The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams’ (TTD) drive towards cleaner mobility received a major fillip on Sunday after Reliance Industries Executive Director Anant Ambani donated 25 electric buses worth ₹27.5 crore, marking the largest single private contribution to the temple body’s ongoing electrification initiative.

The donation goes well beyond supplying vehicles. Reliance will also bear the salaries of 50 bus drivers and establish EV charging infrastructure within the temple complex, addressing two of the biggest operational hurdles in expanding electric public transport—trained manpower and reliable charging facilities.

Valued at around ₹1.1 crore each, the buses are expected to strengthen TTD’s efforts to offer sustainable transport services to the millions of devotees who visit the hill shrine every year. The latest contribution significantly accelerates an electric mobility programme that the temple administration has been steadily building over the past few years.

Earlier in the day, Ambani offered prayers at the Tirumala temple, taking part in the early morning Suprabhata Seva before having darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Dressed in traditional all-white attire comprising a dhoti and a shawl with a golden zari border, he also observed the temple’s centuries-old tonsuring (mundan) ritual by offering his hair—a practice followed by millions of devotees as an act of faith and surrender.

In another significant commitment, Ambani announced support for modernising the TTD goshala. The proposed upgrade will draw inspiration from Reliance’s Vantara animal rescue and conservation initiative in Gujarat and is aimed at improving the care and welfare of cows housed at the temple-managed facility.

The announcements underscore Reliance’s expanding engagement with philanthropic and sustainability initiatives, while providing a substantial boost to TTD’s green transport ambitions. With electric buses, charging infrastructure and operational support bundled together, the contribution offers a comprehensive model for accelerating the adoption of clean mobility in one of the country’s busiest pilgrimage destinations.