TL;DR
Odisha received over ₹40 crore from the central government under the PM E-DRIVE scheme to establish 170 EV charging stations and 4 battery swapping stations across six cities.
Odisha has secured a significant grant exceeding ₹40.50 crore from the Central government under the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme. This funding is aimed at bolstering electric vehicle (EV) mobility and developing public charging stations across the state. The Ministry of Heavy Industries approved the proposal submitted by the State Transport Authority (STA), which has been designated as the nodal agency for implementing the scheme in Odisha.
The initiative will see the establishment of 170 public EV charging infrastructures, including 688 chargers and four battery swapping stations, in the initial phase. These facilities will be strategically located across six cities: Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Angul, Jajpur, and Balasore, at sites like government offices, major roads, parking areas, railway stations, hospitals, and educational institutions. Odisha has already demonstrated strong EV adoption, emerging as the leading state in India with a 17 percent EV market share in June.
The financial assistance from the PM E-DRIVE scheme will cover both upstream electric infrastructure and EV supply equipment. The STA is tasked with ensuring efficient operation and maintenance of these charging stations, along with integrating their data with the national unified hub managed by the Ministry of Heavy Industries. This development is crucial for enhancing charging accessibility and encouraging wider EV adoption in the region.
