Mumbai, India’s financial capital, is ramping up efforts to tackle rising air pollution by transitioning its public transport system to electric buses. The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, responsible for managing the city’s bus fleet, plans to convert over 50% of its buses to electric by March 2026, with the goal of electrifying the entire fleet by March 2027.
BEST has placed an order for 2,650 single-decker electric buses and intends to purchase an additional 273 large and 237 mid-sized air-conditioned electric buses. However, it is unclear whether these new orders are in addition to or included in previous contracts for 2,100 units ordered in May 2022 and 2,400 units ordered in February 2024, both from Olectra Greentech.
In addition to its single-decker buses, BEST operates a fleet of iconic double-decker buses, and it has recently retired its fossil fuel-powered double-deckers, replacing them with 50 electric ones. The city plans to deploy 1,200 more electric double-decker buses as part of its electrification push.
The total number of electric buses currently in service by BEST remains unclear, with reports suggesting the fleet includes 711 zero-emission units. However, BEST has encountered significant delays in deliveries from electric bus manufacturers. Olectra Greentech, which was contracted to supply 2,100 electric buses, has fallen behind schedule, delivering only 160 units by the deadline. The company is reportedly facing penalties, and a show-cause notice has been issued.
Similarly, BEST has faced setbacks in its order for air-conditioned electric double-decker buses, with one entire contract of 700 units being canceled after a contractor failed to deliver even a single unit. The company currently holds a contract for 200 units, reportedly from Switch Mobility, but has yet to procure any further units since adding 50 double-decker buses in February. While Indian electric bus manufacturers have made large-scale commitments, execution challenges continue to impede the timely delivery of these vehicles.
