Can Electric Buses Clean Air? The Government Bets Big on PM e-Drive Scheme

It’s no longer just a seasonal inconvenience. For millions living in India's fast-growing cities, poor air quality has become a year-round public health crisis. From smog-choked mornings in Delhi to traffic-laden afternoons in Bengaluru, the air we breathe is increasingly turning toxic. But amid the haze, there’s a new wave of hope on the horizon—one that doesn’t run on petrol or diesel.

PM e-Drive Scheme

In a decisive move to combat urban pollution and revamp public transport, the Indian government has launched an ambitious electric mobility push through the PM e-Drive Scheme, aiming to deploy over 10,000 electric buses in the next two years across key Indian metros. The scheme, rolled out in 2024, is not just another policy announcement—it’s being seen as a potential game-changer for India’s urban mobility story.

On the frontlines of this green revolution is Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy, who recently chaired a high-level meeting to accelerate the deployment of these e-buses. The discussions zoomed in on five major urban centers—Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Surat—where pollution levels are soaring and the demand for cleaner public transport is at an all-time high.

The Numbers: Where Are These E-Buses Headed?

Under the current phase of the PM e-Drive Scheme, the Ministry of Heavy Industries has committed to deploying approximately:

• 4,500 electric buses in Bengaluru

• 2,800 in Delhi

• 2,000 in Hyderabad

• 1,000 in Ahmedabad

• 600 in Surat

With these numbers, the government is making it clear: this is more than a pilot project—it's a full-fledged transformation plan for urban transport.

“We are not merely allocating electric buses—we are shaping the future of India’s transport system with innovation and environmental consciousness,” said Minister Kumaraswamy during the announcement.

More Than Just Buses: A Vision for Green Cities

The PM e-Drive Scheme, with a financial outlay of ₹10,900 crore, plans to deploy 14,028 electric buses between April 2024 and March 2026. It's among the largest national electric bus programs in the world, aimed at building a resilient, low-emission, and people-friendly urban transport system.

What sets the initiative apart is its integrated approach. It’s not merely about replacing fuel-guzzling diesel buses with electric ones—it’s about reimagining the future of urban transport in a way that aligns with India's climate goals, startup ecosystem, and the broader vision of sustainable development.

“From Bengaluru to Delhi, cities are embracing electric buses to make public transport cleaner, smarter, and more efficient,” the minister noted.

Why the Urgency? Because the Air is Getting Worse

The timing of this initiative couldn’t be more critical.

According to the World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss-based IQAir, Delhi remains the world’s most polluted capital, with PM2.5 levels rising from 102.4 µg/m³ in 2023 to 108.3 µg/m³ in 2024—more than 21 times the WHO’s safe limit. Even though India has slipped slightly to the fifth-most polluted country globally (from third in 2023), the crisis is far from over.

Out of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, 13 are in India, including Faridabad, Gurugram, Greater Noida, and Muzaffarnagar.

Yes, there’s been some progress—India saw a 7% decline in overall PM2.5 levels in 2024—but the bigger picture remains grim. Winter smog, vehicle emissions, stubble burning, and festive firecrackers continue to compound the crisis.

And in this scenario, electric buses aren’t just vehicles—they’re lifelines.

What It Means for the Startup and Innovation Ecosystem

For India’s growing clean-tech and mobility startups, this massive procurement and deployment of electric buses opens up fresh opportunities—from battery tech, charging infrastructure, fleet management platforms, to AI-enabled route optimization and maintenance startups.

State transport departments working alongside startups and local manufacturers may soon form the backbone of India’s new green public transport model. For an economy pushing for ‘Make in India’ and ‘Startup India’, the PM e-Drive Scheme is also a platform for domestic innovation.

Beyond that, the ripple effects will touch EV component manufacturers, software providers, and data analytics firms involved in tracking environmental impact and fleet efficiency.

Deploying electric buses at scale isn’t without its challenges—ranging from grid capacity, last-mile connectivity, charging infrastructure, to training drivers and mechanics. But the Ministry of Heavy Industries is working closely with the governments of Telangana, Karnataka, Delhi, and Gujarat to ensure smooth rollouts and address operational hurdles.

The success of the PM e-Drive Scheme could be the proof-of-concept India needs to scale such efforts across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in the next wave.

Globally, countries are watching closely. India’s actions today could become a blueprint for large-scale green mobility transformation across the Global South.

A Clean Future, One Bus Ride at a Time

Electric buses might not clear the skies overnight. But for the school child breathing in toxic fumes on her daily commute, for the elderly citizen wheezing through winters in the capital, and for the millions who have no choice but to travel by public transport—this shift matters.

It’s about more than just mobility. It’s about life, lungs, and legacy.

And if India gets this right, we might just turn the tide on our urban pollution crisis—one quiet, clean, electric bus at a time.