Tamil Nadu unveils a bold Electric Vehicles policy; to run 500 EV buses by 2019-20 end
For a better distribution of industrial units across the state, the policy offers 50 per cent subsidy on land if it is obtained from the public sector in southern districts, which are a key focus area for the government.
CM Edappadi K Palaniswami’s visit to an electric car manufacturing unit of Tesla in USA early this month. (Express)
Rolling out a slew of measures to push the idea of Electric Vehicles (EV) in the state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has released the EV policy intending to attract Rs 50,000 crore worth of investments and create 1.5 lakh new jobs. While building a favourable ecosystem for EVs is the biggest challenge before the state, some 32 state transport bus depots will get charging infrastructure within the next six months as the state is expecting over 500 electric buses for public transportation. Recently, an electric bus has been already launched by CM Palaniswami as a pilot project in Chennai city.
Talking to The Indian Express, J Radhakrishnan, principal secretary in the state transport department, said the EV policy is already being implemented and measures focus not only on the industry but also on the customers and required infrastructure. “525 EV buses of state transport department will be on the road by the end of this financial year,” he said.
You’ve Read Your Free Stories For Now
Sign up and keep reading more stories that matter to you.
For a better distribution of industrial units across the state, the policy offers 50 per cent subsidy on land if it is obtained from the public sector in southern districts, which are a key focus area for the government. In other districts, including Chennai, the subsidy on land will be just 15 per cent. The policy also aims to facilitate a number of measures for the industry such as 100 per cent road tax exemption for all types of EVs, capital subsidies, reimbursement of state GST, subsidy on the land cost to set up facilities, and special incentives for EV projects that create jobs.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
