Delhi’s state-owned public transport operator has added 500 electric buses to its fleet, reinforcing the Indian capital’s push to reduce urban emissions and expand clean mobility across city and regional routes.
The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) flagged off the new buses on Sunday, bringing the total number of electric buses added over the past year to about 2,000, according to officials present at the launch ceremony. The latest deployment lifts Delhi’s electric bus fleet to 4,286 vehicles, the largest among Indian states and union territories.
The newly inducted buses include nine-metre and twelve-metre models, most of which will operate on city routes. A portion of the smaller buses will be assigned to the Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector (DEVi) programme, designed to provide last-mile electric connectivity between neighbourhoods, metro stations and main bus corridors.
A limited number of vehicles from the new batch have also been deployed on an interstate route linking Delhi with Panipat, around 87 kilometres to the north in the neighbouring state of Haryana. The electric bus service on this corridor carries a fare of 129 rupees, the operator said.
“This milestone reflects how quickly Delhi is transitioning to cleaner public transport,” said Nitin Nabin, national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, at the flag-off event.
The electric buses have been supplied by domestic manufacturers including JBM, Switch Mobility, and PMI Electro Mobility. JBM’s contribution includes nine-metre Ecolife e9 models with a reported range of up to 300 kilometres, while Switch Mobility supplied low-floor 12-metre EiV12 buses designed for high-capacity urban use.
Looking ahead, Delhi’s government has outlined further expansion plans. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the capital aims to grow its electric bus fleet to 7,500 vehicles by the end of 2026 and to around 14,000 units by 2028, alongside new policies to encourage electric rickshaws and other low-emission transport options.
