'New EV policy will help long-term car owners': Delhi CM Rekha Gupta
Her remarks come days after the Delhi government unveiled the EV Policy 2026 to accelerate electric vehicle adoption and expand charging infrastructure.
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday described the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2026 as a “common man-centric” initiative designed to benefit families that typically own a single vehicle for long periods, while urging residents to embrace electric mobility.
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta during her interview at her official residence Raj Niwas Marg in New Delhi, India. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)
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Speaking to HT during an interview at her official residence, Gupta said: “There is still a huge segment where families buy one vehicle and keep it for years, and these families will see the benefit of this policy”.
Her remarks come days after the Delhi government unveiled the EV Policy 2026 to accelerate electric vehicle adoption and expand charging infrastructure across the capital. “If the people of the city care for Delhi, they will take advantage of this common man-centric policy’s benefits,” Gupta said, linking the transition to improving the city’s air quality.
The policy comes against the backdrop of existing end-of-life vehicle rules, introduced in the National Capital Region (NCR) to control air pollution, under which petrol vehicles are deregistered after 15 years and diesel vehicles after 10 years.
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Addressing infrastructure concerns, Gupta said the government plans to share the responsibility of building the network with private players and residential bodies rather than relying solely on public agencies. “We have shared the burden of increasing charging points with manufacturers, dealers, RWAs and institutions, who will all set up charging points at vehicle dealerships, within housing complexes and commercial spaces where a large number of vehicles are parked. So, the government, OEMs and private sector will all develop charging points,” she said.
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Addressing infrastructure concerns, Gupta said the government plans to share the responsibility of building the network with private players and residential bodies rather than relying solely on public agencies. “We have shared the burden of increasing charging points with manufacturers, dealers, RWAs and institutions, who will all set up charging points at vehicle dealerships, within housing complexes and commercial spaces where a large number of vehicles are parked. So, the government, OEMs and private sector will all develop charging points,” she said.
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Gupta also outlined the government’s approach towards unauthorised colonies and jhuggi clusters, stressing that the focus will remain on legal recognition and regularisation before redevelopment. “There are over 700 jhuggi clusters that have developed over time. We cannot make hundreds of thousands of people homeless without providing an alternative,” she said.
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The government is working to formally authorise these settlements so residents can register properties and access institutional finance. “Once they start getting registered, they will be able to take loans on their property and then they will be able to properly reconstruct safer structures,” Gupta added.
Somya Lakhani is the Metro Editor at Hindustan Times based in New Delhi, with over a decade of experience reporting on crime, gender, labour, politics, and heritage. She heads a team of reporters who cover governance, law and order, the environment, civic agencies, culture, and education, while also leading coverage of some of India's most significant public-interest stories. She started her career at The Indian Express in 2010, where she worked till 2021. She began her career as a features writer before switching to crime reporting. After that, she joined online news portal The Quint as the Current Affairs Editor and headed a team of reporters who worked on long format stories, videos, and immersives. In 2023, she returned to the print newsroom and joined Hindustan Times, where she co-wrote a coffee table book on the history of the newspaper as the voice of the nation for its centennial celebrations. In January 2025, she started her stint as HT’s Metro Editor. She studied history at Delhi University’s Miranda House, and then completed a diploma in journalism from Indian Express’s Express Institute of Media Studies (EXIMS) in 2010.
Snehil Sinha is an Assistant Editor with the Delhi Metro bureau of Hindustan Times, where she reports on politics, governance, public policy, urban infrastructure and transport, subjects that shape the everyday lives of millions in the national capital. Over a journalism career spanning 14 years, she has built a reputation for meticulous, data-driven reporting that combines on-ground perspectives with policy analysis. She began her career with The Indian Express before joining Hindustan Times, where she has reported extensively on civic administration and urban governance in Gurugram, Noida and now Delhi. Her reporting is distinguished by its clarity, depth and balance. Whether covering large-scale infrastructure projects, environmental challenges, transport reforms or government policy, she tries to translate complex administrative decisions into accessible, engaging stories without losing nuance. Her work reflects a strong command of public records, official data and field reporting, often connecting policy announcements with their impact on citizens. Her stories go beyond headlines to explain how governance decisions influence the city's growth, mobility and quality of life, making her work an important contribution to informed public discourse.
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