Karnataka Leads India’s EV Charging Race as Network Crosses 29,000 Stations

Total Electric Vehicle (EV) sales in November this year crossed 2.17 lakh units as the sector becomes the most favourable choice for new vehicle buyers. While the dearth of EV charging stations so far restricted the penetration of EVs, the rise of EV charging stations across the landscape of the country has partly alleviated the range anxiety of EV commuters. 

As per the recent Ministry of Heavy Industries data, India has installed 29,150 electric vehicle charging stations (EVCs) in the last five years, including fast chargers and slow chargers. 

Account of EV Chargers

The administrative measures have also pushed up the EV charging game. The government in Lok Sabha informed that setting up a charging station is an unlicensed activity, and private players can install an Electric Vehicle charging station as per the Ministry of Power (MoP) Guidelines of September 17, 2024. 

Of the total charging stations installed so far, the fast charging units make up about 30 percent share. India has installed 8,805 EV fast charging stations across its states and UTs. 

The slow chargers comprise the majority share of 70 percent with over 20,300 stations installed so far. 

Regional Distribution

Karnataka is the leader among all the UTs and states of India, registering 6,096 stations, almost a third more than Maharashtra’s 4,166. Uttar Pradesh follows with 2,316 EV charging stations installed so far in the Northern state. 

Rounding up the top 5 are Delhi and Tamil Nadu with installed numbers under the 2000 mark - 1957 and 1780, respectively.

Among the UTs, Jammu and Kashmir leads with about 180 installations achieved in the Northern state. 

Region-wise, the southern part of the subcontinent leads the nation with a 40 percent share contributed by just 6 states - Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana.

In the Fast Charging segment, Maharashtra is at the helm with over 1200 stations, followed by Tamil Nadu (926) and Karnataka (751).

In the Slow Charging segment, Karnataka is the leader with 5345 installations, almost double Maharashtra’s (2960+) number, which is second-placed.

FAME Status

The FAME-I and FAME-II have also boosted EV installations in India, together contributing over 9500 installations. Of these, FAME-I contributed 479, and FAME-II contributed roughly 4,100 stations. 

Apart from FAME, the government is also pushing electric mobility with various monetary and operational measures. An allocation of INR 2,000 crore has been made under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme for the deployment of EV charging infrastructure on a pan-India basis. The operational guidelines for the deployment of EVPCS were issued on September 26, 2025.

Despite this momentous growth, the industry needs more. A latest report from GameChanger Law Advisors and Speciale Invest claimed that to meet its ambitious 2030 EV adoption targets, India needs to install at least 3.9 million charging stations, making charging accessibility one of the most pressing challenges for the industry.