HERE-SBD EV Index 2026: Telangana Leads India in EV Readiness as Charging Network Expands Rapidly

HERE Technologies, a mapping and location data company, and SBD Automotive, an automotive research firm, have recently released the findings from the India edition of the HERE-SBD EV Index 2026.

Now in its third consecutive year in India, the index reveals an EV market entering a new phase of maturity. Consumer demand continues to strengthen, charging infrastructure is expanding at unprecedented speed and EVs are increasingly becoming a mainstream mobility choice for drivers in India.

The HERE-SBD EV Index 2026 has identified Telangana as the top-ranked Indian state for EV readiness, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, and Haryana and Rajasthan, which jointly secured fourth place. Telangana made the biggest leap, rising from 25th in 2025 to first this year, supported by improvements in charging infrastructure and the availability of complete EV fleet data. Andhra Pradesh climbed from 13th to second after recording improvements across all four Index metrics. Chandigarh, which topped the 2025 ranking, slipped to third despite improving its underlying performance, as other states progressed faster. Rajasthan also entered the top tier, moving from 11th to fourth, while Delhi recorded one of the steepest declines, falling from fourth to 17th as its improvements in EV infrastructure and adoption lagged behind those of other states.

The 2026 index highlights significant progress in India's charging ecosystem. Since last year’s Index, more than 31,500 public charge points have been added across India, representing more than a fourfold increase in annual charger deployments recorded during the previous cycle. Total charging power capacity increased by 1.65 GW, while average charger power rose from 32 kW to 45 kW, reflecting growing investment in higher-powered charging infrastructure.

India's charging network continues to expand rapidly to support future EV demand. However, the charging experience remains a concern for many drivers, suggesting that reliability and accessibility will become increasingly important as the market matures.

The consumer survey shows India remains one of the most optimistic EV markets among those surveyed. Nearly nine in ten respondents (87 percent) say they are more likely to consider purchasing an EV than they were a year ago. Rising fuel costs remain the strongest driver of increased EV interest, cited by 46 percent of respondents, while improvements in EV range and charging speed are each cited by 36 percent. If vehicle price and specifications were equal, 61 percent of respondents say they would choose an EV over an internal combustion engine vehicle.

Consumer confidence in India's charging future also remains high. The survey finds that 87 percent of respondents are confident the country can develop the charging infrastructure required to support growing EV adoption. Perceptions of local charging availability improved from 57 percent in 2025 to 62 percent in 2026.

Despite growing optimism and significant infrastructure investments, charging reliability continues to be a major concern among Indian consumers. Limited charging infrastructure remains the leading barrier to EV adoption, cited by 46 percent of respondents.

Concerns about driving range (36 percent) and charging costs (30 percent) also remain significant. Among current EV owners, 83 percent report avoiding trips due to charging concerns, while 77 percent say they have encountered faulty charging stations that prevented them from charging.

These findings suggest that India's next phase of EV growth will depend not only on adding charging infrastructure, but also on ensuring chargers are reliable, accessible and capable of meeting growing consumer demand.

Abhijit Sengupta, General Manager for India and Southeast Asia at HERE Technologies, said, "India's EV ecosystem is evolving rapidly. Consumer confidence continues to grow, charging infrastructure deployment is accelerating and several states are demonstrating strong progress in building the foundations for electric mobility. More than 31,500 chargers were added in the past year alone, underscoring the momentum across the industry. As adoption accelerates, the focus must increasingly shift from simply expanding infrastructure to ensuring drivers can confidently discover, access and use charging infrastructure whenever they need it."

Robert Fisher, Senior Consulting Manager at SBD Automotive, said, "India continues to stand out as one of the most optimistic EV markets globally. The rapid growth in charging infrastructure is encouraging, but consumer feedback shows that reliability remains a key challenge. The next stage of market maturity will require balancing infrastructure scale with infrastructure quality, ensuring the charging experience keeps pace with the growing number of EVs on the road."

The HERE-SBD EV Index 2026 assesses EV readiness across Indian states and union territories using four key metrics, each carrying a maximum score of 25, for a total possible score of 100. These metrics measure public chargers relative to road length, the average power capability of charging infrastructure, the share of EVs in the overall vehicle fleet, and the ratio of EVs to public charging infrastructure, indicating the likelihood of finding an available charger. 

The index combines two analyses: EV maturity rankings, covering 50 US states and Washington, D.C., 30 European countries, 34 Indian states and union territories, and eight Australian states and territories; and a consumer survey of more than 4,000 drivers across the US, Europe, India and Australia, examining EV perceptions, purchase motivations, ownership experiences and charging infrastructure readiness.