Electric bus adoption in India's public and private sectors is projected to climb from nearly 7 per cent in FY26 to 35 to 40 per cent by FY35, with EV penetration in public transport expected to exceed 85 per cent by FY35 from around 14 per cent today, according to a KPMG report. Nearly 62,000 electric bus tenders have been issued to date, with around 46,000 buses awarded but only about 16,300 deployed on roads as of March 2026. A further 40,000 electric bus tenders are expected by FY30, supported by government schemes including PM-eBus Sewa and PM e-DRIVE, alongside depot and charging infrastructure expansion.
Why it matters: The gap between awarded tenders (46,000 buses) and actual deployment (16,300) signals infrastructure and execution bottlenecks that charging point operators and depot builders must address to capture the forecast 40,000 additional tenders by FY30. Intra-city routes transitioning first will concentrate near term charging demand in urban depots, shaping site selection and grid connection priorities for CPOs targeting India's public transport rollout.