Overview
- CESL confirmed the bid deadline shift to 14 November for the PM E‑Drive tender covering Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Surat and Ahmedabad.
- The contract follows a gross cost model with per‑kilometre payments and includes supply, operations, maintenance and associated civil and electrical works.
- Revised norms now permit operators, infrastructure developers and municipal bodies to participate only in tie‑up with OEMs to widen the bidder pool.
- Major participants are expected, with reports citing Adani Group, NIIF, a Canadian pension fund and OEMs such as Tata Motors, JBM, Olectra and Switch Mobility.
- Industry concerns persist over high financial barriers, including an earnest money deposit of about ₹312 crore for all lots and stringent guarantees, as well as depot and upstream charging readiness; one outlet’s claim that 10,900 buses are already deployed conflicts with ongoing tender coverage.