SRINAGAR: The Union Government has said that the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has not carried out any assessment of the requirement for a comprehensive public electric vehicle (EV) charging network in Ladakh, including along the strategically important Leh–Manali and Srinagar–Leh highways.
The Ministry, however, said that 13 public EV charging stations (EVPCS) had been sanctioned for Ladakh under the FAME-II scheme, of which 12 were operational as of July 1, 2026.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1541, asked by Shri Mohmad Haneefa on July 28.
In response to questions on whether the Government had assessed Ladakh’s charging requirements and planned to establish charging stations at fuel stations and other public locations, the Ministry said no such assessment had been carried out as of July 23, 2026
It also clarified that setting up EV charging stations is an unlicensed activity, allowing institutions and entities, including EV and EV-charger manufacturers and private players, to establish, operate and maintain charging stations anywhere in India.
The Ministry said £912.50 crore was allocated under the FAME-II scheme for setting up public EV charging stations, while £2,000 crore has been allocated under the PM E-DRIVE scheme for deployment of public EV charging stations across India, including Ladakh. However, it said no state-wise allocation had been made under FAME-II.
Importantly, the Centre said no proposal had been received from Ladakh under the PM E-DRIVE scheme.
The Ministry said the figures for FAME-II charging stations in Ladakh were based on information received from three oil marketing companies—Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL).
The Government was also asked about viability gap funding, capital subsidies and other incentives for charging infrastructure in remote and sparsely populated regions, as well as measures to promote electric mobility in Ladakh’s environmentally sensitive Himalayan landscape.
In its reply, the Ministry did not cite any specific assessment or proposal for Ladakh under PM E-DRIVE, but said the scheme’s £2,000-crore allocation for public EV charging stations covers the region as part of its pan-India deployment.
The response comes amid growing attention to sustainable transport infrastructure in Ladakh, where the high-altitude terrain, sparse population and long inter-city distances pose distinct challenges for the expansion of electric mobility and charging infrastructure.
