Source Credit: The Economic Times

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Tender for 6,230 electric buses deferred by a month
New Delhi: The Centre’s second e-bus tender under the ₹10,900 crore PM E-Drive scheme, for 2,900 e-buses in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, and Mumbai, and 3,330 buses in Delhi has been deferred by one month.

The tender for 6,230 e-buses opened for manufacturers and operators on 9 January this year, and was scheduled to close on 10 March. But a 6 March notification by Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), the government’s demand aggregation agency, showed the closing date was deferred to 9 April. CESL did not attribute reasons for the deferral.

The PM E-Drive scheme has an allocation of ₹4,391 crore towards subsidies for 14,028 e-buses in nine cities. While 3,330 buses for Delhi under this tender will not be subsidised, the government will cover 20-35% of the cost of procuring the remaining 2,900 e-buses in four cities.

This is the fourth time an e-bus tender under the PM E-Drive scheme was deferred. The previous tender for 10,900 e-buses under the scheme was deferred thrice, with bids closing in November 2025 instead of the planned August date.

An industry executive suggested that tender delays have become routine, which is not ideal given the pace of electrification required. "We are ready to meet the demand and participate but the delay has once again come into the picture," the executive said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

CESL is responsible for demand aggregation and tendering of 14,028 e-buses under the scheme.

CESL, the ministry of heavy industries, which operates the scheme, and e-bus makers Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors, Eka Mobility, JBM Auto, PMI Electro and Olectra Greentech did not immediately respond to email queries.

Pune-based busmaker Eka Mobility had confirmed to Mint in January that it would participate in this tender. Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland have also said that they will participate in the tender.

City allocation
The second PM E-Drive scheme tender for 6,230 e-buses comprises eight lots spread across the five cities. Delhi, grappling with severe air pollution, will get the largest allocation of 3,330 electric buses through this round of procurement, showed the tender document, reviewed by Mint.

After Delhi, Mumbai will receive 1,500 buses, Pune 1,000, while Hyderabad and Ahmedabad will each get 200 each. These buses, excluding the ones in Delhi, will be subsidized. The demand spans multiple configurations, including 7-metre, 9-metre and 12-metre electric buses, both AC and non-AC.

To participate in all cities, bidders must pay earnest money of ₹134 crore, tender documents showed. High earnest money costs, stringent exit clauses, and infrastructural inadequacy in state government bus stations were the reasons why the earlier tender was delayed, Mint reported earlier in November 2025.

Electric buses typically cost ₹1-1.5 crore. Assuming an average price of ₹1 crore per unit, the tender could likely be worth more than ₹6,000 crore.

Electric bus makers participate in these tenders through fleet operators who are responsible for procuring the electric buses and running them for the respective city/state transport authorities.

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LPG constraints: India's auto industry braces for impact on production

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After 48 years, India revises piston ring standards to curb carbon emissions
New Delhi: The Centre has issued an order that updates norms for piston rings – a key component of internal combustion engines (ICE) – to help reduce carbon emissions, replacing standards that had been in place since 1977. The new standards came into effect on 10 February, said the order dated 12 February.

Experts said the cost impact for most automakers was likely to be limited, as many already follow similar global specifications. However, smaller component manufacturers may need to upgrade materials and testing processes to comply with the new norms, they said.

Piston rings help reduce emissions by ensuring fuel burns cleaner and more efficiently, so these updated specifications by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) are a significant development for the world's third-largest automobile market. These rings have an important role to play in controlling the amount of lubricating oil on the cylinder wall, ensuring that excess oil is scraped back into the crankcase while maintaining enough lubrication for smooth engine operation. The transport sector accounts for around 14% of India’s GHG and particulate matter emissions.

The updated standards incorporate revised dimensional tolerances, material requirements and testing procedures, and are part of the government’s plan to bring conventional ICE vehicles at par with global manufacturing standards, said a government official who did not wish to be named. They added that the need for new standards stems from significant developments in engine design, materials science, stricter emission norms, and higher fuel-efficiency requirements.

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