The city is set to receive a significant boost in green public transport with the allocation of 4,500 electric buses under the Union government’s PM e-Drive scheme.
The development follows a nationwide tender floated by the Centre-owned Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), which falls under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model as per the Ministry of Heavy Industries guidelines.
The CESL tender, issued last month, aims to procure, operate, and maintain 10,900 electric buses across five major cities, with Bengaluru alone slated to receive the largest share. The tender also covers the development of supporting infrastructure such as charging stations and related civil works.
The Karnataka government had submitted a formal proposal in May, seeking the inclusion of the State in the Centrally sponsored scheme.
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy had personally submitted the request to Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, highlighting the urgent need to improve public transport in urban areas like Bengaluru.
Responding to the State’s request, Mr. Kumaraswamy had earlier assured that Karnataka would “definitely” be allocated buses under the scheme.
The PM e-Drive initiative, with a budget outlay of ₹10,900 crore, aims to deploy 14,028 electric buses across nine major Indian cities between April 2024 and March 2026.
Discussions between the Centre and participating State governments are ongoing to finalise plans for the necessary infrastructure, including bus depots, charging points, and maintenance facilities.
In September 2024, the Union Cabinet approved a scheme with a total outlay of ₹10,900 crore to support the procurement of electric buses and the installation of over 72,000 charging stations across cities and highways, aiming to reduce “range anxiety” among electric vehicle users.
The scheme will allocate a total of ₹4,391 crore for the procurement of 14,028 electric buses by State transport undertakings in nine cities with population exceeding 40 lakh, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Bengaluru, Pune, and Hyderabad.
