IIMB to host stakeholder dialogue on charging infrastructure for ZETs on 16 April 2025
The consultation aims to refine Bharat ZET Policy Advisory priorities and accelerate EV transition in road freight
15 April, 2025, Bengaluru: As part of its ongoing efforts to decarbonize the freight sector, NITI Aayog, under its e-FAST India initiative, in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (O/o PSA) to the Government of India, will host a high-level stakeholder consultation on 16 April 2025, at Classroom N-001, IIM Bangalore.
The event is supported by e-FAST India Knowledge Partners—the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and the TCI-IIMB Supply Chain Sustainability Lab, seeking to refine the policy priorities outlined in the Bharat ZET Policy Advisory, specifically focusing on informing the strategic planning and effective deployment of highway charging infrastructure.
Objective
By gathering diverse stakeholder perspectives, this consultation will enable policy recommendations that are practical, impactful, and directly contribute in enabling the widespread adoption of Zero Emission Trucks (ZETs) for long-haul transportation across India's highways. Through a roundtable and interactive co-creation workshop, key stakeholders—including policymakers, charge point operators, OEMs, battery manufacturers, users/drivers, DISCOMs, and fleet operators—will collaborate on developing strategies for optimal EV charging station deployment. The discussions will address economic, operational, and infrastructural challenges to ensure a seamless transition to ZETs along India’s critical freight corridors.
The Urgency of ZET Adoption
India’s road freight sector accounts for over 71% of India's freight movement, with trucks—just 3% of the vehicle fleet—contributing over a third of transport-related CO₂ emissions. Transitioning to electric trucks is critical to achieving India’s target of net zero emissions by 2070.
The Electric Freight Accelerator for Sustainable Transport, India (e-FAST India) initiative, launched by NITI Aayog in 2022, aims to accelerate the adoption of electric trucks in the medium- and heavy-duty segments and overcome barriers like high initial costs, insufficient charging infrastructure, and operational challenges by convening key stakeholders to collaboratively develop solutions for accelerating the ZET adoption.
The PM E-DRIVE Scheme, a first-of-its-kind government initiative, supports this shift by allocating Rs. 500 crores over two years to incentivize electric trucks. A clear, long-term policy trajectory is crucial for building industry confidence across India's diverse logistics landscape and widespread ZET adoption.
In March 2023, the Principal Scientific Adviser’s office released the Technical Roadmap for ZETs in India, emphasizing key technologies and policy measures for decarbonizing the freight sector. Aligned with this technical roadmap, the office of PSA launched the Bharat ZET Policy Advisory on August 21, 2024. This policy advisory, proposing 30 key interventions across incentives, regulations, infrastructure, financing, and stakeholder engagement, is poised to be a transformative document for the industry. The advisory is envisioned as a dynamic, technology-agnostic document, designed to accommodate India’s rapid technological advancements. Open to further inputs from stakeholders, the evolving framework of the advisory will help ensure India remains on track to meet its freight decarbonization targets.
These recommendations include incentives such as demand charge waivers, concessional land allocation for charging infrastructure, accelerated depreciation for EV and charging investments, and tax credits for refuelling infrastructure. The ZET Policy Advisory emphasizes the importance of aligning charging infrastructure development with broader decarbonization goals, prioritizing medium- and long-term strategies to address the challenges of highway electrification.
Strategically planned highway charging infrastructure serves as a multi-modal solution, supporting the electrification of ZETs, intercity buses, and private EVs, thereby ensuring that highway corridors become accessible and efficient for all types of EVs. Highways, being critical transit corridors, require well-planned charging stations to ensure seamless travel for EV users while addressing challenges like range anxiety. However, the deployment of EV charging stations involves diverse stakeholders, each with unique priorities and perspectives.
Key segments of the agenda:
- Welcome Address by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
- Keynote Address by Shri Sudhendu J. Sinha, Adviser, NITI Aayog.
- Context Setting and Policy Deep Dive by CEEW.
- Stakeholder Roundtable and Interactive Workshop focusing on charging infrastructure strategies.
- Discussions on Measuring Freight Emissions and aligning infrastructure with long-term decarbonization goals.
IIMB to host stakeholder dialogue on charging infrastructure for ZETs on 16 April 2025
The consultation aims to refine Bharat ZET Policy Advisory priorities and accelerate EV transition in road freight
15 April, 2025, Bengaluru: As part of its ongoing efforts to decarbonize the freight sector, NITI Aayog, under its e-FAST India initiative, in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (O/o PSA) to the Government of India, will host a high-level stakeholder consultation on 16 April 2025, at Classroom N-001, IIM Bangalore.
The event is supported by e-FAST India Knowledge Partners—the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and the TCI-IIMB Supply Chain Sustainability Lab, seeking to refine the policy priorities outlined in the Bharat ZET Policy Advisory, specifically focusing on informing the strategic planning and effective deployment of highway charging infrastructure.
Objective
By gathering diverse stakeholder perspectives, this consultation will enable policy recommendations that are practical, impactful, and directly contribute in enabling the widespread adoption of Zero Emission Trucks (ZETs) for long-haul transportation across India's highways. Through a roundtable and interactive co-creation workshop, key stakeholders—including policymakers, charge point operators, OEMs, battery manufacturers, users/drivers, DISCOMs, and fleet operators—will collaborate on developing strategies for optimal EV charging station deployment. The discussions will address economic, operational, and infrastructural challenges to ensure a seamless transition to ZETs along India’s critical freight corridors.
The Urgency of ZET Adoption
India’s road freight sector accounts for over 71% of India's freight movement, with trucks—just 3% of the vehicle fleet—contributing over a third of transport-related CO₂ emissions. Transitioning to electric trucks is critical to achieving India’s target of net zero emissions by 2070.
The Electric Freight Accelerator for Sustainable Transport, India (e-FAST India) initiative, launched by NITI Aayog in 2022, aims to accelerate the adoption of electric trucks in the medium- and heavy-duty segments and overcome barriers like high initial costs, insufficient charging infrastructure, and operational challenges by convening key stakeholders to collaboratively develop solutions for accelerating the ZET adoption.
The PM E-DRIVE Scheme, a first-of-its-kind government initiative, supports this shift by allocating Rs. 500 crores over two years to incentivize electric trucks. A clear, long-term policy trajectory is crucial for building industry confidence across India's diverse logistics landscape and widespread ZET adoption.
In March 2023, the Principal Scientific Adviser’s office released the Technical Roadmap for ZETs in India, emphasizing key technologies and policy measures for decarbonizing the freight sector. Aligned with this technical roadmap, the office of PSA launched the Bharat ZET Policy Advisory on August 21, 2024. This policy advisory, proposing 30 key interventions across incentives, regulations, infrastructure, financing, and stakeholder engagement, is poised to be a transformative document for the industry. The advisory is envisioned as a dynamic, technology-agnostic document, designed to accommodate India’s rapid technological advancements. Open to further inputs from stakeholders, the evolving framework of the advisory will help ensure India remains on track to meet its freight decarbonization targets.
These recommendations include incentives such as demand charge waivers, concessional land allocation for charging infrastructure, accelerated depreciation for EV and charging investments, and tax credits for refuelling infrastructure. The ZET Policy Advisory emphasizes the importance of aligning charging infrastructure development with broader decarbonization goals, prioritizing medium- and long-term strategies to address the challenges of highway electrification.
Strategically planned highway charging infrastructure serves as a multi-modal solution, supporting the electrification of ZETs, intercity buses, and private EVs, thereby ensuring that highway corridors become accessible and efficient for all types of EVs. Highways, being critical transit corridors, require well-planned charging stations to ensure seamless travel for EV users while addressing challenges like range anxiety. However, the deployment of EV charging stations involves diverse stakeholders, each with unique priorities and perspectives.
Key segments of the agenda:
- Welcome Address by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
- Keynote Address by Shri Sudhendu J. Sinha, Adviser, NITI Aayog.
- Context Setting and Policy Deep Dive by CEEW.
- Stakeholder Roundtable and Interactive Workshop focusing on charging infrastructure strategies.
- Discussions on Measuring Freight Emissions and aligning infrastructure with long-term decarbonization goals.