How do I set up an EV charging station business in India? 

With the EV industry growing at pace, the opportunity to set up your own EV charging station can be a lucrative one. Moreover, with a limited spread of public chargers in India, it is a chance to improve India’s charging infrastructure and tap into existing demand that has been left unfulfilled so far. In this blog, we will explain how to open an EV charging station business in India and help you enter a space that is revolutionising mobility all across the world.

Strike When the Iron is the Hot : Why Now is the Right Time to Set up an EV Charging Station

• The Sector is Booming!: In this financial year alone, EV registrations have surpassed the 2 million mark, marking a landmark achievement for a sector that’s gone from strength to strength over the past decade. A clear indicator of their rise in significance is the number of EV chargers installed inside fuel pumps, with owners rushing to cater to EV demand. Now is the time to join this space and gain the early movers’ advantage.

• Robust Government Support: At present, India’s flagship scheme for EV charging infrastructure – PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) – offers up to a 100% reduction on setup costs for a charging station. The EV-Mitra scheme functions on the PPP model to subsidize initial expenses and reduce interest rates for aspiring franchise owners. State-specific policies play a vital role too: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, and others offer capital subsidies while others like Telangana and Tamil Nadu reduce the cost of land inside dedicated EV parks.

• Debilitating Climate Crisis: While EVs are no silver bullet for climate mitigation, they can cut down emissions from a key contributor to climate change. Moreover, progress in this space can cause positive spillover effects: improvements in battery design, storage and battery-to-grid integration can cut down the use of fossil fuel in other energy-intensive industries like steel, cement, and paper production, pushing key sectors towards sustainable operations.

The A-B-C of it : Steps to Set up an EV Charging Station in India

With the below step-by-step guide, you can navigate an entry into the EV charging station business:

1. Identifying a suitable location: Your location will decide how accessible you are and the footfall that you can tap. Typical suitable locations include malls, areas outside railway and metro stations, residential and commercial complexes, and areas close to highways. Study demand in the area before finalizing your choice for the station.

2. Obtaining necessary permits: Below is the list of permits and compliance requirements:

• DISCOM approvals for electricity connection
• Chief Electrical Inspector to the Government (CEIG) certification for high-capacity chargers
• Fire safety certification
• Metering standards
• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)-certified hardware

Depending on your location, you will approach different authorities to seek permissions. In Bengaluru, for instance, the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) grant electricity connections and civil works-related permissions.

• Installing EV Charger: To choose your charger/s, understand your demographic – which connector types (CCS2, ChAdeMO, Bharat AC-001, etc.) will suit EVs plying around the location? Can you offer anything different (speed, payment terms, connector types) compared to existing chargers? With these answers, look for the right fit.

4. Buying a software solution: A good software solution is like a virtual manager. It can help you assess charger health, balance energy load, schedule tickets for maintenance and analyze energy usage to keep your business streamlined.

• Building your Revenue Model: Aside from earning per-kilowatt-hour revenues, you can experiment with the following:

• Offer subscription-based contracts for long-term income
• Display advertisements in your station
• Offer parking facilities
• Foster tie-ups with e-mobility service providers (EMSPs)

With these steps, you’re on your way to establish a successful, sustainable EV charging station business. Time to motor ahead!

Technology Saves the Day: How you can run a Successful EV Charging business

With more than half of India’s public chargers lying non-operational, one thing is clear: running this business is no mean feat. Oftentimes, charge point operators (CPOs) are only concerned with buying the right charger and building the station. Without an effective charging management system (CMS), they struggle to manage everyday affairs and fail to sustain the business.

To make your journey easier, Kazam has engineered a CMS that offers excellent operability and remote monitoring capabilities for a seamless managing experience. Its features include:

• Remote management of all chargers on a single dashboard

• Real-time alerts on chargers like when they are offline, or if they need maintenance.

• Automatic ticketing, and raising complaints to charger manufacturer as per your Service Level Agreement to ensure regular upkeep, recordkeeping and correct resolution of your charging equipment    
• Automatic revenue management with taxation, invoicing, billing, and payment collection across the globe

With these features, Kazam’s CMS revolutionises the way you manage your chargers. It is an end-to-end platform designed to get the most out of your systems and elongate the life of your equipment and business..

Interested in knowing more? Click here to browse through all of Kazam’s charging management solutions.

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