The Government of India has introduced several measures to enhance electric vehicle (EV) safety standards, address battery fire concerns, and support the widespread adoption of clean mobility. These include rigorous testing protocols, enhanced technical regulations, and targeted financial incentives for EV adoption.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), through multiple notifications, has mandated Construction and Functional Safety requirements for electric powertrain vehicles under AIS-038 (Rev. 1)/2015. Updates notified via S.O. 4567(E) on 28 September 2022 introduced revised Automotive Industry Standards (AIS-156 and AIS-038 Rev. 2), which came into effect from 1 December 2022, with some provisions effective from 31 March 2023. These enhanced the technical safety requirements for EV batteries and their components.

Additionally, MoRTH issued G.S.R. 888(E) on 19 December 2022, mandating Conformity of Production (COP) standards across all categories of EVs, including quadricycles, e-rickshaws, and two- and four-wheelers. Another notification (G.S.R. 721(E), dated 21 November 2024) requires that construction equipment vehicles with electric powertrains comply with AIS-174, pending notification of equivalent BIS standards.

To support demand and safety enhancement, the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) implemented the Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme (EMPS) 2024 from 1 April to 30 September 2024, with a total outlay of Rs 7.78 billion. This followed the earlier FAME-II scheme, which ran from 2019 to March 2024.

Subsequently, MHI launched the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme on 29 September 2024, with an allocation of Rs 109 billion, running up to 31 March 2026. The scheme offers demand incentives for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, e-trucks and e-ambulances, along with grants for e-buses, charging station infrastructure, and modernisation of testing agencies. EMPS 2024 has now been subsumed under this broader initiative.

This update was shared by Minister of State for Heavy Industries & Steel, Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha