National Conference Advances Nationwide EV Charging Network

14 May 2026 CW Team

The minister announced approval for Karnataka proposals for 1,243 EV chargers with an outlay of Rs1,232.6 million (mn) and said proposals with a total financial outlay of Rs5,038.6 million (mn) have been approved to cover installation of 4,874 chargers across states and central public sector enterprises. The approved proposals include central public sector enterprises such as Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and states including Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. The ministry said coordinated efforts between the centre, states, charge point operators and industry stakeholders will be instrumental in creating an efficient charging ecosystem.

Under the PM E-DRIVE scheme the government has approved a total outlay of Rs109 bn to promote electric mobility across vehicle segments. The scheme proposes support for around two point five million (mn) electric two wheelers and around zero point three two million (mn) electric three wheelers including e-rickshaws and L5 category vehicles, and envisages support of Rs43.91 bn for deployment of over 14,028 electric buses. Out of the total outlay Rs36.79 bn has been earmarked for demand incentives for emerging EV categories while Rs20 bn is allocated for development of public charging infrastructure and Rs7.8 bn for modernisation of vehicle testing agencies. The ministry also cited other schemes including production linked incentive auto at Rs259.38 bn, PLI ACC at Rs181 bn and a payment security mechanism at Rs34.35 bn.

Officials urged common standards and faster deployment. Ministry reaffirmed support for net zero.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries organised a national conference in Bengaluru on 12 May 2026 to discuss enabling a nationwide electric vehicle charging infrastructure under the PM E-DRIVE scheme. The Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy, said the government is committed to creating a modern and reliable charging ecosystem to support the country's clean mobility transition and to make electric mobility affordable and widely available. He emphasised that strengthening charging infrastructure is essential to accelerate large scale adoption. The minister announced approval for Karnataka proposals for 1,243 EV chargers with an outlay of Rs1,232.6 million (mn) and said proposals with a total financial outlay of Rs5,038.6 million (mn) have been approved to cover installation of 4,874 chargers across states and central public sector enterprises. The approved proposals include central public sector enterprises such as Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and states including Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. The ministry said coordinated efforts between the centre, states, charge point operators and industry stakeholders will be instrumental in creating an efficient charging ecosystem. Under the PM E-DRIVE scheme the government has approved a total outlay of Rs109 bn to promote electric mobility across vehicle segments. The scheme proposes support for around two point five million (mn) electric two wheelers and around zero point three two million (mn) electric three wheelers including e-rickshaws and L5 category vehicles, and envisages support of Rs43.91 bn for deployment of over 14,028 electric buses. Out of the total outlay Rs36.79 bn has been earmarked for demand incentives for emerging EV categories while Rs20 bn is allocated for development of public charging infrastructure and Rs7.8 bn for modernisation of vehicle testing agencies. The ministry also cited other schemes including production linked incentive auto at Rs259.38 bn, PLI ACC at Rs181 bn and a payment security mechanism at Rs34.35 bn. Officials urged common standards and faster deployment. Ministry reaffirmed support for net zero.

Infrastructure Urban

14 May 2026

Maharashtra Clears Rs 317.93 Bn For Virar Alibaug Corridor

Maharashtra has granted administrative approval for phase one of the 14-lane Virar-Alibaug Multi-Modal Transport Corridor, an access-controlled route to improve connectivity across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and link the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Navi Mumbai International Airport and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link. The first phase spans 126.06 km and is estimated at Rs 317.93 billion. The Urban Development Department lists the construction cost at Rs 215.34 billion. The alignment is proposed through 104 villages across Vasai, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Ambernath, Panvel, Uran, Pen and Alibaug..

Infrastructure Urban

14 May 2026

Gurugram To Control Streetlights Via Mobile App

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram has announced a mobile app based system to operate and monitor the city streetlighting network as part of a smart city upgrade. The initiative will bring 0.112 million streetlights under digital control, replacing the previous practice in which workers manually switched lights across different sectors. The programme is intended to improve maintenance efficiency and strengthen the digital infrastructure of the city. The move aligns with broader urban digitalisation efforts in the region. The platform will allow officials to operate the streetlights remotely..

Technology

14 May 2026

Ahmedabad Plans Singapore Style Artificial Intelligence Indoor Garden

Ahmedabad will host a proposed Singapore style indoor garden on the Sabarmati Riverfront, a project unveiled at the Vibrant Gujarat regional conference by Simon Wong. The proposal, modelled on Singapore's Gardens by the Bay, aims to blend architecture, ecology and technology to create a year-round attraction. Organisers positioned the scheme as part of broader smart city and tourism ambitions for the region. The project is planned as a climate-controlled dome designed to recreate a tropical forest environment with artificial rain simulation, immersive fog and dense tropical plantations. Advanc..