Scaling EV Charging: Insights from Gujarat’s Pioneers

At Bharat Startup Summit 2025, a special panel titled “Powering Progress: Scaling EV Charging Infrastructure” featured Kaushal Atodaria, Head of e^Pump Network at Exponent Energy, Achint Bhavsar, State Head (Retail) at BPCL, and Pallav Choudhary, MD of Hyperion Chargers. The panelists shared their insights on Gujarat’s e-highways, intercity charging corridors, battery swapping pilots, private sector opportunities, and DISCOM readiness for smart load management. The discussion aimed to explore the growing demand for electric vehicles in India and opportunities for expanding charging infrastructure. The panel also focused on various vehicle segments (two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers, and commercial vehicles), along with consumer experience, range, and reliability. Moderator Kaushal Atodaria kicked off the session with questions, guiding the discussion with the speakers.

What do you see as the next big technology or trend in electric vehicles, and what has been your experience in this field?

Achint Bhavsar: Electric vehicles (EVs) have been continuously evolving over the past 3–4 years, generating significant excitement for several reasons. One, they are being viewed as a strategic move for energy security, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

Over the last 3–4 years, there hasn’t been a single day without communication, transparency, or ecosystem development around EV stations. A major reason for this progress is the support provided by the Government of India. As most people know, the government has implemented cross-subsidies under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME India / PIM) scheme to promote EV development.

This initiative has particularly boosted the adoption of two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and commercial vehicles. The subsidies are not just financial; they have also created an ecosystem for start-ups, enabling people to invest, pursue their vision, and contribute to EV growth. Over the past 3–4 years, this has significantly accelerated EV development.

Since 2021, post-COVID, the sector has gained considerable momentum. I am very excited to see that beyond government support, many other stakeholders are also contributing to this ecosystem. I am confident that such discussions will open up new opportunities and networking avenues for start-ups.

What are your thoughts on this rapidly growing EV landscape?

Pallav: I think India has made remarkable progress in adopting electric vehicles over the past few years. I was discussing this recently, and I noticed that when I drive on the road, every 5 to 10 minutes I see an EV passing by. That’s a big deal for a country like India, where changing traditional methods and mindsets is not always easy.

The pace at which India is embracing electric mobility is truly impressive. And being part of the supply chain, I feel proud to contribute to this transformation. As Sir (Achit) mentioned, EVs are proving to be a great alternative to traditional ICE engines and other vehicles in the market.

In particular, the impact in the commercial sector has been very significant. For example, every third Zomato delivery person who comes to my house is probably riding an EV. Companies like Euler and Mahindra are already fully leveraging electric commercial vehicles (ELCVs) for their logistics.

In my opinion, India has come a long way in the EV space, but this is only the first step. There is immense potential for wider adoption in India. For new startups and businesses, this opens up exciting ideas and opportunities, as the sector is still far from being fully explored.

From fleet delivery to two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses, cars, and trucks— which sector excites you the most? What do you think will be the next big revolution or key segment in India’s EV production?

Pallav: For me, the most exciting sector will be last-mile logistics. I think last-mile logistics is growing very rapidly in the EV world. I’m really excited to see how India integrates last-mile logistics into the electric business.

Anchit: Let me briefly touch upon segmentation as well. Generally, we get very excited or focused on vehicle-based segmentation—two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers, passenger cars, and commercial vehicles. But if we look from a customer’s perspective, it’s not just about vehicle type segmentation; we also need to understand experience-based customer segmentation.

Today, even someone sitting on the roadside in India aspires to enjoy the same best-in-class experience available in urban India. So, we must move beyond traditional segmentation and focus on customer expectations.

For example, we serve around 7–7.5 million customers every day. Recently, while traveling on NH48, I met a 24-year-old driver from Mumbai. As soon as he stepped out, I realized his truck had an AC cabin. He expressed a desire for better amenities like toilets and digital payment options. This shows that the world is changing, and customer aspirations go beyond traditional segmentation. That’s why focusing on drivers and their aspirations is more important than just vehicle categories.

Now, if we look at hard data, according to FADA (Federation of Automobile Dealers Association), about 20 million vehicles are sold annually in India. The total vehicle population is around 300 million, out of which 75–80% are two-wheelers. So, if you want to achieve market penetration, clearly, the two-wheeler segment is the most critical, especially for EV adoption. While the demand and aspirations for four-wheelers are growing, for deeper EV penetration, the two-wheeler segment remains the key.

How can Gujarat and its entrepreneurs leverage EV penetration and government-led opportunities like mobility corridors, especially for buses and trucks?

Achint Bhavsar: If we talk about Gujarat, historically it has been known for its prosperity and forward-thinking entrepreneurs. Whatever happens in India often begins in Gujarat. Even in energy, Gujarat has always played a significant role. Data shows that EV adoption in the state is happening at a very fast pace.

You are right (Kaushal), Gujarat is currently ranked 10th in terms of EV penetration, but let me share some concrete numbers. In the month of August alone, India had around 70,000 EV charging stations, with over 8,000 chargers available for individual users. Across the country, nearly 10,000 chargers have been installed by both government and private entities. Gujarat itself has about 1,500–1,700 chargers, with nearly 40% of them active on a daily basis.

The real issue is not just about installing chargers, but about creating a reliable ecosystem. Since you mentioned corridors, range becomes extremely important for a traveler. For example, if I’m driving from Ahmedabad to Mumbai or Delhi, I need to carefully plan my charging. That is why we introduced the concept of “Corridor of Confidence” or “Corridor of Assurance.” On NH48, for instance, we have charging stations every 100 km.

We made sure it’s not just about setting up charging stations, but also about building customer trust and ensuring availability through our channel partners. Till now, we have activated 250 such corridors, including the Delhi–Bangalore stretch. Nationwide, over 4,000 chargers are operational, and in the next 30 days, another 10,000 will be installed.

To support this, we launched the eTravel app, which provides live charger locations and availability, ensuring travelers on highways get reliable charging services. In Gujarat, key highways such as NH48, NH27, NH52, and other important state roads have been equipped with EV charging infrastructure.

For two-wheelers, charging stations are also being installed at retail outlets so that customers can choose any kind of energy—fossil fuel, petrol, diesel, CNG, LNG, or EV—at the same place.

At BPCL, we don’t see EVs as just a regulatory requirement but as a growth opportunity. Through the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model, we are actively participating in multiple highway projects. On both brownfield and greenfield highways, we are adopting the franchise model to establish EV bases for up to 15 years. In this way, Gujarat—and India as a whole—is strengthening its EV corridors and charging ecosystem through PPP models and strong government support.

How can a business owner or individual franchisee participate in this EV operation through franchising, partnerships, or the PPP model?

Pallav: In my opinion, as you asked, if an entrepreneur wants to be part of this rapidly growing EV sector in Gujarat, the answer is—just find the right opportunity. There are still many areas that remain untapped. I would say that both the government and BPCL are doing a great job in reducing consumer anxiety, and as a manufacturer in the charging industry, I strongly believe in the same.

But sometimes, as an individual EV user, I face challenges. For example, when I drive from Garuda—a 2.5-hour journey of around 200 km—with my Tata EV that has a 400 km range, I only know of two charging spots on the National Express, both in BPCL areas. This means that despite a full charge, I’m always worried about whether I’ll reach on time or not. In fact, today I had to drive an ICE car, which clearly shows that the EV ecosystem still needs a lot of improvement.

That said, things are gradually changing, and I’m not saying this in a negative way. Across the country, new installations are happening, and over time these will age and face component failures. That’s where a big opportunity lies. Through franchising and distribution, new entrepreneurs can keep components ready at their local level. Whenever there’s a failure, companies like ChargeNet or BPCL can reach out to them, ensuring fast service and reduced downtime. In my view, service and maintenance is a huge area where new entrepreneurs can build their businesses.

I completely agree that four-wheelers are the biggest growth area for India’s EV economy. But on the component side, there’s one major roadblock—standardization. The Type 6 vs. Type 7 debate is slowing down India’s progress in the two-wheeler sector. If we can finalize one standard, the industry can grow much faster. For players like us who manufacture components, this would allow us to put in our full effort and help the industry grow 10x or even 20x faster.

Gujarat has good grid infrastructure, but when an entrepreneur, institution, or startup wants to begin something in EVs, the grid often becomes a major challenge. What Challenges do you see in this regard, and how can an individual business owner address them?

Pallav: I believe that as fast as the EV industry is evolving, the grid needs to evolve at the same pace. From what I know, electricity boards are still lagging behind, and the grid is not advancing as quickly as the EV sector.

However, in my opinion, the EV industry is not limited to just energy deployment and grid dependency. There are plenty of opportunities for new entrepreneurs. For example, when I started Hyperion Chargers, we began as a charging manufacturer. But during product development, we realized there was a major gap in connectors. For a new company, sourcing from China was very difficult due to low volumes, and Europe was extremely expensive. That’s when we discovered that no one in India was manufacturing connectors or charger components. We identified this as an opportunity, and it turned out to be a strong business model.

The key lesson here is—just start somewhere. Enter the industry, learn about it, and figure out how to make it work. If approached in the right way, this industry has the potential to do wonders.

Conclusion:

The EV industry in India is developing rapidly and still holds significant opportunities. Initiatives in Gujarat, such as charging infrastructure, intercity corridors, and the PPP model, are accelerating this growth. Opportunities for new entrepreneurs are not limited to vehicle sales; they also extend to charger manufacturing, connector and component production, service and maintenance, franchising, and distribution networks.

The panel also emphasized that success in the EV sector depends on consumer experience, range reliability, and the broader technical ecosystem. As the grid and charging infrastructure continue to evolve, India’s EV landscape will advance rapidly, creating even more opportunities for new businesses.