MSRTC to Replace Entire 22,000-Bus Fleet with Electric Vehicles by 2037

Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik informed the state Legislative Council on Monday that the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will convert its entire fleet of 22,000 buses to electric vehicles by 2037, as reported by The Indian Express. The announcement marks a significant shift in the state's public transport policy and positions Maharashtra as the first state in India to formally commit to a complete electrification of its government-run bus network.

Sarnaik stated that MSRTC currently operates 22,000 buses, of which 800 are already electric, and that the transition to a fully electric fleet will be carried out in a phased manner. The minister framed the 2037 target as an interim milestone toward a broader national objective, noting that it is the stated vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for India to transition entirely to electric mobility by 2047.

A Reversal of Procurement Strategy

Sarnaik confirmed that an earlier plan to procure 5,000 diesel buses annually over a five-year period has been overhauled, with all future fleet additions to be exclusively electric. He also said a scheme has been planned to convert existing diesel buses to EVs, addressing the challenge posed by the large number of diesel vehicles still in service. He noted that apart from the 8,000 diesel buses already in progress, no new diesel procurement will be initiated going forward.

The reversal reflects a broader recalibration of MSRTC's long-term fleet planning. Speaking separately at the Commercial Vehicle Forum 2025 in Pune, Sarnaik had outlined that ageing buses would be phased out gradually and replaced with new vehicles, with a target of growing the fleet to 25,000 buses by 2029, with every bus eventually electric.

Infrastructure and Energy Planning

On the infrastructure front, the government has proposed using solar energy to power charging stations, with the aim of reducing dependence on the conventional electricity grid and lowering operational costs.

In a related directive, MSRTC has ordered that all new retail fuel outlets set up on its land through public-private partnership arrangements must include EV charging stations alongside conventional fuel dispensers, as part of building out the necessary charging backbone across the state.

Policy Incentives and Toll Relief

As per the Maharashtra Electric Vehicle Policy 2025, a 100 per cent toll waiver is to be provided to EVs using the Atal Setu, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, and the Samruddhi Mahamarg. The state's EV policy also provides various monetary benefits for EV purchases, including tax exemptions and toll discounts, aimed at encouraging broader adoption of electric mobility across both private and public transport segments.

Execution Challenges Ahead

While the policy direction has been set, the pace of on-ground implementation remains a point of scrutiny. The corporation had set a target in November 2023 to procure 5,150 electric buses by 2025, but has delivered only around 600 electric buses — roughly 12 per cent of the original target — with that timeline now expired.

Some commuters have expressed frustration over delays even as the state targets a significant build-out of charging infrastructure in the coming years. Sarnaik acknowledged that the transition will require sustained effort, given that a large majority of the existing fleet continues to run on diesel.