Tamil Nadu Accelerates EV Ambitions with Infrastructure Push Amid National Policy Shift

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:

As India positions itself for a green transport revolution, Tamil Nadu is moving swiftly to cement its leadership in the electric vehicle (EV) sector by launching  its first high-level workshop on EV infrastructure — a move that highlights both strategic foresight and a pragmatic response to emerging national policy shifts.

The workshop, convened under the auspices of Pallavan Transport Consultancy Services — recently designated as the nodal agency for the initiative — represents a significant milestone in the state’s clean mobility roadmap. It also comes at a time when the central government’s ₹10,000 crore PM e-DRIVE scheme is poised to reshape the national landscape for EV charging infrastructure.

T. Prabhushankar, Managing Director of Pallavan Transport Consultancy Services detailed how the workshop aimed to operationalise Tamil Nadu’s EV ambitions. “This is about building the backbone for a statewide charging network, particularly around the PM e-DRIVE Public Charging Station initiative,” he said, pointing to the importance of cross-agency alignment, including land authorities and regulatory entities such as TANGEDCO.

The workshop was not merely a planning session but an attempt to forge consensus among stakeholders ranging from Charge Point Operators and Original Equipment Manufacturers to policy regulators and land-owning departments. Their collective input is expected to inform a soon-to-be-finalised implementation framework — one that will likely be deployed ahead of the Centre’s finalised national guidelines.

At the centre of this policy recalibration is the Union government's vision to deploy over 72,000 EV charging stations nationwide. Tamil Nadu, with its early-mover advantage, is positioning itself to capture a disproportionate share of the associated central funding. Of the ₹10,000 crore earmarked for the national rollout, ₹2,000 crore has been set aside for public charging infrastructure alone.

In an important structural shift, the state has formed a high-level steering committee chaired by the Chief Secretary. The body includes senior officials from the departments of transport, energy, finance, and urban development — a nod to the interdepartmental complexity of building EV infrastructure at scale. This committee will vet proposals and oversee implementation, helping Tamil Nadu tap into central subsidies that can cover up to 80% of infrastructure costs for specific categories of chargers.

The state’s ambition to become a clean mobility hub also dovetails with a broader industrial policy realignment. The rebranding of Pallavan Transport Consultancy Services to the Tamil Nadu Mobility and Logistics Corporation marks a symbolic expansion of the state's transport vision, from legacy bus services to a wider remit that includes EV logistics, infrastructure, and sustainable mobility solutions.

While most Indian states are still calibrating their response to the evolving national policy environment, Tamil Nadu appears intent on racing ahead. It already hosts a growing cluster of EV manufacturers and component suppliers — a foundation that policymakers are now leveraging with infrastructure development.

The state’s swift mobilisation could offer a template for others. Rather than waiting for federal clarity, Tamil Nadu is hedging early with its own framework — a move that could pay dividends not only in federal funding but also in investor confidence.








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