Opinion For a choking Delhi, going electric is the way out
Delhi cannot solve a structural problem through seasonal theatrics. What it needs is a permanent clean-transport war room and a unified five-year mission
Transport is the single largest controllable source of Delhi’s air pollution. Every winter, Delhi becomes a stark warning to the world. Children breathe air that would trigger emergency responses in any global city. Hospitals fill with respiratory cases. And we return to the same short-term playbook: Emergency orders, traffic restrictions, school closures and the ritual invocation of GRAP. These ad-hoc measures manage symptoms, not the disease.
Transport is the single largest controllable source of Delhi’s air pollution. Multiple scientific studies confirm that tailpipe emissions, congestion, and idling and ageing vehicles together account for 25–40 per cent of PM2.5. Yet instead of accelerating action, the city appears to be slowing down at precisely the moment when pollution peaks.
Delhi was once India’s fastest-growing EV market, but that leadership is slipping. In 2025, the city recorded no electric-auto registrations, compared to 1,426 e-autos in 2024. Electric two-wheeler registrations have also declined, with 35,909 so far in 2025, lower than 37,472 in 2023. The Fleet Aggregator Scheme, designed to push large commercial fleets toward electrification, has not been fully operationalised. This does not appear to be a market failure but a policy vacuum. With the new EV policy still awaited, incentives have disappeared and consumers are left in limbo.
What Delhi needs is a permanent clean-transport war room and a unified five-year mission, anchored in predictable funding, clear accountability and enforceable targets. Clean mobility must be recognised as essential public-health infrastructure. A credible strategy must rest on four pillars.
First, go all electric and accelerate EV adoption, while phasing out new sales of non-electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers starting in 2026. Promote the sale and adoption of EVs across segments through stable incentives, clear policy signals and consumer confidence. A firm deadline creates certainty for manufacturers, financiers and consumers and sends an unmistakable signal that public health will not be compromised. Predictable transitions are how cities across the world have cleaned their air.
Second, build a world-class electric bus system. No global city has cleaned its air without a strong, reliable bus network. Delhi currently operates only 7,000–8,000 buses for nearly 30 million residents. While around half are electric, bus ridership is falling. Services are being scrapped faster than new buses are procured, steadily weakening the backbone of clean mobility. Delhi needs a public transport revolution, not a token electric fleet. The city must commit to at least 20,000 electric buses over the next five years, with buses every five to seven minutes on major routes and seamless last-mile connectivity. When public transport becomes safe, dignified and predictable, people shift naturally. Every electric bus removes thousands of kilometres of daily tailpipe emissions. Nothing reduces pollution faster.
Third, phase out old polluting vehicles and restrict the entry of non-BS IV/VI vehicles year-round. Delhi cannot breathe clean air while its dirtiest vehicles remain on the roads. It needs an aggressive scrappage and replacement programme combining incentives, strict enforcement and firm deadlines.
Fourth, build charging and swapping infrastructure that stays ahead of demand. Electric mobility cannot scale without accessible and reliable charging. Delhi needs thousands of new charging and swapping points across residential areas, markets, industrial hubs, office districts and transport corridors. Yet the city has not issued a single major state-level tender in recent years to deploy new public charging or swapping infrastructure. The result is a fragmented network with weak monitoring, uncertain uptime and non-functional chargers. For many users, there is little confidence that a charger shown on a map will actually be operational, discouraging EV adoption. Scaling up will require upgraded distribution systems, transparent pricing, real-time uptime dashboards and strict accountability for operators. Charging infrastructure must be treated as a public utility.
A five-year clean-transport transformation can change the lives of millions. It can restore Delhi’s leadership in electric mobility. Most importantly, it can give citizens the basic dignity of clean air. Delhi has the will, the policy instruments and the institutional capacity to take up this challenge. What is required is a clear choice and sustained execution.
The writer is senior adviser to Fairfax and former G20 sherpa and CEO, NITI Aayog, Government of India. Views are personal
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