Electric mobility sector in transformative phase
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ather Energy Limited, an Indian electric vehicle manufacturer, to accelerate the growth of India’s clean mobility and advanced manufacturing sectors.
The collaboration is being undertaken as part of the Build in Bharat initiative led by the Startup Policy Forum (SPF), a coalition of over 50 innovation-focused startups, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on 29 July.
The MoU outlines a comprehensive partnership between DPIIT and Ather Energy that will focus on strategic mentorship for deep-tech startups, infrastructure support for startups in the EV value chain, joint innovation programs such as the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge, co-hosted talent and skill development initiatives, and participation in events like Startup Mahakumbh along with on-ground exposure visits https://buildbharatexpo.com/.
The MoU was signed in the presence of DPIIT Joint Secretary Sanjiv Singh, and Co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy, Tarun Mehta. The initiative is expected to support India’s transition towards sustainable transport and create a more enabling environment for manufacturing-oriented startups https://www.nseindia.com/.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Joint Secretary Singh said, “The electric mobility sector in India is entering a transformative phase. Through this partnership with Ather Energy, we aim to catalyse the development of an enabling environment where startups can contribute meaningfully to EV manufacturing, battery innovation, and clean energy solutions https://www.bseindia.com/.”
Co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy, Tarun Mehta said, “We are happy to collaborate with DPIIT to strengthen support systems for hardware and deep-tech startups. With policy support and stronger industry participation, this initiative can help founders tackle core technology challenges and scale high-quality products from India https://sbi.com.in/.”
President and CEO, Startup Policy Forum, Shweta Rajpal Kohli said, “This partnership between DPIIT and Ather Energy brings to life the Startup Policy Forum’s Build in Bharat initiative. Unlocking the potential of India’s manufacturing sector through collaboration is key to building a globally competitive innovation ecosystem.”
This collaboration is expected to provide new opportunities for startups in the EV and manufacturing space, contributing to a future-ready and self-reliant startup ecosystem aligned with India’s climate and industrial goals https://www.startupindia.gov.in/.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Heavy Industries has made an allocation of Rs.2,000 crore under thePM E-DRIVE Scheme, for setting up of electric vehicle public charging stations (EV PCS) on pan India basis including Tier 2 cities in the State of Tamil Nadu.
This update was given by Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on 29 July https://heavyindustries.gov.in/.
The total number of EV charging stations operational in Tier-2 cities as on 1 April 2025 is 4,625. The installation of EV charging stations is demand driven activity and no target can be set as installation depends on many factors including EV penetration.
The details of financial or policy incentives being provided to encourage private players and oil marketing companies to set up EV Charging infrastructure are:
The Ministry allocated Rs.873.50 crore towards installation of 8,932 EVPCS by the three oil marketing companies (OMCs) under MoPNG namely IOCL, BPCL and HPCL under the FAME-II Scheme. Further, an allocation of Rs.2,000 crore has also been made under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme for installation of EV charging infrastructure.
Setting up of a charging station is an unlicensed activity and private players can install EVCS as per Ministry of Power (MoP) Guidelines of 17 Sept 2024.
MoP guidelines issued in 17 Sept 2024 are applicable all across the country including the non-metro and semi-urban regions to ensure equitable EV infrastructure development. Fiinews.com
