Oil Marketing Companies Deploy 27,737 EV Charging Stations in Five-Year Expansion Drive

Oil Marketing Companies Deploy 27,737 EV Charging Stations in Five-Year Expansion Drive

March 31, 2026

India’s electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure has received a massive boost from the public sector, with government-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) installing 27,737 public charging stations between FY 2021 and FY 2026. This aggressive rollout, recently highlighted in Parliament by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, underscores the strategic role legacy energy firms are playing in the country’s green transition. Currently, 22,753 of these stations are fully operational, providing a critical safety net for EV owners and helping to alleviate the “range anxiety” that has historically slowed adoption.

The geographic spread of these installations reveals a clear focus on high-demand states. Uttar Pradesh leads the nation with 3,284 chargers, followed closely by Karnataka (2,400) and Tamil Nadu (2,286). A significant portion of this growth was fueled by the government’s FAME-II program, which provided the capital subsidies necessary to de-risk these early-stage investments. Under this scheme alone, over 8,900 chargers were installed, with Tamil Nadu emerging as the top beneficiary of subsidized infrastructure.

Looking ahead, the focus is shifting from simple installation to long-term sustainability and technological upgrades. While the FAME-II program is nearing its conclusion with nearly ₹9 billion disbursed, the government has already moved to the PM E-DRIVE initiative, allocating an additional ₹20 billion for the next phase of charging infrastructure. Although no specific targets have been set for the next three years, the groundwork laid by these 27,000+ stations provides a robust foundation for private sector players to enter the market, eventually creating a truly decentralized and competitive charging ecosystem across the country.