PM e-Drive to Roll Out Over 10,000 Electric Buses Across 5 Major Cities

In a significant boost to India’s electric mobility mission, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy, recently chaired a key meeting to review the rollout of electric buses under the PM e-Drive Scheme.

The meeting focused on key urban centres including Telangana, Karnataka, Delhi, and Gujarat, marking an important milestone in the implementation of Prime Minister Modi's vision for clean and sustainable urban transport.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries has confirmed the allocation of approximately 4,500 electric buses to Bengaluru, 2,000 to Hyderabad, 2,800 to Delhi, 1,000 to Ahmedabad, and 600 to Surat. These deployments are part of the current phase of the PM e-Drive Scheme, which aims to significantly reduce urban pollution while modernising the public transport system.

Union Minister Kumaraswamy highlighted the Centre’s commitment to environmentally responsible urban development. “Thanks to the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, India is now 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," he noted.

He added that this effort goes beyond just distribution. “We are not merely allocating electric buses; we are shaping the future of India’s transport system with innovation and environmental consciousness,” Kumaraswamy said, underlining the importance of Centre–State coordination to ensure the success of the initiative.

The PM e-Drive initiative aims to deploy a total of 14,028 electric buses across India with a financial outlay of INR 10,900 crore over two years, from April 2024 to March 2026.

It stands as one of the world’s most ambitious national-level programmes to electrify public transportation. The Ministry of Heavy Industries has reaffirmed its commitment to timely delivery, operational efficiency, and strong partnerships with all participating states.