SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government is working on a new Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy that proposes a major expansion of electric mobility across the Union Territory, including targets for EV adoption, charging infrastructure, workforce development and renewable-energy integration over the next six years.
The framework of the Draft Jammu and Kashmir Electric Vehicle Policy 2026 was reviewed by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo at a meeting here on Friday. The draft has been formulated by the Transport Department with support from the Centre for Innovation and Transformation in Governance (CITaG).
Dulloo called for a “reliability-first” and fiscally prudent approach to EV adoption, stressing that expansion should be preceded by adequate service readiness, dependable charging infrastructure and validation of vehicle performance under J&K’s challenging climatic and geographical conditions.
He directed that implementation be taken up in a phased manner, beginning with service preparedness before expansion of charging corridors and wider market adoption.
The Chief Secretary stressed that EV deployment in J&K must account for the Union Territory’s terrain, climatic conditions and sub-zero operating environments, particularly along difficult routes. He said infrastructure and vehicle performance should be tested under actual field conditions before the policy is scaled up.
The draft policy envisages that by the end of six years, EVs would account for 40 per cent of new personal four-wheeler registrations, 35 per cent of two-wheelers, 30 per cent of buses and 25 per cent of taxis and shared mobility vehicles.
A significant expansion of charging infrastructure has also been proposed. From a current baseline of around 180 public charging stations, the network is planned to increase to 450 sites by the third year and 900 sites by the sixth year.
The proposed network would include 140 priority fast-charging hubs, with each hub targeted to maintain at least 98 per cent monthly uptime.
Given J&K’s winter conditions, the draft policy proposes a dedicated Winter Validation Protocol to assess battery thermal behaviour, low-temperature charging acceptance and the effect of cabin heating on vehicle performance.
On the financial side, Dulloo called for government support to remain targeted towards strategic gaps and capacity building, while stressing greater reliance on centrally sponsored schemes, including PM E-DRIVE, as the principal fiscal support for the transition.
The draft also proposes incentives for early EV adopters. Eligible buyers may be offered either interest subvention of up to 3 per cent per annum or a rolling top-up support, with the two benefits not being available simultaneously.
An annual scrappage exchange bonus has also been proposed for a maximum period of three years. The benefit would be available through authorised scrappage channels and subject to verification through a centralised digital database.
The policy further proposes integrating EV charging demand with the power system through Time-of-Day tariffs and solar-hour charging, with a target of achieving 40 per cent renewable-energy integration in charging operations during the policy period.
Dulloo also directed that electrification of the government fleet be undertaken in a phased and need-based manner, taking into account the terrain, climatic conditions and operational requirements of different parts of J&K.
He asked the Law Department to undertake the requisite legal vetting of the draft before its finalisation.
Transport Secretary Avny Lavasa said the proposed policy had been structured around eight strategic pillars, covering EV adoption, charging infrastructure, workforce development, fiscal support, power-system integration and environmental outcomes, among other areas.
The meeting was attended by senior officers from the Power Development Department, Finance, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Law and Transport departments, besides the Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations and subject experts from CITaG.
