India’s top electric bus makers prepare for a major government tender covering over 6,230 e buses worth more than ₹60 billion.
India’s leading electric bus manufacturers are gearing up to participate in the Centre’s next large procurement of electric buses, with the government floating a tender for more than 6,230 e-buses valued at over ₹60 billion. The buses will be deployed across five major cities Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad as part of the Centre’s ongoing push to electrify public transport and curb urban pollution.
The tender, issued by Convergence Energy Services Ltd, a government entity responsible for aggregating demand for electric buses, opened for bidding on 9 January and will close on 10 March. Delhi is set to receive the largest allocation of 3,330 electric buses in this round, followed by Mumbai with 1,500 units, Pune with 1,000, and Hyderabad and Ahmedabad with 200 buses each.
Major manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, VE Commercial Vehicles, PMI Electro Mobility, Eka Mobility and Olectra Greentech are expected to be involved in the process. The latest tender follows the recent conclusion of the Centre’s largest-ever e-bus order for 10,900 units under the PM e-Drive scheme, where PMI Electro Mobility and Eka Mobility together secured more than two-thirds of the orders.
The procurement follows the gross cost contract model, under which manufacturers supply buses to fleet operators, who are responsible for operations and maintenance over a period of 10 to 12 years. Payments are made on a per-kilometre basis, reducing balance sheet risks for manufacturers and easing adoption for state transport undertakings.
Electric buses under the tender will include multiple configurations, ranging from 7-metre to 12-metre variants, with both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned options, supporting India’s broader clean mobility goals.
