CESL concludes largest mega tenders for 10,900 e-buses under PM E-Drive Scheme

New Delhi: State-owned Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) on Wednesday said it has concluded the tendering process for 10,900 electric buses.

The mega tender, under the PM E-Drive Scheme, witnessed a robust response from the industry, with 16 bidders participating in the process, reflecting strong interest from electric bus manufacturers and operators, the company said in a statement.

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According to the statement, the CESL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) and the Government of India's nominated agency for aggregation and procurement of electric buses, has successfully concluded the tendering process for 10,900 electric buses, one of the largest such procurements.

The competitive participation highlights the growing maturity of India's electric mobility ecosystem, it stated.

The financial bids of 14 technically qualified bidders were opened.

The rates discovered are attractive and lower than estimates. The same will be shared with participating cities.

The respective city transport undertakings (CTUs) will thereafter issue letters of award (LoAs) and enter into concession agreements directly with the selected operators.

The CESL's aggregation-based gross cost contract (GCC) model covers multiple cities and Union Territories, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Surat.

Indicatively, Bengaluru is planned to receive around 4,500 buses, Delhi about 2,800 buses, Hyderabad approximately 2,000 buses, while Ahmedabad and Surat together will induct around 1,600 buses under the programme.

Under the GCC framework, private operators will be responsible for the ownership, operation, and maintenance of the e-buses, along with the development of charging infrastructure, and energy management systems at depots provided by the city authorities.

The city transport agencies will pay a fixed per-kilometre fee, ensuring affordability and financial sustainability.

The deployment of 10,900 electric buses is expected to significantly contribute to a reduction in carbon emissions and air pollution, while enhancing the quality and reliability of public transport in major urban centres.

With this milestone, CESL continues to strengthen its role as a key enabler of India's clean mobility transition through transparent procurement processes, competitive aggregation, and large-scale implementation of electric public transport solutions.

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