Who gets to ride the future?

India’s EV transition is progressive in ambition, and silent on inclusion

India’s electric vehicle (EV) transition is accelerating. With national schemes like FAME II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India Phase II), the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) for advanced chemistry cells (ACC) battery storage, and a growing number of state EV policies, the country is making major investments in a cleaner mobility future. At least for one half of the population, that is.

What seems to be consistently missing is the recognition of how women travel, work, or use public infrastructure. Their mobility needs, shaped by caregiving roles, safety concerns, informal work, and shared vehicle use, are overlooked in vehicle design, subsidy structures, and infrastructure planning. This is not about individual choice. It is a structural issue in how public policy is designed.

When policies fail to reflect women’s realities, they exclude, not by accident, but by default.

Most of the national or subnational policies and programmes under India’s EV Policy landscape do not mandate gender disaggregated data collection or reporting. Where data exists, it is limited, unpublished, or disconnected from how budgets and incentives are structured. Skilling schemes rarely focus on women’s entry into EV jobs, and charging infrastructure plans often ignore safety, accessibility, and proximity.

This Lever Edition, highlights the exclusions in India’s EV Policy and also introduces five core levers where policy must shift to ensure a gender responsive transition, both in design and in delivery.

The Urgency of Now

India’s EV transition is still taking shape. While demand is growing and policy activity is high, the systems that will define long-term access, infrastructure, financing models, ownership norms, and workforce structures are being locked in now. This creates a limited window to influence how the transition is designed, implemented, and funded. Once charging networks, manufacturing ecosystems, and financing channels are built without integration of a gender lens, exclusion becomes embedded, and difficult to reverse.

Several key programmes are already midstream. FAME-II has disbursed over ₹5,000 crore in demand incentives, largely to two-wheeler buyers and commercial fleets. PLI schemes are shaping the future of battery and component production. Urban EV policies are aligning with broader transit and climate goals.

But none of these frameworks have started asking,

• Who are the intended users?

• Who is excluded from ownership, access, or employment?

• How will outcomes be measured, and for whom?

Without clear entry points for women, as users, workers, entrepreneurs, or service providers, the EV Policy powered transition, risks mirroring the same patterns that have limited women's participation in earlier waves of infrastructure, mobility, and clean energy investments.

The opportunity is not just to correct for historic exclusion in infrastructure, mobility and clean energy investments,  but to design with it in mind.

How India's EV Policy Leaves Women Behind - Systemic Exclusions & the Opportunity

India’s EV transition is being shaped by policies that are ambitious in scale but narrow in design. Gender is not structurally integrated into most schemes, and the consequences are visible across how vehicles are designed, who receives subsidies, where infrastructure is placed, and who enters the workforce.

At the core of these gaps is a default design orientation. EV policy in India has largely been built around the needs of urban, male, formal-sector users and commercial actors.

This shapes what is seen as typical use, point-to-point commutes, individual ownership, access to credit, and participation in formal jobs. It leaves out care-based mobility, multi-stop journeys, shared ownership models, and informal sector realities, all of which disproportionately affect women. Follow the Caring Futures Lever Edition here for more insights on almost a trillion hours of unpaid care work that is holding up the scaffolding of India's economy

We prioritised five systemic challenges based on a detailed review of parameters and indicators, that consistently limit gender responsiveness across national and state EV programmes. These are not the only exclusions in the ecosystem, but they represent priority fault lines where targeted policy action can deliver significant shifts in gender outcomes. The ZURI Prism policy scorecards, which accompany this Lever Edition, assess gender responsiveness using a broader seven-parameter, multi-indicator framework—offering a more detailed, programmatic lens across schemes and geographies.

For more on what to expect from this 18 - part ZURI Lever Edition - Powering Equity, Engendering India's EV Policy read this post & track new releases here at the Powering Equity Resource Hub

Challenge 1: Design and Ownership Built Around a Default User

EV policy in India does not account for how women use, operate, or own vehicles. Current policies do not require vehicle designs to consider diverse user needs. There are no regulatory standards for usability testing with women drivers. Factors like seat height, posture, safety, and the ability to carry children or goods are not included in official testing protocols or design mandates.

EV incentive schemes also assume a narrow ownership model. Subsidies are tied to individual registration, bank-linked purchase, and formal documentation. These requirements exclude many women, especially those working informally or accessing vehicles through shared or collective arrangements. Policy frameworks do not support alternate models like shared ownership, cooperatives, or leasing for first-time women users.

At the core is a policy design that assumes the typical user is male, urban, formally employed, and commuting alone. This leaves out care-based mobility, multi-stop journeys, and informal sector realities, none of which are reflected in current policy instruments.

Lever for Change: Inclusive Product Standards and Alternative Ownership Models

EV policy must mandate design and ownership norms that reflect the needs of diverse users. This includes updating vehicle design standards to require ergonomic testing with women drivers, particularly in segments like e-rickshaws and public transport. Gender-responsive design criteria—covering comfort, posture, traditional attire, and caregiving needs—should be integrated into vehicle certification and innovation grants.

Policy must also expand how ownership is defined and supported. EV adoption schemes should allow for flexible documentation, cooperative registration, and shared-use models. Tailored incentives, simplified processes, and bundled support for women-led groups can widen access.

Making EV policy responsive to how women use and own vehicles is essential for closing the gender gap in adoption.

Challenge 2: Charging Infrastructure That Excludes Everyday Mobility

Public charging stations are mostly built in commercial areas and transport hubs. There is no policy that guides where they should be placed to serve different types of users. The Model Building Bye-Laws 2016 include EV provisions but say nothing about safety, accessibility, or gender-specific needs and requirements.

Urban planning rules do not include any standards to make charging infrastructure work for women. A large share of women’s mobility is multi-stop, off-peak, and often shorter in distance. These trips are typically for unpaid care work, domestic errands, and part-time employment. They make more stops and move between homes, markets, schools, and health centres. They may also travel with children or dependents. These patterns are not considered in how charging stations are planned. Most policies ignore basic needs like safety, lighting, and distance—especially in low-income areas.

As infrastructure expands, these siting and design choices are becoming harder to reverse. Planning without user segmentation is not gender-neutral planning. Ignoring gender lens integration in infrastructure planning reinforces spatial and safety barriers for women.

Lever for Change: Planning for Access, Safety, and Care-Based Mobility

Charging infrastructure must be planned to reflect how different users move. This includes placing stations along care work routes like markets, health centres, schools, and training centres, as well as near residential areas and informal work zones. Safety features like lighting and surveillance should be built into public charging spaces.

Urban planning codes and EV guidelines should include specific standards to improve accessibility for women. State EV policies can link infrastructure incentives to inclusion targets and make provisions for locations that serve women’s mobility needs - multi-stop, offpeak, and often shorter in distance. Public funding for infrastructure should reflect everyday use, not just commercial corridors. State EV policies and city plans should include access and safety standards. Public incentives must prioritise inclusive siting and link infrastructure support to how well it serves women and other underserved users.

Challenge 3: Workforce Entry Points That Exclude Women by Design

Women are largely absent from the EV workforce. Jobs in manufacturing, servicing, battery management, and delivery are growing, but EV policy does not include measures to bring women into these roles. Central schemes such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) for Advanced Chemistry Cells and Auto do not set gender targets for employment. The Skill India Mission and its affiliated programmes do not require training centres to track or prioritise women’s participation.

State EV policies often mention job creation, but few define who should benefit. Most do not link industrial incentives to inclusive hiring or workplace reforms. Existing skilling pathways overlook barriers that restrict women’s participation—such as lack of safe, nearby training centres, absence of childcare, and limited transport options. Informal women workers and self-help group members are rarely recognised as potential candidates for green jobs.

There are also no policy requirements for gender-inclusive public procurement, contractor diversity, or inclusive hiring in firms receiving public subsidies. As a result, public investment in EV manufacturing and services flows without any conditionality tied to workforce inclusion.

Lever for Change: Skilling, Employment Targets, and Procurement Reform

EV policy must include gender when planning for jobs and training. National and state policies can set clear targets for women’s participation. Public funding should be linked to how well programmes reach, train, and place women.

Training centres should be safe, nearby, and offer flexible schedules. Firms that receive public subsidies should report on how many women they hire. They should also show how they are building a diverse workforce.Depending on the size of the company, reporting on specific gender indicators around workforce, leadership and procurement should be mandated or initially incentivised

Governments can offer extra incentives to companies that meet equity goals. Public procurement rules can also include diversity requirements. Women-led enterprises and collectives should be eligible to deliver EV-related services such as training, servicing, and logistics.

Policies should include informal workers and self-help groups as part of the EV workforce. This can help expand participation while strengthening local EV ecosystems.

Challenge 4: Public Finance Without Inclusion Conditions

Gender-responsive budgeting aims to ensure that public resources respond to the needs and constraints of all genders. It does not require separate budgets. Instead, it asks whether policies and schemes are designed and implemented to serve diverse users.

India has had a national gender budgeting framework since 2005. Yet flagship EV programmes such as FAME II, the Production Linked Incentive scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cells and Auto, and most state EV policies do not apply these principles.

There is no gender tagging in EV budgets. Incentives are not linked to inclusion outcomes. Women-led enterprises, cooperatives, and self-help groups are rarely recognised as a target category for capital access. Financing tools such as subsidies, loans, and blended finance do not account for structural barriers women face in accessing credit or owning registered assets. This limits their reach and effectiveness. While some states like Delhi have introduced targeted purchase incentives for women, these remain limited in scope and scale.

There are also no requirements for capital recipients to report gender-disaggregated outcomes or to demonstrate inclusive use of public funds. As a result, public finance shapes the market without shaping equity.

Lever for Change: Gender Responsive Budgeting & Targeted Capital Access

EV policy can improve inclusion by applying gender budgeting principles to how public resources are allocated and monitored. Gender tagging of EV budgets at the national and state levels can improve visibility into who benefits. This should be supported by outcome reporting that tracks uptake by women and women-led enterprises.

Subsidy and finance schemes can create dedicated provisions for self-help groups, cooperatives, and women-led informal businesses. Capital access should not depend only on formal registration or credit history. Tiered subsidies and flexible loan terms can help first-time women buyers and collective users. Public-private finance windows can also set aside funds for projects that show strong gender outcomes.Blended finance facilities can earmark a share of capital for gender-responsive projects.

Recipients of public funds—including manufacturers, fleet operators, and infrastructure developers, should be required to report on inclusion outcomes as part of compliance. EV policy can also adopt incentive-weighting to encourage inclusive financial practices.

Challenge 5: No Systems to Track or Respond to Exclusion

EV schemes in India are not designed to track or respond to gender-based exclusion. Most do not require gender-disaggregated data on who receives subsidies, who is trained, or who benefits from public investment. Where data exists, it is often limited to vehicle counts and incentive utilisation, with no reporting on user characteristics, ownership patterns, or employment outcomes.

There are no common indicators for inclusion, no public dashboards, and no structured audits to assess gaps. Ministries and departments involved in EV policy—including transport, industry, energy, skill development, and women’s empowerment—operate with separate mandates. There is limited coordination between them at the level of implementation.

As a result, gender responsiveness is not integrated into programme management, evaluation, or course correction. Without data, visibility, or institutional accountability, exclusion continues unmeasured and unaddressed.

Lever for Change: Institutional Accountability Through Data and Feedback

Effective policy requires the ability to track who is reached and who is left out. Gender-disaggregated data should be built into all major EV schemes. This includes ownership patterns, charging usage, training enrolments, and access to subsidies.

National and state programmes should include gender indicators in their reporting systems. These should be published regularly through online dashboards and scheme evaluation reports. Independent audits and third-party reviews can help identify gaps and guide mid-course correction.

Tools like the ZURI Prism Scorecard offer structured frameworks to assess gender responsiveness across programmes. The Prism approach helps policymakers identify gaps, benchmark performance, and align future investment with inclusion goals. Accountability is not only about collecting more data. It is about using that data to monitor equity outcomes and adjust the transition in real time.

Despite its transformative potential, India's EV policy architecture remains largely gender-blind. Gender considerations are rarely embedded in the policy design, implementation frameworks, or monitoring mechanisms. Across national and subnational schemes, women and gender-diverse populations are not recognised as a specific stakeholder group.

This invisibility & systemic exclusion at the policy level perpetuates downstream exclusion in access, usage, ownership, and benefit-sharing.

Up Next!

This article sets the frame for the ZURI Lever Edition Powering Equity, focused on engendering India's EV Policy. India’s EV transition is not gender neutral, and without course correction, it will deepen existing exclusions. We prioritised five systemic challenges, rooted in how EV policies are designed, financed, and implemented, that limit women’s access, use, ownership, and participation. We also introduced five policy levers that can facilitate a gender responsive transition. However this article only introduces the potential pathways.

Track the 5-part Levers of Change (Issues 4–8) sub-series for a deep dive on each of these levers introduced above alongwith lessons emerging from gender responsive EV policies in countries across the globe. must be rewired for a gender responsive EV transition

The work ahead is not just about adding gender as a variable. It is about building systems that recognise the diversity of users, workers, and enterprise models the EV economy must serve.

The next issue in this Lever Edition maps the policy ecosystem that underpins the EV transition—its architecture, actors, and blind spots. It will examine how national and state missions are structured, where implementation power sits, and why gender responsiveness has not been institutionalised across EV policy platforms.

Track the new releases under the Powering Equity Lever Edition here