Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Delhi Leads NITI Aayog’s 2025 Electric Mobility Index
NITI Aayog compared how well Indian states and Union Territories are preparing for electric vehicles.
Delhi received the highest overall score, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.
The index looked at EV adoption, charging stations, and research.
Delhi, Chandigarh, and Maharashtra were the only top performers in transport electrification.
Karnataka had the strongest score for charging infrastructure.
The reports disagree about which state led research and innovation: one says Delhi, while another lists Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
India had more than 8.7 million electric vehicles on its roads in 2025-26.
EVs represented 8.25% of all registered vehicles, up from 0.5% in 2018.
The report said limited chargers, dispersed settlements, and a young innovation sector are slowing progress.
Delhi ranked first with 84 points, followed by Maharashtra with 78 and Karnataka with 73.
Only Delhi, Chandigarh, and Maharashtra qualified as top performers in transport electrification, the index’s highest-weighted category.
Karnataka led charging infrastructure readiness with 97, followed by Goa and Maharashtra in one report and Maharashtra and Haryana in another.
Delhi led EV research and innovation with 94 in some accounts, while another report identified Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu as the category’s top performers.
EVs made up 8.25% of India’s registered vehicles in 2025-26, with more than 8.7 million EVs on the roads.
- Who
- NITI Aayog, in collaboration with WRI India, assessed India’s states and Union Territories.
- What
- The India Electric Mobility Index 2025 ranked progress in EV adoption, charging infrastructure, and research and innovation.
- When
- The index was released on September 16, with 2025-26 registration figures included.
- Where
- Across all 36 Indian states and Union Territories.
- Why
- The index tracks the development of electric mobility; road transport produces roughly 12% of India’s energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, and EVs can reduce reliance on imported crude oil.
Faster Electrification
Gradual Transition
Vehicle mandates
Faster Electrification
Supporters and cited experts say state-level mandates, including restrictions on petrol and diesel vehicles, can accelerate EV adoption and help phase out internal-combustion vehicles.
Gradual Transition
Automakers pushed back against electrification mandates during consultations, indicating concerns about compulsory transition measures.
Policy approach
Faster Electrification
The report and experts say states should move beyond policy formulation toward effective implementation and stronger measures to increase EV adoption.
Gradual Transition
The transition can continue through purchase subsidies, manufacturing incentives, charging support, and efficiency rules rather than mandates alone.
State and national roles
Faster Electrification
Experts cited in the report describe state EV policies as important tools for increasing sales and phasing out conventional vehicles.
Gradual Transition
National programs and rules, including PM E-Drive, production-linked incentives, and corporate average fuel-efficiency norms, remain important parts of the transition.
- Overall leader
- Delhi, with 84 points
- Other top-ranked regions
- Maharashtra scored 78 and Karnataka scored 73
- Index coverage
- All 36 Indian states and Union Territories
- Index structure
- Transport electrification carries 50%, charging infrastructure 30%, and research and innovation 20%
- Transport electrification leaders
- Delhi scored 77, Chandigarh 75, and Maharashtra 68
- Charging infrastructure
- Karnataka scored 97; Goa scored 92 and Maharashtra 91 in one report, while another lists Maharashtra and Haryana at 91
- EV adoption
- EVs reached 8.25% of registered vehicles in 2025-26, with more than 8.7 million on the roads
