Centre, CESL join hands to develop EV charging infrastructure on Panchayat lands

Hyderabad: In a significant initiative to take India’s clean mobility revolution to the grassroots, the Union Government is set to empower Gram Panchayats across the country by enabling them to develop electric vehicle (EV) charging and battery-swapping infrastructure on Panchayat-owned lands.

The initiative is aimed at creating sustainable sources of revenue for rural local bodies while contributing to climate action, reducing carbon emissions and strengthening India’s transition towards cleaner mobility.

To this effect, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) have joined hands to explore the development of EV charging stations and battery-swapping facilities across Gram, Block and District Panchayats across states.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing the framework for this collaboration was exchanged in New Delhi between Mukta Shekhar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, and Akhilesh Kumar Dixit, CEO, CESL.
By leveraging Panchayat-owned land, including locations along State and National Highways and premises near Gram Panchayat offices, the initiative seeks to create a geographically widespread network of clean mobility infrastructure.

Revenue generated through the establishment and operation of EV charging and battery-swapping facilities can provide Panchayats with additional Own Source Revenue (OSR), enabling them to support local development activities and strengthen rural infrastructure.

The proposed infrastructure will cater to a wide range of electric vehicles, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. This is expected to strengthen the enabling ecosystem for EV adoption in rural and semi-urban areas, while improving connectivity and accessibility for electric vehicle users travelling across the country.

Akhilesh Kumar Dixit said that under the MoU, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj would facilitate and monitor coordination with State Panchayati Raj Departments for identifying suitable Panchayat locations and ensuring institutional cooperation.

CESL will undertake location assessments, demand aggregation and the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of EV charging and/or battery-swapping infrastructure at selected sites. It will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the facilities under the proposed framework.