EV Regns Drop Amid Subsidy Cuts And Charging Concerns

13 Jan 2025 CW Team

Katraj resident Vijaykumar Bhurke, who bought a two-wheeler from a popular brand, last year, was appalled when his bike failed to start in early Nov. "They took almost one-and-a-half months to fix the issue, causing me major hassles. I bought the bike for Rs 1.2 lakh. If my experience with the company went sour, why would I encourage my friends and acquaintances to opt for an electric vehicle," he asked.

Sachin Mahajan, state president of Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), told TOI that the biggest problem was due to the subsidy given to EVs. "In April 2024, the subsidy given to EVs by govt was reduced from Rs 55,000 to Rs 10,000. This resulted in the price of EVs shooting up. Between April and Aug, the EV market plummeted as dealers as well as customers were perplexed," Mahajan told.

Charging EVs was another issue that led to the drop, Mahajan said. Traffic jam and lack of infrastructure too have contributed.

"Too much traffic on the road is resulting in major traffic jams. I have heard from EV owners that they had to switch off the engine and AC and sit it out in the heat to avoid running out of charge. There is a serious lack of charging infrastructure. They are almost non-existent. While the Centre has schemes, they are not being implemented due to red tape," he added.

Sunil Chacco, president (L&D) of Joy e-bikes, blamed it on factors such as "after-sale service concerns" of certain brands and "negative publicity on social media about battery safety"

For the first time in three years, fewer electric vehicles were registered across the state in 2024, largely due to the sudden reduction of the subsidy for EVs, charging worries and after-sales service concerns of some brands. While the state saw a 20% drop in EV registrations in 2024 compared to 2023, the Pune Regional Transport Office recorded an over 32% drop, according to figures retrieved from the Vahan portal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. In the Pimpri Chinchwad RTO, registrations fell by more than 37% last year compared to 2023. Katraj resident Vijaykumar Bhurke, who bought a two-wheeler from a popular brand, last year, was appalled when his bike failed to start in early Nov. They took almost one-and-a-half months to fix the issue, causing me major hassles. I bought the bike for Rs 1.2 lakh. If my experience with the company went sour, why would I encourage my friends and acquaintances to opt for an electric vehicle, he asked. Sachin Mahajan, state president of Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), told TOI that the biggest problem was due to the subsidy given to EVs. In April 2024, the subsidy given to EVs by govt was reduced from Rs 55,000 to Rs 10,000. This resulted in the price of EVs shooting up. Between April and Aug, the EV market plummeted as dealers as well as customers were perplexed, Mahajan told. Charging EVs was another issue that led to the drop, Mahajan said. Traffic jam and lack of infrastructure too have contributed. Too much traffic on the road is resulting in major traffic jams. I have heard from EV owners that they had to switch off the engine and AC and sit it out in the heat to avoid running out of charge. There is a serious lack of charging infrastructure. They are almost non-existent. While the Centre has schemes, they are not being implemented due to red tape, he added. Sunil Chacco, president (L&D) of Joy e-bikes, blamed it on factors such as after-sale service concerns of certain brands and negative publicity on social media about battery safety

Infrastructure Urban

03 Apr 2026

Centre Disburses Over Rs 24,610 mn in XV Finance Commission Grants

The Union Government has released XV Finance Commission tied grants during the financial year 2025–26 to rural local bodies in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Sikkim and has released withheld portions of tied and untied grants to Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Tripura. The total disbursal exceeded Rs 24,610 mn, with figures expressed in million (mn) thereafter. The releases cover allocations pertaining to different financial years and aim to strengthen rural local governance. State-wise disbursements included Rs 3,324.6 mn for Punjab, Rs 9,432.7 mn for Madhya Pradesh, Rs 3,47..

Infrastructure Urban

03 Apr 2026

Centre Releases Over Rs 15 bn as XV FC Grants to Rural Bodies

The Union Government has released over Rs 15 bn in grants recommended by the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) in six states. The funds comprise tied and untied grants disbursed in FY 2025–26. Telangana received Rs 2.48 bn as the first instalment of untied grants for FY 2025–26, benefitting 12600 Gram Panchayats (GPs). Uttarakhand received Rs 913.1 mn as the second instalment and an additional Rs 18.4 mn of a withheld first instalment was released to a further 216 GPs. Mizoram is included among beneficiary st..

Infrastructure Energy

03 Apr 2026

Government Assures Fuel Supplies And Seafarer Safety Amid West Asia Developments

The Government of India has stepped up coordinated measures to maintain stability in critical sectors as developments in West Asia continue to unfold. It has prioritised uninterrupted energy supplies, safeguarded maritime operations and extended consular assistance to nationals. Central authorities are working with State and Union territory administrations to ensure timely information dissemination and operational continuity. Refineries are reported to be operating at high capacity with adequate inventories of petrol and diesel, and domestic LPG production has been increased to support consump..