Despite rapid expansion, there is reportedly no centralised assessment of the adequacy of charging infrastructure relative to the number of registered EVs.
| Photo Credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J.
Karnataka has emerged as the second-largest hub for Electric Vehicle public charging stations in India, with 2,039 operational units installed by oil marketing companies. This puts Karnataka just behind Uttar Pradesh in the national rankings, according to data by Ministry of Heavy Industries.
According to the data accessed by The Hindu, a total of 2,039 EV public charging stations (EV PCS) installed by oil marketing companies (OMCs) are currently operational in Karnataka. A year-wise analysis shows a steady acceleration in deployment. Karnataka had just 36 charging stations in 2020–21, which rose over fourfold to 153 in 2021–22. The pace picked up significantly in 2022–23, when installations jumped to 542 stations, reflecting adoption of EVs.
While 2023–24 saw a marginal dip to 478 stations, the overall trajectory remained upward. The most notable surge came in 2024–25, when installations more than doubled to 1,034 stations, marking the single largest annual addition in the five-year period.
In the current financial year (2025–26, up to March 1), an additional 157 stations have been installed, taking the cumulative installations over five years to 2,400, out of which 2,039 are operational.
A senior official said that the sharp rise, particularly after 2022–23, indicates increasing alignment between infrastructure rollout and EV adoption trends in urban centres such as Bengaluru, as well as along key highways. “The expansion has largely been driven by OMCs, alongside private sector participation, as setting up EV charging stations remains an unlicensed activity,” the official added.
Karnataka is ahead of major States such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat in terms of operational OMC-run EV charging stations. Only Uttar Pradesh, with 2,893 stations, has a larger network.
However, despite the rapid expansion, an official source noted that there is currently no centralised assessment of the adequacy of charging infrastructure relative to the number of registered EVs, nor a detailed roadmap for future expansion.
Meanwhile, across India, OMCs have installed a total of 27,737 EV public charging stations, of which 22,753 are currently operational, at the same time, a small number of stations 21 across the country have been decommissioned.
According to the data, under the FAME-II scheme, ₹912.5 crore has been sanctioned for EV charging infrastructure, of which ₹895.48 crore has been released and ₹655.43 crore utilised so far. Additionally, the government has earmarked ₹2,000 crore under the PM E-DRIVE scheme to expand charging infrastructure nationwide, although no funds have been released yet.
Published – April 02, 2026 07:29 pm IST
