Bengaluru to get 4,500 new electric buses

 Under the ambitious PM e-Drive initiative, the central government plans to distribute 10,900 electric buses to five major Indian cities in the first phase. Of this, Bengaluru will receive 4,500 buses, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H. D. Kumaraswamy confirmed.

The announcement came after a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Heavy Industries in New Delhi, where officials from Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, and Delhi participated. The minister emphasized the need for pollution-free public transport and instructed authorities to ensure the necessary infrastructure for electric buses is put in place, including charging stations and upgraded depots.

Karnataka’s transport secretary N. V. Prasad, representing the state, submitted a demand for 7,000 buses for BMTC. State Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy had earlier raised the same request. Considering Bengaluru’s high population and urgent need to replace old fleets, the Centre assured the allocation of 4,500 buses in the first phase—one of the highest among all cities.

Delhi was assured 2,800 buses, Hyderabad 2,000 out of a demand for 2,800, Surat 600, and Ahmedabad 1,000. In total, 14,200 buses were requested by the five cities. The Centre has approved 10,900 so far and instructed states to establish required infrastructure swiftly before deployment. This marks a major push towards sustainable urban transport and positions Bengaluru as a priority city in India’s clean mobility mission.