India’s EV charging network races ahead, but gaps remain

India’s public EV charging stations have grown nearly five-fold from FY22 to early FY25, reaching over 26,000 units, driven by strong central and state support. However, with only one charger for every 235 EVs, infrastructure still lags rising vehicle adoption. Continued investment and balanced growth are key to supporting the country’s electric mobility shift.

 

India’s electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is witnessing rapid growth, with public EV charging stations increasing nearly five-fold from FY22 to early FY25, according to a report by CareEdge Ratings.

The report highlights a substantial rise in public EV charging stations (EVPCS), growing from 5,151 in CY22 to 11,903 in CY23, and further to 25,202 by the end of FY24. By early FY25, the number had reached 26,367. This represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 72% over the three-year period from FY22 to FY25. It stated, “Charging infrastructure is scaling rapidly, with public EV stations growing over 5x from FY22 to early FY25.”

This growth has been driven by robust support from both central and state governments. The Indian government has significantly stepped up its efforts to boost public charging infrastructure nationwide. State-level EV policies have also contributed by attracting both public and private sector investments, accelerating the development of EV charging networks.

The report noted that this expansion mirrors the government’s strong intent to promote electric vehicle adoption. In addition to infrastructure support, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for battery manufacturing and duty exemptions on key minerals are expected to reduce India’s import dependency by up to 20% by FY27. These measures are likely to make EVs more affordable and lower their total cost of ownership.

Despite this progress, the report pointed out a mismatch between the pace of EV adoption and charging infrastructure development. It said, “With only 26,367 public EV charging stations available, India currently has around one charger for every 235 EVs on the road.” This gap underlines the pressing need for continued and accelerated deployment of charging stations to keep up with growing EV sales.

Overall, while the EV charging ecosystem in India is expanding at a fast pace, balanced and sustained growth remains essential to support a smooth transition to electric mobility.