Electric bus makers gear up for Delhi's full fleet electrification

Delhi will increase its electric bus fleet from the existing 8,000 to 11,000 over next five years

- Ayaan Kartik

Electric bus makers like Tata Motors Ltd, PMI Electro Mobility Solutions Ltd and JBM Auto Ltd are likely to get a lift from the proposed electric vehicles policy of Delhi, India's largest electric bus market.

The draft policy has proposed a 100% electrification of the public bus fleet in the city by 2027.

Tata Motors, India's largest electric bus maker, sold 545 units to the national capital in FY25, accounting for more than half its total sales in the country. Similarly, at 331 units, the city accounted for close to 69% of sales for PMI Electro Mobility. JBM Auto sold 86 units, or about a fourth of its total, in the national capital.

This comes amid slowing sales of electric buses in India, with FY25 recording a near 6% decline in sales to 3,314 units, according to the government's Vahan portal, which records registrations. Of the total electric bus sales in the country during the last financial year, Delhi constituted about a third of them. Electric bus penetration in the country stood at 4.7% last fiscal.

"Delhi is a major market for electric buses so if the policy is implemented, it is definitely going to be a major boost for the leading players in the segment," Nikhil Dhaka, policy lead at Primus Partners, said.