Assam's Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Faces Challenges Despite Growth

Assam is experiencing a rise in electric vehicle adoption, yet the state struggles with inadequate charging infrastructure, ranking last in readiness according to the India Electric Mobility Index. The report highlights challenges faced by northeastern states, including dispersed populations and limited charging stations. While Assam shows promise in commercial EV adoption, private uptake remains low. The government is implementing incentives to boost charging infrastructure and has launched an electric e-bike taxi service. Recommendations for improvement include vehicle scrapping incentives and streamlined approval processes for charging stations. Discover more about Assam's journey towards electric mobility.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 17, 2026, 08:39 IST

Electric Vehicle Adoption in Assam

An electric vehicle at a charging station (Photo - @TheEVuniverse / X)

Guwahati, Sept 17: While Assam is witnessing an increase in electric vehicles (EVs) on its roads, the necessary charging infrastructure is struggling to keep up with this growth.

According to the recently published India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025, Assam ranks last among all states in terms of charging infrastructure readiness, which poses a significant barrier to the broader adoption of electric vehicles in the region. The ratio of chargers to EVs in Assam is notably low at just 6.6 per lakh.

The report highlights that the adoption of EVs in Assam, along with other northeastern and hilly states, is particularly challenging due to the dispersed population across vast and often hard-to-access areas, coupled with a limited number of charging stations.

“While Manipur, Tripura, and Assam have shown relatively good performance in commercial EV adoption, they fall short in private EV adoption. The scattered settlements and inadequate charging infrastructure hinder the uptake of EVs in these hilly and northeastern regions, indicating that electrification strategies in these areas may need to differ significantly from those in larger states,” the report noted.

In the overall IEMI ranking, Assam placed 24th with a score of 35, showing a slight improvement of three positions from the previous index.

Among the northeastern and hilly states, Manipur achieved the highest score at 46, followed by Tripura at 36, and Assam at 35.

Despite its low overall ranking, Assam was recognized as the leading state in transport electrification progress among the northeastern and hilly states, indicating a relatively stronger advancement in integrating electric vehicles into transport services. However, the state still faces challenges, with high commercial EV adoption but very low private EV adoption.

Moreover, Assam is falling behind in research and innovation related to electric mobility, ranking 28th nationally in EV Research and Innovation Status, trailing behind Manipur, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh among the northeastern and hilly states.

“The concentration of research and innovation capabilities is primarily in a few industrialized states and urban areas, leaving many parts of the country without a significant presence in this field,” the report stated.

To address these challenges, the Assam government has rolled out incentives to promote the development of EV charging infrastructure, including a 90% exemption from electricity duty to lower operational costs for charging station operators. Additionally, the state has launched Baayu, an app-based, fully electric, decentralized e-bike taxi service, marking one of the first initiatives of its kind in India.

The report also recommends enhancing private EV adoption through vehicle scrapping incentives and establishing low emission zones. Furthermore, it suggests streamlining approval processes, offering concessional land rates for charging stations, incorporating EV charging infrastructure into building regulations, and setting up R&D centers for skill development along with introducing e-mobility courses.