The Uttar Pradesh government has approved ₹50 crore to establish charging infrastructure across 19 districts, signaling an aggressive acceleration in the state’s plan to scale up electric buses from the current 200 to 5,000 over coming years.
An official order issued on Tuesday directs installation of charging stations at UPSRTC bus depots in 19 districts within the 2025-26 financial year. The complete project cost is estimated at ₹100 crore, with each charging station priced at ₹5 crore. According to officials, 50% covers civil work while the remainder funds six chargers, a dedicated power line with transformer.
The government issued the order following a March 18 communication from Prabhu Narain Singh, UPSRTC managing director. Departments have been directed to ensure timely execution within prescribed standards.
The move seeks to strengthen the electric mobility ecosystem in Uttar Pradesh, enabling broader rollout of electric buses while reducing dependence on fossil fuels. By sanctioning projects across multiple districts, the state aims to expand EV infrastructure beyond major urban centres, creating a more uniform public transport network powered by cleaner energy.
UPSRTC currently operates around 200 electric buses only in regions with existing charging infrastructure: Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Agra, Noida.
“At present we operate only around 200 EV buses in select regions but we have plans to gradually increase the number to 5,000 buses in the years to come. We have already floated tenders seeking to engage companies to run EV buses in partnership with the UPSRTC,” said Anil Kumar, general manager (operations).
All electric buses operating in the state are air-conditioned with fares identical to other AC buses run by UPSRTC. The buses have been supplied by three different companies.
19 districts approved for EV charging infrastructure funds
Azamgarh, Shahjahanpur, Kanpur, Jhansi, Badaun, Balia, Meerut, Sultanpur, Barabanki, Auraiya, Jalaun, Jaunpur, Bareilly, Sitapur, Hardoi, Saharanpur, Bijnor, Mirzapur, Mainpuri.
