Bus

Indian Electric Bus Market Forecast 2040

The Indian Electric Bus Market Forecast Report provides detailed strategic insights into the Indian Bus Industry. Indian Electric Buses are set to undergo a major shift from niche to mass market over the next 10 years. Currently, the STU is the major electric bus user, but private Bus operators are now ready to take the steering of electric buses into their own hands under certain conditions.

It is expected that 50% of buses in the 7m-and-above segment will be electric by 2040 in the Indian Electric Bus Market. The current fleet of Electric Buses in STUs is in 9 and 12m. The 12m standard floor/Low floor buses for Intercity and city applications. 9m standard floor Electric buses for medium-density urban routes and 7m standard floor for narrow streets or low-density. There are 2 major buyer groups for Electric Buses: Private operators and STUs. Private operators are the backbone of the Indian mobility sector.

A new tender was opened in April 2026 for 3,604 electric buses across 17 states and union territories. The Government of India is also taking steps to introduce the Intelligent Transit Management System (ITMS), as it makes the process more transparent and brings several key benefits for Passengers, Authorities, and operators.

However, there is a significant gap between the open tender and the operation of buses due to various reasons.

Snapshot of the Full Report: Indian Electric Bus Market Forecast

A large share of bus operators in India still belong to unorganized groups, and most of them work in a traditional style.

We study various aspects of why India’s Bus Operators are Finally Switching to Electric buses. According to our ACG survey, OEMs need to communicate with the market more effectively. It is not just about the Pricing of the Bus and ROI, but also about connecting the entire ecosystem, like Electric Bus, energy, infrastructure, and commercial benefits. We have conducted an in-depth study of several bus fleet owners, Policymakers, Policies, OTA platforms, Passengers, and others.

Electric Bus Business for narrow streets or low-density Case:

Private Bus operators are expected to carry around 35 crore per day by 2030, including STU. This is the big market potential and opportunity. At least 50% of passengers expect a comfortable journey, and they are ready to pay for value and comfort.

The first basic condition is that it provides confidence that the bus will reach the destination either with a 50-60 min charging time or without intermediate charging. If the one-way distance is around 300km, then the electric bus fulfills the basic requirement. The second challenge is the Bus’s purchase price. The Electric Bus Business case looks favorable, even with double the price of the ICE buses. Diesel costs are a major component of ICE bus operating expenses. Passengers enjoy traveling in electric buses because they are low-NVH, Silent, and feature-rich.

Electric Bus Price position and Paypack period:

One of the main hurdles to perception is the high price of the Electric Bus. The average price of the Intercity bus is around 2 crore. Compared with the ICE bus in the same segment, the Electric Bus is around 65% more expensive.

The Volvo 9600’s price is almost the same as its position. According to the ACG Business case, the payback analysis is favorable if the bus runs 700-800km per day.

Some prime routes where electric buses will be deployed in the next 2 to 3 years include Bangalore-Hyderabad, Bangalore-Chennai, Gandhinagar-Vadodara-Surat, Bhopal- Indore, and Bangalore-Coimbatore. Once the charging infrastructure is available, there will be a jump in the share of electric buses. Some routes, like Delhi to Manali, work by installing a charging station at an intermediate restaurant. While the Bus was being charged, the passengers could have tea and snacks. The charging must be fast, with more than 350 kW.

Electric Bus Market Forecast:

The demand for electric buses will increase when all stakeholders are satisfied or delighted. It has been observed that when passengers are happy, there is a significant increase in electric bus registrations. If Bus passengers are happy, they become more loyal customers of the Bus fleet, which results in them becoming frequent travelers. The consolidated impact will be positive for Electric Bus demand.

The Bus Fleet owners have started considering electric buses for their fleets. ACG helps them transition from ICE to Electric Bus fleet ownership. More than 69% percent medium and large fleet owners who operate on the main route are interested in adding electric buses to their fleet.

There are also some challenges in the overall Bus journey, as passengers willing to travel by bus are facing issues. This is a barrier to using buses or replace from Train to Buses: