A revolution that excludes millions is not a revolution at all — it is a privilege dressed in green. India’s electric vehicle ambition is gathering remarkable momentum, with FAME-III targeting 30% EV penetration by 2030 and charging networks expanding at pace. Yet the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) has sounded a timely warning: unless inclusivity is engineered into every charging bay, every subsidy scheme, and every state policy from the outset, India risks building a two-tier mobility system — one for the urban, the able-bodied, and the affluent, and another of neglect for the remaining majority. With 70% of India’s population residing in rural areas, over 2.6 crore visually impaired citizens, and 1.5 crore e-rickshaw workers relying on last-mile connectivity, equitable design is not a concession — it is a cornerstone.
The Inclusivity Deficit in India’s Charging Network
India’s 25,000 public charging stations tell a story of systemic exclusion. Disability audits reveal that only 5% comply with accessible design standards — a staggering shortfall for a nation of 7 crore disabled citizens. Wheelchair users encounter bays too narrow to navigate, charging units set at heights unreachable from adaptive vehicles, and forecourts devoid of tactile paving or audio guidance. For the 2.6 crore Indians living with visual impairments, an unlit, unmarked charging station is not merely inconvenient — it is impassable.
CIHT‘s guidance sets a clear corrective course. Universal charging bays must be at least 20% wider, with adjustable cable heights between 0.9 and 1.2 metres. Tactile surfaces, audio beacons, and voice-navigated apps must address those for whom visual cues are insufficient. Lighting must exceed 200 lux, and emergency call buttons are to be mandatory at every station — a specification that acquires particular urgency given that 40% of reported assaults at charging points target women driving alone after dark. Delhi has mandated accessible retrofits by 2027, but Bihar lacks even a policy framework. This state-level fragmentation is precisely the kind of inequity that national guidance exists to resolve.
Reaching the Underserved — Rural Communities, Women, and Low-Income Riders
Beyond physical accessibility lies a deeper geography of exclusion. Low-income communities, who collectively drive 80% of two-wheelers, face charging deserts across India’s slums and Tier-3 towns, where gaps between stations routinely exceed daily commuting distances. The irony is sharp: the very segments most sensitive to rising fuel costs — and therefore most likely to benefit from EV ownership — are the least served by existing infrastructure.
CIHT advocates for community charging hubs sited at haats, kirana clusters, and anganwadis, powered by solar microgrids that sidestep grid overload constraints. For women, dedicated bays equipped with CCTV, adequate lighting, and panic buttons are essential. E-rickshaw charging zones must be integrated into Tier-2 town planning to serve the 1.5 crore last-mile workers who depend on them. Rural financing must evolve in tandem: targeted subsidies for women’s self-help groups converting petrol autos to EVs, alongside skilling programmes reaching 50,000 technicians from marginalised communities, would address supply, demand, and social mobility simultaneously. NITI Aayog modelling suggests equitable charging networks could boost EV penetration by 25%, whilst shared station models would reduce the ₹20,000–₹30,000 premium that currently deters mass two-wheeler adoption.
Budget 2026 — Turning CIHT Principles Into Policy
Good guidance without fiscal muscle remains aspirational. Budget 2026 carries the weight of translating CIHT‘s equity principles into enforceable, funded reality. A ₹10,000 crore PLI tranche ring-fenced for inclusive charger design would anchor manufacturer behaviour. GST reduced to 5% on adaptive charging kits would lower costs for operators serving disabled users. RDSS funds should carry mandatory accessible substation requirements, ensuring equity is embedded at the grid level rather than retrofitted afterwards.
Industrial training institutes must be resourced to certify 10,000 diverse EV operators annually, whilst ARAI certification for multi-brand accessible workshops ensures quality service reaches every demographic. States must be harmonised through a NITI Aayog playbook — Karnataka‘s progressive model serves as the benchmark Bihar and others must be incentivised to adopt. Private charge point operators seeking FAME grants should be required to commit at least 30% of new installations to accessible designs, with annual compliance audits tying subsidy continuation to verified delivery. India’s clean mobility vision will only fulfil the promise of Viksit Bharat when a disabled farmer in Bihar, a female gig worker in Bhopal, and a visually impaired commuter in Chennai can all plug in with equal ease. Budget 2026 must make that possibility a guarantee.