243 electric vehicle chargers in Karnataka.

Speaking at a national conference on ‘Enabling Nationwide EV Charging Infrastructure under PM E-DRIVE Scheme’ organised in the city, he said, to date, proposals worth ₹503.86 crore have been approved, to facilitate the installation of 4,874 EV chargers in various States through Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) such as HPCL, IOCL, and BPCL.

According to the Minister, to promote EV adoption in the country, the Centre is committed to building a modern and reliable electric vehicle (EV) charging ecosystem to support the country’s transition to clean mobility. The government has implemented several key initiatives, including the PLI Auto Scheme with an outlay of ₹25,938 crore, PLI ACC Scheme (₹18,100 crore), Payment Security Mechanism (₹3,435 crore), and the Rare Earth Magnets Scheme (₹7,280 crore), Mr. Kumaraswamy added.

He further said the PM E-DRIVE Scheme offered comprehensive support for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses, ambulances, and electric trucks. The scheme has a total financial outlay of ₹10,900 crore, with ₹2,000 crore specifically earmarked for the development of public EV charging infrastructure across the country.

Under this scheme, the government has a mandate to provide incentives for approximately 24.79 lakh electric two-wheelers and 3.16 lakh electric three-wheelers. Additionally, the scheme is designed to provide substantial financial support amounting to ₹4,391 crore for the deployment of more than 14,028 electric buses.

Speaking at the conference, Hanif Qureshi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, emphasised that seamless coordination between the Union and State governments, as well as industry stakeholders, was essential for building an efficient and robust charging ecosystem. He also urged banks to lend to small enterprises and entrepreneurs. “The banks are not willing to lend to small enterprises; their interest rates are 2-3% higher while lending to smaller entrepreneurs,” he pointed out.

Panellists, including Pradeep Goyal, executive director at BPCL, Atanu Mandal, executive director at IOCL, Debashish Basak, executive director at HPCL, Ravi Mittal, director at MG JSW, and Omkar Shaligram, general manager at Tata Motors, delved into their experiences, the challenges they faced, and the strategies they adopted while starting in the EV space.

“When we think of EV charging, we mostly think of public entities, but data shows 90% of EV charging is done by private entities. We must ensure that people have the facility to charge if we want to achieve a 50% EV fleet. We must address both public and private charging,” emphasised Mr. Shaligram.

The conference, which aimed at a deep dive into the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, its implementation, and India’s goal of zero carbon emissions, was attended by industry representatives from Telangana, Kerala, Odisha, and Karnataka.

“The conference has highlighted where India stands with its EV charging ecosystem and where it needs improvement,” opined Arun K., an attendee.