For 12-metre Standard Bus, the government will provide subsidy of ₹24/km for 200 assured km per day

Eager to secure a share of the government’s PM-eBus Sewa scheme, a diverse mix of non-automotive players, including software, solar energy and film production, has thrown its hat into the ring to supply 3,604 electric buses across India.

Sources told businessline that these unlikely contenders plan to tie up with established original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including Tata Motors, JBM, Eka Mobility, Olectra and Switch Mobility (Ashok Leyland), to manage operations and maintenance if awarded contracts. Bidding for the tender closed on September 22, with contract awards expected shortly.

For instance, a company called Bansal Telefilms of Bhopal has applied as a bidder with Infra Route as the partner; Travel Time Mobility India has applied with Tata Motors; Sai Green Projects, Stockwell Solar and Inventive Software Solutions have applied as a bidder with Infra Route as an OEM.

Similarly, OHM Global Mobility has applied as a bidder with a Switch Mobility partnership; Pinnacle Mobility Solutions with Eka Mobility (OEM); Transvolt Mobility has applied with both Eka and JBM Buses; and Mateshwari Urban Transport Solutions with Tata Motors.

Some of the OEMs like PMI Electro Mobility Solutions, JSW Eco Mobility, JBM Ecolife Mobility and Neuton Auto E-Buses have also applied separately for their own companies to bid for the tender.

Open to all

“The bidding is open to all companies and if they meet the criteria, they will be eligible for the subsidies. They have to meet the guidelines and conditions set for the operations and maintenance,” a senior government official said.

For instance, for 12-metre Standard Bus, the government will provide subsidy of ₹24/km for 200 assured km per day. Similarly, for nine-metre Mini Bus, the subsidy is fixed at ₹22/km for an assured 180 km per day; and ₹20/km for an assured 160 km per day for a seven-meter Mini Bus.

The Prime Minister eBus Sewa (PM eBus Sewa) was launched in August 2023 that aims to augment city bus operations in urban areas with Central Assistance (CA) of ₹20,000 crore for deploying electric buses under the public private partnership (PPP) model.

According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the scheme will support bus operations for 10 years and States/cities will be responsible for running the bus services and making payments to the bus operators. Cities with a population between three lakh and 40 lakh, and State Capitals below three-lakh (as per 2011 census) are eligible for the scheme.

As per the guidelines, the Centre will support these bus operations by providing subsidies to the extent specified in the proposed scheme, covering development of depots, charging infrastructure, green mobility initiatives including accessible bus stops, last mile connectivity Intelligent Transit Management System (ITMS) and National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)-based ticketing.

Published on September 29, 2026