A unified EV charging platform can ease adoption, but charging infrastructure remains the real challenge

The idea is straightforward that an EV user should be able to discover, book, and pay for any charger irrespective of the operator, instead of navigating multiple apps and payment systems. Yet the proposal also exposes an important tension in the EV strategy. The country is trying to build a seamless digital architecture even as the physical charging backbone remains thin. India currently has just over 29,000 public chargers, including fewer than 9,000 fast chargers, for more than five million EVs on the road.

A common digital layer may improve convenience, but software alone cannot compensate for inadequate charger density, patchy highway coverage, and unreliable uptime. The infrastructure gap becomes sharper when viewed against EV ambitions.

Electric three-wheelers have already crossed 55% penetration in several sub-segments because the economics are compelling and charging patterns are predictable. Electric two-wheelers account for roughly 8-9% of overall scooter and motorcycle sales, reflecting growing urban acceptance despite concerns over pricing and charging access.

Passenger vehicles, however, remain at only around 4-5% penetration. This matters because cars require the deepest charging ecosystem, especially fast chargers for inter-city mobility. Consumers may accept fragmented apps in the early stages of adoption, but they are unlikely to accept uncertainty over whether a charger exists, works, or is compatible.

The government’s own targets underline the scale of the challenge. Under the PM E-Drive scheme, it plans to support deployment of more than 72,000 public charging stations nationwide. That is a significant step up from the roughly 9,000 stations sanctioned under Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India-II, but even this may prove modest if EV adoption accelerates rapidly over the next decade.

At the same time, dismissing interoperability as premature would be shortsighted. Fragmented charging networks reduce utilisation rates because customers remain confined within operator-specific ecosystems. Low utilisation weakens charger economics and discourages fresh investments. A charger that becomes accessible to every EV user, irrespective of vehicle brand or charging app, is more likely to generate viable returns.

This is especially relevant as oil marketing companies, automakers, and private operators race to expand charging footprints. The government’s attempt to create a common digital layer through the National Payments Corporation of India and BHEL also fits into a broader policy instinct visible in Aadhaar, UPI, and Open Network for Digital Commerce — public digital infrastructure as a market-shaping mechanism rather than direct state ownership of all assets.

If executed properly, such a system could reduce friction, improve consumer confidence, and accelerate network investments simultaneously. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged citizens to shift towards electric mobility wherever possible to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.

India imports more than 85% of its crude oil requirement, leaving the economy vulnerable to external shocks. But such a transition cannot rest on slogans or apps alone. The EV journey will depend less on policy announcements and more on whether charging infrastructure becomes visible, reliable, and commercially sustainable across cities and highways alike. A unified platform may be a necessary foundation. It cannot become a substitute for the harder task of building the physical network itself.