What’s in the news?

• • The ‘PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE)’ Scheme, recently approved by the Cabinet, came into effect recently, and will remain in force until March 31, 2026. 
  • The primary goal of the scheme is to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), develop essential charging infrastructure, and establish a robust EV manufacturing ecosystem across the country. 

• The scheme will be implemented by the Ministry of Heavy Industries. 

• PM E-DRIVE will replace the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) programme that ran for nine years. 

Highlights of the Scheme

• The scheme aims to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in India, focusing on electric two-wheelers (e-2Ws), electric three-wheelers (e-3Ws), electric buses, and other emerging EV categories.
• The PM E-DRIVE Scheme has three key components: 
  • demand incentives for various categories of EVs, 
  • grants for capital asset creation, and 
  • administrative provisions to support the scheme’s implementation. 
• These incentives aim to make EVs more affordable and drive their wider adoption across the country.