Standardization of EV Manufacturing and Charging in India: A Regulatory Milestone

On 1st August 2025, the Indian government announced a sweeping set of measures aimed at standardizing electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing and charging infrastructure across the country. The initiative includes a comprehensive framework of technical standards, safety norms, and operational guidelines that are expected to drive consistency, promote interoperability, and support the nation’s shift toward clean mobility. This move comes at a time when India’s EV market is expanding rapidly and the need for uniform regulatory protocols has become urgent.

New Indian Standards (IS) have been issued for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, covering specifications for connectors, communication systems, EV supply equipment, and battery-swapping systems. Simultaneously, technical standards under the Automotive Industry Standards (AIS) regime have been notified to govern vehicle safety, powertrain performance, and energy consumption. These standards are expected to bring uniformity in vehicle design, ensure safety benchmarks, and allow consumers to use a common charging network irrespective of vehicle brand. Furthermore, operational guidelines for charging stations were revised in 2024 to promote interoperability, ensure consumer safety, and align infrastructure with national grid protocols.

These developments are not merely technical; they carry significant regulatory consequences. For manufacturers and component suppliers, compliance with these standards is critical to secure product certifications, vehicle registrations, and eligibility for government subsidies. Failure to adhere could lead to regulatory penalties or disqualification from state incentives. For example, benefits under various production-linked incentive schemes are conditional upon achieving a minimum domestic value addition, placing an obligation on manufacturers to maintain detailed compliance documentation and audit trails.

The focus on interoperability also has important legal dimensions. Standardized charging connectors and communication protocols prevent anti-competitive vendor lock-in and protect consumer choice. As the market matures, these safeguards will likely intersect with emerging issues in consumer protection, data governance, and digital infrastructure regulation. Furthermore, the guidelines issued for charging station operators impose specific technical and operational responsibilities, bringing EV infrastructure under the oversight of electricity regulators and mandating licensing compliance.

A defining feature of this regulatory approach is its inter-ministerial coordination. The standard-setting role of the Bureau of Indian Standards, the technical enforcement function of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and the infrastructural oversight by the Ministry of Power have been brought into alignment. This harmonization ensures that vehicle safety norms, infrastructure specifications, and subsidy conditions do not operate in isolation but reinforce each other under a common national policy vision.

India’s commitment to EV standardization represents a pivotal legal and policy shift. It offers clarity to industry players, certainty to investors, and confidence to consumers. At the same time, it sets a precedent for how emerging technologies in mobility can be governed through layered regulation that balances innovation with public interest. As EV adoption accelerates, the real test will lie in the enforcement of these standards, dispute resolution around certification and subsidies, and the legal adaptability of this framework in response to market evolution and technological disruption.