India's EV penetration surges, but charging stations lag: What data shows

India's EV penetration has risen more than 11-fold since FY20, but the country has just 52,718 public charging stations for over 10 million registered electric vehicles

India's electric vehicle (EV) adoption has grown more than 11-fold over the past six years, with the number of registered EVs crossing the 10 million mark for the first time. However, public charging infrastructure has not expanded at the same pace, with the country having just 52,718 public EV charging stations.

 

In a written reply to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that as of July 26, 2026, India had 10,023,396 registered EVs across all vehicle categories. In comparison, there were 52,718 public EV charging stations across the country as of March 31, 2026, translating to roughly one public charging station for every 190 EVs.

   

The figures are based on VAHAN data and information available on the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) portal.

 

How fast is EV adoption growing in India?

 

India's EV penetration has increased from 0.71 per cent in FY20 to 8.26 per cent in FY26, marking an over 11-fold rise in six years. The total number of registered EVs has now crossed 10 million for all vehicle categories.

 

According to Gadkari, the increasing adoption of EVs has been driven by their lower operating costs and zero tailpipe emissions compared with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Policy support from the Centre and growing consumer acceptance have also contributed to the steady rise in EV registrations.

 

Is India's charging infrastructure keeping pace?

 

While EV registrations have surged, public charging infrastructure has expanded at a much slower pace. 

 

The minister did not cite any specific reasons for the relatively low number of charging stations. However, he noted that private entities are free to establish EV charging infrastructure in accordance with the Ministry of Power's Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure-2024.

 

What is the government doing to expand EV charging infrastructure?

 

Gadkari said the government is supporting the expansion of charging infrastructure through multiple schemes.

 

Under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME-II) scheme, the government has allocated ₹912.50 crore for setting up public EV charging stations across the country. In addition, ₹2,000 crore has been earmarked under the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme for deploying public EV charging stations on a pan-India basis, including along national and state highways.

 

According to the minister, the Ministry of Heavy Industries is actively promoting the establishment of EV charging stations under both schemes to ensure charging infrastructure keeps pace with the rapid growth in EV adoption.

 

What do the EV charging guidelines say?

 

The Ministry of Power issued the Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure-2024 in September 2024 to create a connected and interoperable charging network across the country.

 

The guidelines allow any individual or entity to establish EV charging stations as an unlicensed activity. Distribution companies (DISCOMs) are required to provide electricity connections within three days in metropolitan cities, seven days in municipal areas and 15 days in rural areas.

 

Charging station owners can also opt for Low Tension (LT) electricity connections for loads of up to 150 kW. To encourage daytime charging, electricity tariffs have been fixed at 0.7 times the Average Cost of Supply (ACoS) during solar hours and 1.3 times during non-solar hours.

 

Government planning to improve EV charging infrastructure on highways

 

Further outlining the government's plans, Gadkari said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), through National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), plans to develop wayside amenities at intervals of around 40-60 kilometres along national highways and expressways.

 

These facilities will provide public amenities such as EV charging stations, fuel stations, eateries, toilets, drinking water, parking spaces and short-term accommodation for road users and truckers.

 

The government has already begun rolling out such infrastructure in some states. Under the FAME-II scheme, for instance, 117 public EV charging stations were sanctioned for Assam, of which 88 were operational as of July 1, 2026. In addition, three wayside amenity sites equipped with EV charging facilities are currently operational in the state.