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State-by-state charging subsidies, PM E-DRIVE support and an application-readiness checklist, with a source for every figure, are in our 2026 reference.
Get the EV Charger Subsidy Tables 2026 →EV charger government policies in India span central-government schemes, Ministry of Power (MoP) guidelines, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) technical standards, and state EV policies. Understanding this policy stack is essential for anyone deploying EV charging infrastructure — from fleet operators and commercial property managers to charge point operators (CPOs). This article covers PM E-DRIVE and the schemes it replaced, the PLI scheme for advanced batteries, MoP charging guidelines, and state-wise EV policies with their incentive structures.
Central-Government Schemes
PM E-DRIVE (Replacing FAME II)
FAME II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles Phase II) ended in March 2024. It was followed by the Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme (EMPS) in 2024 and then PM E-DRIVE, which has since been extended to 31 March 2028. For charging, PM E-DRIVE's guidelines of September 2025 fund about 72,300 public chargers: up to 100% of cost on government premises open to the public, and 80% of upstream infrastructure plus 70% of equipment at railway stations, airports, bus terminals and public parking. The current figures, with sources, are in our EV policy guide.
PLI for ACC Batteries
The Production Linked Incentive scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) batteries allocates ₹18,100 crore to build 50 GWh of domestic battery manufacturing capacity. The programme underpins the long-term economics of EV adoption by lowering battery cost — which in turn drives charging infrastructure demand.
PLI for Auto and Auto Components
The PLI scheme for the auto sector supports domestic manufacturing of advanced automotive technology including EV powertrains and charging equipment, with sales-linked incentives payable to manufacturers meeting domestic-value-add thresholds.
Ministry of Power EV Charging Guidelines
The MoP EV charging guidelines, first issued in 2018 and revised most recently in 2024, form the operating rulebook for public charging in India:
- De-licensed activity — operating a public charging station does not require a separate electricity distribution licence.
- Minimum infrastructure — each public charging station must include at least one of each connector type (CCS2, CHAdeMO, Type 2 AC), with minimum power levels specified.
- Open access — any EV user can access any public station, with interoperable payment and identification systems.
- Service tariff regulation — the 2024 guidelines cap service charges at ₹3.00/₹4.00 per unit for AC and ₹11.00/₹13.00 per unit for DC charging (solar/non-solar hours) until 31 March 2028, and cap the electricity tariff at the Average Cost of Supply.
- Density targets — at least one charging station in every 1 km × 1 km grid in urban areas by FY2030, and every 20 km on both sides of highways.
For a technical overview of connector types and charger specifications, see the blog post on EV charging levels. For complete MoP-compliant charger product range, visit the Tech OVN EV chargers page.
BIS Standards for EV Chargers
Indian Standard IS 17017 (adapted from IEC 61851) defines conductive charging systems for EVs. Key parts:
- IS 17017-1 — general requirements
- IS 17017-2-1 — AC charging station requirements (covers Type 2, Bharat AC-001)
- IS 17017-23 — DC charging station requirements (covers CCS2, CHAdeMO, Bharat DC-001)
- IS 17017-25 — DC wallboxes for home charging
State EV Policies
State governments have published their own EV policies, typically layering on top of central schemes with additional subsidies and process simplifications:
- Delhi — the Delhi EV Policy 2026 (to March 2030) has no per-charger subsidy; the ₹6,000 home-charger grant ended with the 2020 policy. Every EV dealer must now host a public charging station.
- Uttar Pradesh — 20% of capital cost, up to ₹10 lakh, for the first 2,000 public stations costing at least ₹25 lakh.
- Karnataka — the Clean Mobility Policy 2025-30 offers 25% capital subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh, for the first 500 fast-charging stations.
- Tamil Nadu — public stations get 75% off demand charges for two years and half-price energy between 08:00 and 16:00.
- Haryana — 20% of capital cost, up to ₹5 lakh, for public stations, but only outside FAME and successor-scheme cities.
- Gujarat — the 2021 policy has expired and a new one has not been notified.
Each state, with its conditions and the policy document behind every figure, is covered in the state-by-state EV policy guide.
How This Affects a Charge Point Operator
For a business planning to operate public charging stations, the policy stack translates into:
- No distribution licence required — register as a CPO with the DISCOM.
- Procure BIS-certified chargers meeting IS 17017 and MoP guidelines on connector types.
- Apply for a state capital subsidy where one is in force — see the EV charger subsidy tables.
- Obtain EV-tariff category connection from the DISCOM (or procure via open access for larger deployments).
- Install compliant metering infrastructure — the charging station must separately meter energy delivered to EVs for billing and compliance. Tech OVN's EV charging metering solution covers this.
- Register on the EV payment interoperability platform (where mandated by the state).
Outlook 2026 and Beyond
The policy direction is consolidation: PM E-DRIVE has replaced FAME and EMPS and runs to March 2028, the Ministry of Power tariff and service-charge caps run to the same date, and states are shifting from per-charger grants towards mandates — Delhi requires every EV dealer to host a public station, and Maharashtra requires EV-ready parking in new buildings.