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Punjab lags in EV transition, ranks 16th among 17 large states: NITI aayog report
Prepared by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the World Resources Institute (WRI) India, the index assesses the progress of states and Union territories towards electric mobility across policy measures, EV adoption, charging infrastructure, and research and innovation
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Punjab has ranked 16th among 17 large states in the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025, scoring only 39 out of 100, down from 44 in 2024. The state remains in the “emerging performer” category, while neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan are in the higher “front runner” bracket, with both scoring 51 points. The report was released on September 17.
Prepared by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the World Resources Institute (WRI) India, the index assesses the progress of states and Union territories towards electric mobility across policy measures, EV adoption, charging infrastructure, and research and innovation. The 2025 edition assesses progress during January-December 2025.
Punjab was ranked 21st among 36 states and Union territories overall and 16th among the 17 large states. Only Gujarat, with 38 points, was placed below Punjab, with 39 points in the large-state category. Maharashtra topped the large-state category with 78 points, followed by Karnataka with 73 and Tamil Nadu with 61.
The index assesses three broad parameters—transport electrification progress, charging infrastructure readiness, and EV research and innovation status. Punjab scored 36 in transport electrification, 43 in charging infrastructure readiness and 39 in research and innovation.
Transport electrification emerged as Punjab’s weakest area. The state scored 49 on private EV adoption and just 15 on commercial EV adoption, while its governance initiatives score stood at 67. Its charger-to-vehicle ratio received a score of 40.
The charging infrastructure assessment presents a mixed picture. Punjab scored 100 on building bye-laws for EV charging, but scored zero on capital subsidies for public charging infrastructure and transition initiatives. The index assesses charging infrastructure development through indicators including charger availability, state support, building regulations, renewable energy capacity and power availability.
The fall in Punjab’s score and ranking, however, needs to be viewed in the context of changes to the IEMI methodology. The 2025 edition introduced separate peer groups for large states, Union territories and city states, besides updating data sources and refining indicator, estimation and normalisation methods.
Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) chief executive officer Abhijeet Kaplish said he had not yet studied the report and would comment after going through its findings.
Report calls for strongersupport
The report recommends that Punjab step up measures to accelerate EV adoption and strengthen the supporting ecosystem. These include incentives for vehicle scrapping and retrofitting, permit exemptions for commercial EVs, lower electricity tariffs for charging stations and greater support for charging infrastructure.
It also calls for stronger support for EV-related research, innovation and skill development, including the establishment of centres of excellence for EV skill development.
EV sales rise despite low index score
The relatively low IEMI score comes despite a sharp increase in EV sales in Punjab. The state recorded 35,631 EV sales in 2025, up from 24,008 in 2024, according to data from the Union ministry of road transport and highways. More than 7,540 EVs were registered during the first three months of 2026.
Two-wheelers have been the main driver of this growth. Their sales rose from 19,858 in 2024 to 27,264 in 2025, compared with 8,758 in 2023. A further 5,322 electric two-wheelers were registered during January-March 2026.
The four-wheeler segment also witnessed significant growth, with sales increasing from 4,150 in 2024 to 8,367 in 2025, against 791 in 2023. Another 2,218 electric cars were registered during the first quarter of 2026.
The transition, however, remains uneven across vehicle categories. Only 13 electric buses were registered in 2024 and one in 2025, while no electric bus had been registered in Punjab during the first quarter of 2026.
EV policy extended till February 2027
Meanwhile, Punjab’s three-year EV policy, introduced in February 2023 to promote electric mobility and EV and component manufacturing, has been extended by one year until February 20, 2027. The policy provides purchase incentives and includes provisions for charging stations and EV infrastructure.
