India has reduced the benchmark prices for electric vehicle (EV) chargers by more than half as part of a renewed push to expand clean mobility infrastructure and support the country’s accelerating EV market.

The revision will reduce subsidy outlays and accelerate further installation of charging stations across the nation.

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Fresh Benchmark: Policy Shift for EV Charging Infrastructure

According to the policy update, the benchmark price for a 60-kilowatt (kW) charger is ₹3.4 lakh. This has been slashed from ₹7.28 lakh for a 50 kW unit (as per the last framework). The benchmark for a 120 kW charger is now ₹5 lakh (nearly half the cost of a 100 kW charger).

The benchmarks are used to determine subsidy amounts under government schemes, including the Prime Minister Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-Drive) programme. Nearly ₹2,000 crore has been allocated under PM E-Drive to support EV charging infrastructure, including subsidies for cars, two- and three-wheelers, and the commercial EV segment.

Industry experts believe that the benchmark revisions could ease the fiscal burden of subsidies and promote faster installation of charging points. India currently has more than 29,000 public charging stations, with plans to add tens of thousands more under national programmes.

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Market Response and Deployment Outlook

The price revision reflects India’s evolving EV market. Lately, scaled deployments and increased competition have pushed down equipment costs. However, some charger manufacturers and operators believe that actual hardware costs remain influenced by imported components and grid integration expenses.

Public charging infrastructure still faces challenges, with most existing chargers having lower power capacities and fast chargers in limited supply. Industry stakeholders have urged policymakers to calibrate incentives to support high-uptime, high-capacity units capable of serving long-distance EV travel.

This policy shift comes as the nation continues to see rising EV adoption. India’s electric vehicle (EV) market is expected to reach 2.3 million units, accounting for 8 per cent of all new vehicle registrations (as stated by the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA)). As sales rise and private players expand their charging networks, the revised pricing framework is expected to influence investment decisions, technology choices, and charger density in the coming years.