The Karnataka government submitted a formal proposal to the Ministry of Heavy Industries recently, requesting electric buses under the PM E-Drive initiative to support urban public transport in major cities.

Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy presented the request, noting the need for improved transit systems.

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H D Kumaraswamy, during discussions with ministry officials, confirmed that electric bus allocations are underway and will be provided to Karnataka in a phased manner. "Karnataka will receive buses under the PM E-Drive scheme," Kumaraswamy stated.

Launched in April 2024 with a Rs. 109 billion (US$ 1.3 billion) budget, the PM E-Drive initiative aims to deploy 14,028 electric buses across nine major Indian cities by March 2026.

Discussions between the Centre and Karnataka also addressed infrastructure development, including charging stations, bus depots, and maintenance systems, to support implementation.

Before the PM E-Drive request, Karnataka's road transport corporations had been progressing in the electric mobility sector. On 29th April 2025, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) announced plans to introduce 320 air-conditioned electric buses by May 2025, replacing its Volvo fleet.

Festive offer

In the same month, the Karnataka Cabinet approved the procurement of 4,000 electric buses for BMTC, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, supported by a Rs. 30 billion World Bank loan.

Karnataka currently has 5,880 EV charging stations and plans to establish an EV testing track and research cluster in Bengaluru.