Green Overdrive: Delhi Bets ₹8,374 Crore on an Electric Future

The Government of Delhi has announced a transport budget of ₹8,374 crore for FY27, focused on building a greener, more sustainable, and congestion-free mobility system, according to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. This marks a reduction from the previous year’s allocation of ₹12,952 crore for the public transport sector.

As part of its clean mobility push, ₹200 crore has been allocated for the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0. The initiative aims to reduce pollution through incentives for vehicle adoption and scrapping, alongside expansion of charging infrastructure to accelerate the transition to zero-emission transport.

The city plans to increase its electric bus fleet from 4,400 to 5,800 by the end of FY27, with the total fleet expected to reach 7,500 buses. Over the longer term, Delhi aims to operate 12,000 electric buses by 2029. An additional ₹320 crore has been earmarked for EV charging infrastructure and electrification of other transport segments, including e-bikes, e-autos, and e-taxis.

To strengthen mass transit, ₹2,885 crore has been allocated for expansion under Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Phase IV and Phase V projects, while ₹568 crore has been set aside for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). Two new NaMo Bharat Corridor routes—Delhi–SNB and Delhi–Panipat–Sonipat—have also been approved to improve NCR connectivity, reduce pollution, and cut travel time by up to 60%. The Delhi–Gurugram–SNB RRTS Phase I will further link Delhi with Haryana and Rajasthan.

For vehicle regulation and safety, ₹50 crore has been allocated to establish five new Automatic Testing Stations in key locations such as Bawana, Ghazipur, Savda Ghevra, GT Karnal Road, and Dichaon Kalan. Work is already underway at three stations in Nand Nagri, Burari, and Tehkhand, which will collectively handle fitness checks for around 6.5 lakh commercial vehicles.

Additionally, ₹10 crore has been set aside for feasibility studies aimed at identifying solutions to further ease traffic congestion across the city.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.