Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday, 28 May 2026, highlighted the expanding electric bus network across the capital, stating that EV and DEVi buses are becoming the new identity of daily commute in Delhi. In a post on X, she said the country's largest electric bus fleet is being continuously expanded to make every journey in the city more convenient, modern, and pollution-free.

Context

Chief Minister Gupta's post, tagged #SmartDelhi, drew attention to the on-ground presence of electric buses — in residential colonies, at bus stops, and along everyday commute routes. The message, written in Hindi, stated: 'Aapki colony mein. Aapke bus stop par. Aapke roz ke safar mein' ('In your colony. At your bus stop. In your daily journey'), framing the fleet expansion as a citizen-level experience rather than a policy announcement.

The post was accompanied by a video, underscoring the operational and visual presence of these buses on Delhi's roads. The Chief Minister did not cite specific fleet numbers in the post.

Policy Backdrop

Delhi has been building its electric bus infrastructure through a combination of central and state-level policy frameworks. The central government's FAME-II scheme, active since 2019, sanctioned over 1,000 electric buses for Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster bus operations in the capital.

The PM-eBus Sewa scheme, approved in 2023, provided additional central viability gap funding for city bus electrification across states, with Delhi among the key beneficiaries. These initiatives sit within the broader framework of Delhi's Electric Vehicle Policy of 2019, which targeted 25 percent EV penetration by 2024, and India's commitments under the National Clean Air Programme and the country's 2070 net-zero goal.

The Delhi Transport Corporation, the state-owned entity running the city's bus services, has been the primary operator scaling this fleet. Multiple states across India now compete on electric bus fleet size, with central subsidies and state procurement drives shaping the pace of adoption.

Stakeholders and Impact

Delhi's commuters — millions of whom depend on public buses daily — stand as the most direct stakeholders. Bus electrification addresses two persistent concerns in the capital: air quality and the modernisation of ageing public transport infrastructure.

The city consistently ranks among India's most polluted, with vehicular emissions a significant contributor to particulate matter levels. Electric buses reduce tailpipe emissions at the point of use, offering a measurable benefit to air quality alongside the convenience of newer, air-conditioned vehicles. Urban transport operators and charging infrastructure providers are also key players in sustaining fleet growth.

What's Next

The trajectory of Delhi's electric bus programme will be shaped by the outcome of fresh tender processes for additional buses and the pace of charging infrastructure deployment across the city. Integration with upcoming Delhi Metro extensions and multimodal transit hubs could further strengthen last-mile connectivity.

As Indian cities accelerate bus electrification, Delhi's fleet scale and operational experience will serve as a benchmark — and the political stakes around clean transport delivery are likely to remain high ahead of future electoral cycles.