India has adopted several policies to push for the penetration of 30% electric vehicles (EV) by 2030. The availability of adequate charging infrastructure is one of the key requirements to support the adoption of EVs. Here, distribution companies (Discoms) are a major stakeholder in since adding a large number of charging stations would require significant grid upgrades. But several challenges need to be address during this transition, including ensuring that the current distribution end power networks is geared up to meet the power demand from EVs.

In order to understand such challenges better, this study looks at the network of the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM, Karnataka) to assess the capacity of the distribution grid to accommodate the EV load. It then provides holistic guidelines for interventions and business models for BESCOM to adopt and roll out charging infrastructure within its jurisdiction.

BESCOM is the State Nodal Agency for setting up EV charging infrastructure in Karnataka and distributes electricity to over 12 million customers in Bengaluru City. Karnataka was the first state in India to issue an Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy in 2017 with a focus on EV manufacturing, support for charging infrastructure, support for research and development, skill development, incentives and concessions.