In a significant push towards cleaner transportation, the Telangana government is formulating a policy that will make the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) compulsory for major institutions. Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar announced on Tuesday that the state is working on a mandate requiring 25% to 30% of vehicles procured by IT companies, pharmaceutical firms, and educational institutions for their operational needs to be electric.
Government Leads by Example with Incentives and Targets
Prabhakar, addressing the state assembly, detailed a multi-pronged strategy to accelerate EV adoption. The government is actively encouraging its own employees to switch to electric mobility and has recently negotiated with manufacturers to offer a special 20% concession to all government staff. The minister also made a public appeal to elected representatives, including MLAs, to adopt EVs and set a visible example for citizens.
Highlighting the state's commitment, Prabhakar revealed that the existing EV policy, introduced through GO 41, has already spurred significant growth. The policy provides exemptions on vehicle road tax and registration charges. Over one lakh electric vehicles were sold in Telangana in the past year alone, increasing the EV share from a mere 0.4% to 2% of the total vehicles in the state. This push, however, has come at a cost, with the state foregoing approximately Rs 900 crore in revenue from taxes.
Electrifying Public Transport and Infrastructure
The public transport sector is undergoing a major electric transformation. As of December 2025, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) is operating 875 electric buses, which constitute about 8.84% of its total fleet. The government has ambitious plans to scale this up dramatically.
By 2030, 35% of the state's bus fleet is targeted to be electric, with an ultimate goal of 80% electrification by around 2035. Under the central government's PM E-DRIVE scheme, Telangana plans to add 2,800 electric buses in phases for city operations. Of these, 100 buses will be allocated to the Warangal Municipal Corporation and 50 to the Nizamabad Municipal Corporation.
To support this growing ecosystem, the government plans to establish electric vehicle charging stations at a wide network of locations. These will include all collectorates, government offices, educational institutions, gated communities, restaurants, and major tourism destinations across the state.
Averting a Delhi-Like Crisis: The Pollution Imperative
The driving force behind this aggressive policy shift is the deteriorating air quality in Hyderabad. Minister Prabhakar flagged serious concerns, noting that while Hyderabad's air quality index has at times crossed 200, it is still better than Delhi's, which often exceeds 400. He stressed that promoting EVs, along with CNG and LPG vehicles, is the only sustainable solution to prevent Hyderabad from turning into another Delhi.
"The government is taking all possible steps to boost EV adoption and curb air pollution," Prabhakar asserted while replying to questions from BJP MLAs K Venkata Raman Reddy and Palvai Harish, and CPI MLA K Sambasiva Rao. He urged citizens to make the switch and expressed confidence that Telangana should emerge as a national role model in EV adoption.
In related announcements, the minister said the state has removed all manual border checkposts as part of automating vehicle pollution checks. Telangana currently has 550 pollution testing centres for its 1.80 crore vehicles, with 15 automatic centres already established and plans for fully automated facilities. The government is also enforcing penalties on vehicles running without valid pollution and fitness certificates.
