Electric Bus Procurement in India-The Road Ahead

A shift towards clean energy for public transport brings multi-dimensional benefits. Despite this, the adoption has been varied and uneven in scale. The major barriers in accelerating e-bus adoption include the high upfront cost, issues related to planning the charging infrastructure, and anxiety related to the new technology. WRI India has been evaluating various options to improve the current procurement models and mitigate the risks.

Watch the event here:

The Commentary on ‘Procurement of Electric Buses: Insights from Total Cost of Ownership’ will take a close look at electric bus operation by public bus agencies in India through the lens of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). The analysis in the commentary is aimed at providing a rigorous look into the possible areas of advancement and the associated pressure points in what is touted to be the future of Indian transportation.

The report provides a detailed assessment of innovative business models which will be handy for decision-makers, transport corporations, operators, financing partners, OEMs, and other allied stakeholders in understanding the economic viability of e-buses. It will also be helpful in deciding appropriate terms to diversify risks and reduce resource burden of interested stakeholders.

Who is it relevant for?

Public bus agencies, policymakers, fleet operators, vehicle manufacturers/ OEMs, banking institutions, researchers and enthusiasts.

What will be covered in the discussions?

• Are the current procurement models for e-bus electrification effective – do we need to explore different procurement models (from RE and other sectors) that will make it viable for all stakeholders?
• The major barrier to e-bus electrification is upfront cost; what are some of the steps taken by agencies and operators in addressing this issue?
• How can we ensure that the terms in the Concession Agreements are a win-win for STUs and Operators/ Manufacturers?
• How do we mitigate product-risk, operations-risk, revenue-risk, technology-risk in accelerating e-bus adoption?
• What is the role of policy and subsidy in incentivizing electrification of bus transport?

SPEAKERS

• Ms C Shikha IAS, MD, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation
• Mr Biju Prabhakar, IAS, CMD, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, Kerala
• Dr OP Agarwal, CEO, WRI India
• Mr. Krishna Bajpai, IAS, MD, NWKRTC & HDBRTS, Karnataka
• Mr Sanjay Sharma, General Manager, Solar Energy Corporation of India
• Mr Rajendra Jagtap, CMD, PMPML, Pune, Maharashtra
• Mr Pravin L Agarwal, Electric Mobility Expert, Ex JS, DHI
• Mr Randheer Singh, Director, Electric Mobility, NITI Aayog
• Mr Ajit Singh, Joint Director, Urban Transport Directorate, Uttar Pradesh
• Mr Abhishek Ranjan AVP and Head Renewable, DSM & EE and Energy Analytics, BRPL, India Head, Power Scheduling (System Operator for the Utility), BSES Rajdhani Power Limited
• Mr Gerald Ollivier, Lead Transport Specialist for India, The World Bank
• Mr Laghu Parashar, Deputy Project Director, integrated and sustainable urban transport systems in Smart Cities (SMART-SUT) at GIZ
• Mr Holger Dalkmann CEO and Founder at Sustain 2030, Berlin
• Mr Karthik Ganesan, Business Head, EV & eMobility Solutions, Ashok Leyland, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• Mr Siddharth Srivasatava, Partner at Khaitan & Co, New Delhi
• Ms Aparna Vijaykumar, Manager, Sustainable Cities & Transport, WRI India
• Mr Sumit Mittal, Head, Corporate Finance, M&A Alliances, GreenCell Mobility Private Limited
• Dr Parveen Kumar, Senior Manager, WRI India
• Mr Madhav Pai, Executive Director, WRI India Ross Center For Sustainable Cities
• Mr Amit Bhatt, Executive Director, Integrated Transport, WRI India
• Mr Pawan Mulukutla, Director, Electric Mobility, WRI India (Moderator)