Now Reading: Bescom launches PM E-DRIVE portal for private EV charging operators
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Bescom launches PM E-DRIVE portal for private EV charging operators
Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (Bescom) has rolled out the PM E-DRIVE portal for private Charge Point Operators (CPOs) to set up public EV charging stations under Category-C of the central scheme.…
The Story in Brief
Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (Bescom) has rolled out the PM E-DRIVE portal for private Charge Point Operators (CPOs) to set up public EV charging stations under Category-C of the central scheme. The Ministry of Heavy Industries scheme has a total outlay of ₹10,900 crore, with ₹2,000 crore allocated for public EV charging stations nationwide until March 2028. Bescom, the state nodal agency, will handle government-owned locations, while private CPOs must apply via a two-stage Expression of Interest process on the dedicated portal.
Eligible operators can submit proposals after verification of technical capability and experience. Bescom will aggregate proposals and send them to the ministry for approval, processing up to 800 Category-C locations on a first-come-first-served basis. Standardised charging configurations for urban and highway sites aim to simplify the subsidy assessment, a Bescom official said.
The Indian Opinion
The PM E-DRIVE scheme's ₹2,000 crore for public EV stations looks ambitious, but execution has always been the real test for central schemes. Karnataka's first-come-first-served model for 800 private charging points may favour big operators over smaller players. The question is whether the portal's two-stage verification will actually speed up approvals or add another bureaucratic layer. Watch how many stations go live by March 2028.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
