Delhi Government to Induct 2,800 Electric Buses Under PM E-DRIVE Scheme
The Delhi government is set to induct 2,800 air-conditioned low-floor electric buses into its public transport fleet under the central government's PM E-DRIVE scheme, Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh announced on Sunday. Reported on June 7, 2026, the initiative aims to boost connectivity across Delhi, particularly in areas currently underserved by public transit.
The upcoming acquisition will comprise 1,400 nine-metre buses and 1,400 twelve-metre buses. According to transport officials, this combination of vehicle sizes is designed to serve both local neighbourhood routes and high-demand transit corridors.
Currently, Delhi has nearly 4,300 operational electric buses, which represents the largest electric bus fleet in India. The newly announced induction is part of a broader government plan to increase the total number of electric buses in the capital to approximately 7,500 by the end of this year. Looking further ahead, the government aims to expand the city's overall public bus fleet to nearly 14,000 vehicles by the 2028-29 fiscal year.
"The planned induction of 2,800 new electric buses will significantly strengthen connectivity, improve commuter convenience and accelerate our transition towards sustainable mobility," Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said.
In addition to the 2,800 buses, the Delhi government is actively pursuing the procurement of 3,330 more electric buses under the next phase of the PM E-DRIVE scheme. This subsequent batch is proposed to include 500 seven-metre buses for feeder routes and last-mile connectivity, alongside 2,330 nine-metre buses and another 500 seven-metre buses.
The PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme is the central government's flagship program to accelerate electric vehicle adoption, build charging infrastructure, and develop an EV manufacturing ecosystem in the country. The initiative incentivises the procurement of 14,028 electric buses across nine major Indian cities with populations exceeding 40 lakh.
To support the expanded fleet, the Delhi Transport Department stated that it will also develop the necessary charging and power infrastructure at various bus depots across the city. The department noted that its decision to include smaller nine-metre buses was guided by their successful operational performance on local and feeder routes.
