Assessing Financing Challenges for Implementing the Large-scale Electric Bus Program in India

India plans to deploy 50,000-60,000 e-buses in the coming years. As e-bus deployment is a capital-intensive exercise, effective and innovative financing pathways become critical for scaling up India’s e-bus ambitions successfully.

This working paper aims to understand the early-stage challenges in India’s e-bus financing from financier and operator perspectives, drawing from various stakeholders and expert consultations. It also provides insights into the critical interventions needed to encourage Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) aimed at accelerating the deployment of large-scale e-bus projects to build a sustainable, affordable, and resilient public transport ecosystem.