India's Electric Vehicle Revolution: A Path to 1.32 Million Charging Stations by 2030

According to a recent report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) titled 'Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicle,' India will require a minimum of 1.32 million charging stations by 2030 to support the rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). The report commends the enthusiastic support from both the central and state governments, leading to increased consumer options and awareness, resulting in a threefold increase in EV adoption in 2022 compared to the previous year. 

The report projects that if the current momentum continues with a 40% annual growth rate, around 106 million EVs will be sold annually by 2030. To maintain an ideal ratio of 1 charger for every 40 electric vehicles, India must install over 400,000 charging stations each year, totaling 1.32 million chargers by the target year. This report is part of a series focusing on the 'Roadmap for Future Mobility 2030,' developed in collaboration with Edelman Global Advisory. 

Vipin Sondhi, Chairperson of the CII National Committee on Future Mobility 2022-23, and former MD & CEO of Ashok Leyland and JCB, emphasized the government's commitment to achieve ambitious EV sales targets for various vehicle types. Sondhi sees this as a significant opportunity for India's industry and calls for a supportive policy environment at the central and state levels to enable startups, MSMEs, and large companies to rapidly deploy charging infrastructure nationwide. The scale of charging infrastructure required offers a chance for India to become a global manufacturing hub for charging stations, fostering job creation and exports. 

The report offers several recommendations to facilitate EV charging infrastructure development, including streamlining the approval process for public charging stations, aligning demand charges with actual utilization, integrating charging networks into urban planning, establishing a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for charging infrastructure deployment in Tier 2, Tier 3 towns, and rural areas, and incentivizing domestic manufacturing of EV charging station components. 

One notable finding from the report is India's significant reliance on imported components, especially for level 3 DC fast chargers, amounting to over $5,800 million from April to December 2022. To reduce this dependence and promote domestic manufacturing, the report suggests offering incentives similar to the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) program under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, creating opportunities for India to become a global supplier of electric vehicle supply equipment.