India’s EV Push: Charging Stations Multiply at Petrol Pumps

India’s electric mobility transition gathered pace in 2025 with a sharp expansion of public charging infrastructure—right where motorists already stop. Petrol pumps across the country are rapidly doubling up as EV charging hubs, signalling a pragmatic shift in how India plans to scale electric transport.

According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas’ year-end review, over 27,400 electric vehicle charging stations are now operational at fuel retail outlets nationwide. Of these, 8,932 stations were installed under the government’s FAME-II scheme, while public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) added more than 18,500 chargers using their own capital.

The logic is simple: range anxiety drops sharply when chargers are placed at familiar, high-traffic locations. By embedding EV charging into existing fuel infrastructure, the government is reducing friction for first-time EV buyers and accelerating adoption across cities and highways.

This push is also part of a broader reimagining of fuel stations. OMCs are developing 4,000 ‘Energy Stations’ between 2024-25 and 2028-29 along key corridors. These integrated hubs will offer petrol, diesel, CNG, LNG (where feasible), biofuels—and EV charging under one roof. As of November 2025, 1,064 such Energy Stations were already operational.

The transition is not limited to passenger vehicles. Under the ‘APNA GHAR’ initiative, over 500 rest areas for truck drivers were created, improving road safety, driver welfare and rural employment—critical enablers as electric and cleaner freight solutions gain traction.

Parallel gains were recorded in cleaner fuels. Ethanol blending in petrol reached 19.24% in 2024-25, delivering foreign exchange savings of over ₹1.55 lakh crore while cutting carbon emissions. Second-generation ethanol plants at Panipat and Numaligarh marked important milestones under the JI-VAN Yojana.

Meanwhile, fuel retail modernisation continued. Over 90,000 outlets now support digital payments, backed by more than 2.7 lakh POS terminals. Door-to-door fuel delivery expanded through 3,200+ bowsers, and sanitation facilities were upgraded across nearly all retail outlets.

Together, these moves underline a clear strategy: India’s energy transition will not be built from scratch—it will be layered onto the infrastructure people already trust and use.