<p>Bengaluru: Union Minister for Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday announced the approval of 1,243 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for the state.</p>.<p>Supported by a financial outlay of Rs 123.26 crore under PM E-Drive scheme, the move solidifies Karnataka’s position as a frontrunner in India’s transition to sustainable transport.</p>.<p>Speaking at a national conference on ‘Enabling Nationwide EV Charging Infrastructure,’ Kumaraswamy highlighted the state’s emergence as a pivotal charging hub. The approvals for Karnataka are part of a larger Rs 503.86 crore package cleared for 4,874 chargers in several states.</p>.<p>“The automotive sector contributes over 7% to India’s GDP and supports 3 crore jobs. Our focus is on self-reliance through schemes like the Rs 18,100-crore PLI for battery cells and Rs 7,280-crore initiative for rare earth magnets,” he said.</p>.<p>He unveiled plans for ‘Unified Bharat e-Charge’, an app to integrate discovery and payments for EV charging, similar to UPI model.</p>.Bengaluru: Are EV charging stations equipped for heat?.<p>Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta said the state was the first to implement an EV policy in 2018. “Our EV penetration has reached 11%, with 13.65% recorded this April,” he added. </p>.<p>The state currently boasts the highest number of charging stations in the country at 8,600. Bengaluru’s power utility, Bescom, which serves as state nodal agency, has been instrumental in this growth. Gupta said Bescom is now testing second-life battery-backed solar charging stations notably near Kempegowda International Airport to reduce dependence on power <br />grid. </p>.<p>While the growth in Bengaluru has been exponential, the state government is now pivoting toward uniform distribution. Under new PM E-Drive phase, Bescom has submitted proposals for 1,250 stations at government-owned locations, involving an expenditure of Rs 777 crore.</p>.<p>To facilitate this, Bescom has launched a land aggregator portal to help private investors identify viable locations and a single-window dashboard to fast-track power supply sanctions for new stations. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Union Minister for Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday announced the approval of 1,243 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for the state.</p>.<p>Supported by a financial outlay of Rs 123.26 crore under PM E-Drive scheme, the move solidifies Karnataka’s position as a frontrunner in India’s transition to sustainable transport.</p>.<p>Speaking at a national conference on ‘Enabling Nationwide EV Charging Infrastructure,’ Kumaraswamy highlighted the state’s emergence as a pivotal charging hub. The approvals for Karnataka are part of a larger Rs 503.86 crore package cleared for 4,874 chargers in several states.</p>.<p>“The automotive sector contributes over 7% to India’s GDP and supports 3 crore jobs. Our focus is on self-reliance through schemes like the Rs 18,100-crore PLI for battery cells and Rs 7,280-crore initiative for rare earth magnets,” he said.</p>.<p>He unveiled plans for ‘Unified Bharat e-Charge’, an app to integrate discovery and payments for EV charging, similar to UPI model.</p>.Bengaluru: Are EV charging stations equipped for heat?.<p>Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta said the state was the first to implement an EV policy in 2018. “Our EV penetration has reached 11%, with 13.65% recorded this April,” he added. </p>.<p>The state currently boasts the highest number of charging stations in the country at 8,600. Bengaluru’s power utility, Bescom, which serves as state nodal agency, has been instrumental in this growth. Gupta said Bescom is now testing second-life battery-backed solar charging stations notably near Kempegowda International Airport to reduce dependence on power <br />grid. </p>.<p>While the growth in Bengaluru has been exponential, the state government is now pivoting toward uniform distribution. Under new PM E-Drive phase, Bescom has submitted proposals for 1,250 stations at government-owned locations, involving an expenditure of Rs 777 crore.</p>.<p>To facilitate this, Bescom has launched a land aggregator portal to help private investors identify viable locations and a single-window dashboard to fast-track power supply sanctions for new stations. </p>