Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy chaired a meeting Thursday on the rollout of electric buses under the PM E-Drive scheme, with approximately 10,900 electric buses to be allocated to major cities across four states as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clean urban transport initiative, according to the Press Information Bureau.
The session focused on deployment across Telangana, Karnataka, Delhi, and Gujarat, marking progress in the government's sustainable urban mobility objectives. Following detailed deliberations, the Ministry of Heavy Industries confirmed that approximately 4,500 electric buses will be provided to Bengaluru, 2,000 to Hyderabad, 2,800 to Delhi, 1,000 to Ahmedabad, and 600 to Surat under the current phase.
The PM E-Drive initiative aims to deploy 14,028 electric buses with a total financial outlay of ₹10,900 crore over a two-year period from April 2024 to March 2026. The scheme represents one of the world's largest national efforts to electrify public transport at scale.
"Thanks to the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, India is now taking bold strides toward sustainable urban mobility," said Kumaraswamy. "From Bengaluru to Delhi, cities are actively embracing electric buses to make public transport cleaner, smarter, and more efficient."
The Union Minister emphasized the transformative nature of the initiative, stating, "We are not merely allocating electric buses—we are shaping the future of India's transport system with innovation and environmental consciousness. With close coordination between the Centre and states like Telangana, Karnataka, Delhi, and Gujarat, we are determined to deliver on the PM e-Drive promise."