IIT-M Startup Unveils Multi-Network EV Charging Platform

01 Aug 2025 CW Team

Plugzmart, a company incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, has developed a first-of-its-kind indigenous EV charging platform named Relay, which allows a single electric vehicle (EV) charger to simultaneously connect with multiple Charging Management System (CMS) networks.

This breakthrough eliminates the current restriction where most EV chargers are locked to a single CMS, thereby limiting access to users of specific EV brands. Relay enables chargers to appear across several networks in real time using intelligent middleware, improving accessibility and utilisation.

“This innovation maximises visibility of each installed charger, increasing return on investment for charger owners while providing more options to EV users,” said Raghavendar TS, Director of Software Business Unit at Plugzmart. “It addresses one of the key hurdles in EV adoption — the availability of visible chargers.”

With this development, Plugzmart transitions from being just a CMS provider to becoming a vital enabler of open, interoperable EV infrastructure. The firm aims to support India’s push towards clean mobility by connecting disparate networks and enhancing user flexibility.

Founded in 2019 and incubated at IIT Madras, Plugzmart is both an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of EV chargers and a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider for charging infrastructure. Its product portfolio includes 18 IoT-enabled smart chargers tailored for two-, three- and four-wheelers.

Infrastructure Transport

15 Sep 2025

Cabinet Approves Key Highway and Rail Projects in Bihar Region

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the four-laning of the 84.2-km Mokama-Munger section of the Buxar-Bhagalpur high-speed corridor, a key industrial region in poll-bound Bihar. The Cabinet also sanctioned the doubling of the 177-km Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurhat railway line, which passes through Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, at a cost of Rs 31.7 billion.The Rs 44.5 billion highway project will be constructed under the hybrid annuity model, a variant of public-private partnership. The Mokama-Munger stretch was the only remaining two-lane section of the 363-km Buxar-Bhagalpur corridor. Fou..

NGT Issues Notice on Bengaluru Twin Tunnel Project

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday issued notices in response to a petition filed by Bengaluru Praja Vedike and others, challenging the Bengaluru twin tunnel road project. Petitioners claim the project was “hastily announced” and bypassed mandatory environmental impact assessment procedures.Notices have been served to the Karnataka Government, Greater Bengaluru Authority, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE), the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and project consultants.The 16.74-km twin-tube..

India’s Residential Sales to Dip Slightly in FY26

Residential sales in India’s seven major cities are projected to decline by up to 3 per cent year-on-year in FY26 to 620–640 million square feet (msf), amid a moderation in sales velocity, according to ratings agency Icra.In FY25, sales stood at 643 msf, down 8 per cent YoY, following a sharp contraction in new launches and moderated demand in the affordable and mid-income segments. This slowdown came after the sector posted a robust compound annual growth rate of 26 per cent in area sales between FY22 and FY24.Icra noted: “Having seen a strong upcycle, the sector entered an equilibrium ..