Catalysing Progress: Overview of UITP India’s Research Project on Advancing Electric Buses in India

According to UITP’s knowledge base, bus is the most used mode of public transport around the world. As cities across the world race to deploy cleaner, more inclusive mobility systems, India stands at a defining moment in its public transport journey. Buses remain the backbone of daily commuting for millions and now, they are at the centre of a bold shift toward sustainability. With the growing importance to tackle climate change and reduce air pollution, electric buses (e-buses) have emerged as a key solution to decarbonise public transport. 

Backed by international climate commitments and progressive national policy frameworks, the e-bus sector in India is gaining remarkable momentum where 2,100 e-buses were registered between January and June 2025 alone. But beyond the numbers lies a more complex story of opportunities, challenges, and the critical need for systemic transformation. Through the research project on ‘Advancing Electric Buses in India’, UITP India explored what it really takes to accelerate e-bus adoption at scale. From identifying hidden roadblocks and rethinking deployment strategies to building the skills and institutions needed to sustain this transition — this research project aimed at providing a roadmap for Indian cities to advance toward a greener future through the following activities:

1. National level support on supply improvement of e-buses in India 
2. Technical assistance to cities in deployment of e-buses 
3. Capacity building programmes

From hosting a National Workshop for International Electric Bus OEMs to publishing two key knowledge products — Enablers and Barriers for E-Bus Manufacturing in India, and Payment Security Mechanism (PSM) ushering a new era of Electric Bus deployment in India UITP India has been at the forefront of supporting India’s transition to sustainable, green mobility.

Through these efforts, the research project has contributed to shaping an ecosystem that strengthens both policy and practice in the e-bus landscape. By leveraging its wide network of national and international member OEMs, UITP has actively facilitated dialogues between industry and government, helping bridge critical information and coordination gaps. These initiatives have provided insights into the challenges and opportunities within India’s e-bus manufacturing space, and laid the foundation for more robust market readiness, and supply-side resilience.

Simultaneously with the macro level of improving supply readiness of the e-bus ecosystem, at the micro level of the city, technical assistance had been extended to the cities of Thiruvananthapuram, Chandigarh, and Bengaluru, each representing a unique operating environment and set of challenges. Rather than applying a one-rule-fits-all approach, UITP India adopted city-specific strategy for each of the three cities, allowing for the design and demonstration of targeted, context-driven, and scalable solutions. This ensured the diverse realities of each urban setting ranging from operational models and institutional capacities to geographical conditions, fleet size, and passenger demand were taken into consideration while providing actionable insights to optimise e-bus planning, operations, and management. 

By integrating global learnings with local priorities, the research project not only strengthened the technical capabilities of the participating cities but also created replicable models for other urban centres aiming to scale up their e-bus transitions effectively.

At UITP, we believe that the transition to e-buses is not just about technology but also about people, partnerships, and preparedness. With that in mind, a series of focused training programmes designed to empower those at the frontline of India’s e-bus journey was conducted. What made these trainings truly impactful was that they were carefully curated, shaped directly by the feedback and needs of the very institutions managing e-buses on the ground. There were three training programmes conducted under the research project:

• Management of Electric Buses, 28-29 November 2023, New Delhi
• Deployment and Infrastructure Management for Electric Buses, 27-28 June 2024, Pune
• Emerging Practices in Electric Bus Management and Sustainable Operations, 6-7 March 2025, Bengaluru

Across these three training programmes, we brought together over 100 professionals from more than 30 cities across India, creating a vibrant space for learning, collaboration, and innovation. Through these capacity building initiatives, not only a platform for sharing knowledge was created but it also enabled building a community of practice committed to making electric mobility a sustainable, scalable reality in Indian cities.

As conversations around sustainable urban transport continue to gain momentum, UITP India International Bus Seminar 2024 marked a significant milestone in India’s journey toward cleaner mobility. Held on 21–22 November 2025 in New Delhi, the seminar brought together over 100 participants across the world to explore the evolving landscape of e-buses in India. Organised by UITP India with the support of NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), and the Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU), the event served as a high-impact forum for dialogue, collaboration, and innovation. With 23 distinguished speakers from India and abroad, the seminar sparked rich discussions on the current state of the e-bus sector and its transformative potential in reshaping urban mobility. Experts shared insights on policy frameworks, operational models, and technological advancements, offering a comprehensive view of how e-buses can drive sustainable change.

As India stands on the cusp of a mobility revolution, e-buses offer more than a cleaner commute by representing a bold shift toward sustainable, inclusive cities. Through focused research, collaborative efforts, and on-ground capacity building, the Advancing Electric Buses in India project has laid the foundation for systemic change. With the right momentum, policies, and partnerships, India is poised to lead the way in transforming urban transit through electric mobility that is sustainable, smart, scalable, and future-ready.

Read the executive summary of the full research project here.