When the Delhi government announced its draft Electric Vehicle Policy on Saturday, the release said that this is being planned to ensure a greener Delhi. The immediate concern is, if implemented, how it will impact the food delivery and quick commerce platforms. Delhi currently has around 9,000 public charging stations, a third of the 30,000 the city had targeted. With 13 lakh gig workers in the capital, that works out to roughly one charging point for every 144 people, and that’s just the gig workforce.
Draft EV Policy in Delhi and what it entails for gig workers
The subsidies help, but only so much. The policy offers up to Rs 40,000 in combined purchase incentives, but a basic electric two-wheeler still leaves a delivery rider spending Rs 75,000–85,000 from their own pocket. For someone who earns daily wages and likely doesn’t have a formal credit history, that’s a significant ask, and the policy doesn’t require platforms or lenders to step in and bridge that gap.
Delhi is moving, but are the platforms and the riders moving along with it? Though many of the delivery and food platforms had made a 100% EV commitment across the country by 2030, most are still mid-journey 5 years on.
What does the draft Delhi EV Policy propose
As per the proposed draft, only electric three-wheelers are going to be eligible for fresh registration in Delhi from January 1, 2027. From April 1, 2028, the same rule kicks in for two-wheelers, the backbone of food delivery and quick commerce in the capital. Any platform operating 25 or more vehicles in Delhi will need to fundamentally rethink how it runs.
The draft policy builds on the Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Service Provider Scheme 2023, which had already mandated 100% fleet electrification by April 1, 2030. “The 2026 policy, therefore, acts as an accelerated reinforcement, not a replacement.” Rajat Mahajan, Partner and Automotive Leader at Deloitte India, told financialexpress.com.
Draft Delhi EV Policy: The concerns
As per the draft policy, it has been designed to make the switch easier on the ground. For electric two-wheelers priced up to Rs 2.25 lakh ex-factory, buyers can access a direct purchase subsidy of Rs 30,000 in Year 1, Rs 20,000 in Year 2, and Rs 10,000 in Year 3. Add a Rs 10,000 scrapping bonus on top, and the combined benefit reaches up to Rs 40,000, as per the policy draft.
However, there is a catch here. Even with Rs 40,000 in combined incentives, an entry-level electric two-wheeler can still cost a delivery rider Rs 75,000–Rs 85,000 out of pocket, Mahajan highlighted. For someone earning daily wages and often carrying no formal credit history, that is a big number.
“Furthermore, the policy does not mandate any priority lending or aggregator-level support or financing,” Mahajan said.
Beyond the purchase, the running economics of EVs are compelling. As Mahajan points out, the operating cost advantage is significant: “EV running cost advantage of Rs 1.5–2 per km versus over Rs 4 per km for ICE creates a strong retention incentive that EV riders earn more per delivery, reducing platform churn and co-funding the transition.”
“Scooter customers and intenders might benefit as the cumulative benefits to the tune of Rs 40,000– 50,000 are on the cards,” Mahajan noted. The mass market commuter segment, the single largest category in the two-wheeler space, will feel this pull. Though some buyers may choose to register in NCR towns like Gurgaon, Noida, or Faridabad, shift to the pre-owned market or wait for more affordable electric models to arrive.
Ownership was never a plan to begin with
Another point to add here is that there are various companies that lease out EVs to these riders to aid with the delivery. In such a scenario, the rider has to pay a fixed monthly or weekly rent for the EV. “None of these riders are on payroll—they’re independent contractors and use their own vehicles,” Dhairya Gupta, founder and CEO of Earth Ride, told financialexpress.com. He further added that the platforms typically tag riders and assign them an ID based on the vehicle they operate. He also added that longer deliveries are routed to the riders who operate a motorcycle.
He added that while there is a “natural shift underway, towards EVs,” infrastructure remains a key bottleneck. “Fixed charging points haven’t really worked at scale, which is why swappable batteries are picking up; they cut downtime and make things far more efficient for riders,” Gupta noted. However, the government needs to amp up on the battery swapping stations, too, if the policy is implemented.
Ownership, however, continues to be a hurdle. “At around Rs 180 a day, or roughly Rs 7,000 a month, leasing is simply more accessible,” Gupta added. These numbers are subject to change according to the model and brand of the EV.
Then comes the infrastructure problem. Delhi currently has around 9,000 public charging stations against a stated target of 30,000, as per Mahajan.
As of the Delhi budget FY2026-27, Delhi has around 13 lakh gig workers. That means there is one charging station per 144 people, if we just take into account the gig workers. For delivery riders who operate across multiple drops and multiple shifts, this will be a major problem.
Pledges made, Pledges delayed
That brings the focus directly on some of the key sectors that could be potentially impacted, including those in the delivery service sector. Food platforms like Zomato and Swiggy made their EV commitments back in 2021.
“We have seen that several gig organisations are falling behind their committed EV plans, despite announcements. Most of these organisations will need to recalibrate their plans,” Mahajan said.
As of March 2025, Zomato had 51,000+ active EV-based delivery partners in Zomato and Blinkit across 400+ Indian cities, the company told Financialexpress.com.
“Over the past 12 months, our EV fleet has grown by 120% YoY. This growth has been driven by improved availability of EV options, a stronger partner ecosystem, and increasing rider preference for EVs due to better unit economics,” Saurav Goyal, SVP and Head-Driver & Delivery Product and Operations, Swiggy, told Financialexpress.com.
“Our approach is phased, focusing on city-wise readiness, infrastructure availability, and partner ecosystem maturity. We have partnered with multiple OEMs and fleet operators to accelerate EV adoption. This includes partnerships with companies like Bounce and other major ecosystem players to enable easy access to vehicles and flexible rental model options for delivery partners,” Goyal added.
What comes next
Delhi’s draft EV policy is open for public feedback for 30 days before it is finalised. The platforms have made the pledges, and Delhi is moving forward to make it the law. The next four years will show which of the two carries more weight.