OMCs add 10,000+ EV charging stations in FY25, total crosses 25,800

Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) — Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd — have significantly expanded their electric vehicle charging infrastructure, adding over 10,000 new Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year. With this addition, the total number of EVCS at their retail outlets stood at 25,852 as of March 1, 2025.

Of these, 5,817 stations were set up under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME-II) scheme, while 20,035 were installed using the OMCs’ own funds. The cumulative number stood at about 15,800 as of March 31, 2024, recording a sharp increase in installations during the current fiscal. Indian Oil alone accounts for over 50 per cent of the total EVCS deployed by OMCs.

Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra are the top states in terms of ECVS installations by these companies.

To further accelerate the expansion, the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has sanctioned ₹873.50 crore under FAME-II to the three OMCs for the installation of 10,585 additional charging stations, Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Verma, said in a Rajya Sabha response on Friday.

Also, the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM EDRIVE) scheme, launched on September 29, 2024, has earmarked ₹10,900 crore for two years, with ₹2,000 crore specifically allocated for setting up Electric Vehicle Public Charging Stations (EVPCS) across the country.

Meanwhile, an official from an Oil Marketing Company (OMC) stated that while the number of charging stations at fuel outlets, including the ones on highways, is steadily increasing, electric vehicle turnout has not kept pace. “The infrastructure is expanding, but the footfall at these charging stations is still not at the expected levels. Many stations are operating at low utilisation rates,” he added.

Charging time

Concerns over charging time and the preference of many EV owners to charge their vehicles at home are cited as key reasons for low utilisation levels.

Industry experts also highlight “range anxiety” as a major barrier to mass EV adoption in India. “With just one public charger available for every 135 EVs—far below the global average of one charger per six to twenty EVs—charging infrastructure remains a top concern for potential buyers, according to TrendLyne data.

Meanwhile, private companies have been making significant investments to expand India’s EV charging infrastructure over the past five years. Leading the charge are key players like Charge Zone, Tata Power, and Statiq, which have been rapidly deploying charging stations across the country. Tata Motors, India’s largest electric passenger vehicle (PV) manufacturer by volumes, has announced a plan to more than double the number of charging points by 2027.