



India accelerates e-bus drive amid fuel risks, new 3k unit tender by June
New Delhi: India plans to float a fresh tender for over 3,000 electric buses by June, according to people aware of the development. This is set to be launched just six months after closing of the country's largest e-bus tender for over 10,000 units.The move aims to sharpen the country's push to electrify public transport and reduce fuel dependence, as oil supply risks from the West Asia war continue to weigh on costs.According to two executives in the know, the tender will be rolled out under the PM e-bus seva scheme, which aims to subsidize purchase of 10,000 e-buses across the country.
For the government, the tender will take the number of e-buses tendered in the last one year to nearly 20,000 units.
Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a government-backed firm that manages the e-bus tenders, confirmed to Mint that the tender will be rolled out in the next two to three months.“Final numbers will be confirmed by MoHUA (ministry of housing and urban affairs) after the elections and the model code of conduct in the states is over,” a CESL spokesperson said in an emailed statement.Assam, Keralam, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are among the poll-bound states in April-May this year.One of the executives mentioned above added that the number of e-buses to be tendered can be in the range of 3,000-3,700. The last tender under the PM e-bus sewa scheme was launched in 2024.India's electric bus push has been gaining momentum as the government's subsidy focus largely shifts towards electric buses and trucks from two- and three-wheelers.India is looking to find alternative sources of energy as fossil fuel supplies are being disrupted due to the ongoing US-Iran war.