As Maharashtra rolls out one of the country’s most ambitious electric vehicle (EV) policies, all eyes are on the companies enabling the infrastructure to support it. From mandating charging stations every 25 kilometers on highways to offering substantial subsidies for EV buyers and charging infrastructure developers, the state is setting the stage for a large-scale clean mobility transformation. Among the key players poised to accelerate this shift is Kazam EV, one of India’s fastest-growing smart charging networks, with over 57,000 chargers already deployed across the nation.
With its cloud-native, hardware-agnostic Charger Management System (CMS), Kazam has been instrumental in shaping India’s EV charging narrative—enabling dynamic pricing, real-time diagnostics, predictive maintenance, and seamless interoperability. From residential societies and highway corridors to commercial hubs and logistics fleets, the company is delivering tailored, scalable solutions that align closely with Maharashtra’s policy objectives.
In this exclusive interaction, Rashmi interviews Akshay Shekhar, CEO and Co-founder of Kazam EV, to dive deeper into how the company is preparing to meet the state’s infrastructure mandates, its views on subsidies and residential mandates, and its broader vision for clean, accessible, and future-proof electric mobility across India’s second-most populous state.
1) The policy mandates charging stations every 25 km on highways. How is Kazam preparing to meet this infrastructure goal?
Maharashtra’s initiative to establish EV charging stations every 25 km on highways is a critical step toward enabling long-distance electric mobility, and we are strongly aligned with this vision. A report by Forvis Mazars indicates that nearly 58% of potential electric vehicle (EV) buyers in India are discouraged by range anxiety, the fear of running out of charge without access to a charging station. This initiative to have a charger every 25km helps abating range anxiety and ultimately increase EV adoption.
As one of India’s largest EV charging networks with over 57,000 chargers onboarded, we understand that along with charger deployment a consistent monitoring of the to ensure longevity of the device is imperative to maintain the upcoming network. With our cloud-based, hardware-agnostic software platform we are uniquely positioned to facilitate seamless deployment and management of charging infrastructure along key highway corridors.
Our Charger Management System (CMS) supports over 100 charger models, enabling rapid integration with both ours and third-party devices. This flexibility is essential for meeting the diverse needs of highway travellers, including fleet operators and private EV users in upkeep and proper working of these chargers to ensure a seamless charging experience. With 71% of EV drivers cite charging convenience and ease of use as top factors influencing their satisfaction and decision to continue with EVs (Source: McKinsey & Company, 2022 EV Consumer Survey) We are actively collaborating with government bodies and private partners to pilot and scale highway charging stations that offer real-time availability, dynamic pricing, and reliable uptime, addressing range anxiety and enhancing user experience.
Moreover, our experience with fleet management allows us to support logistics companies transitioning to electric fleets on these highways, ensuring their vehicles are charged efficiently during long hauls. Our strategic focus on bridging EV and solar energy infrastructure further supports sustainable highway charging, ensuring cleaner energy sources power these stations.
Our scalable software, extensive network, and commitment to open protocols enable us to be a key enabler of Maharashtra’s highway charging infrastructure goals.
2) Subsidies of ₹5–10 lakh are offered for setting up charging stations. How do these incentives influence Kazam’s expansion plans?
The financial incentives offered by Maharashtra, including ₹5–10 lakh subsidies for establishing EV charging stations, significantly boost our expansion strategy. These subsidies lower upfront capital costs for investors and charging point operators (CPOs), accelerating infrastructure rollout across urban centers, highways, and emerging Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets where we already have a strong presence.
With lowering entry barriers to pure play CPOs and sector leaping industries, it presents an opportunity for businesses on the cusp of entering into the industry. Our software solutions and fleet management are complemented by these subsidies, as they encourage new and more partners to deploy chargers to meet the upcoming demand. Reduced installation costs make it easier for real estate developers, fleet owners, and municipalities to adopt our platform, facilitating seamless network expansion.
Subsidies stimulate private sector involvement, including corporate fleets and startups we partner with, allowing them to scale their EV operations confidently. This aligns perfectly with our roadmap of enabling smart EV fleet management through interoperable software, predictive maintenance, and load balancing capabilities.
Additionally, incentives foster innovation in business models like peer-to-peer (P2P) energy exchange, which we are piloting, encouraging decentralised, community-driven charging solutions. Overall, Maharashtra’s subsidy scheme acts as a catalyst that accelerates our vision of widespread, accessible, and efficient EV charging infrastructure not just for now, but for the years to come.
3) Housing projects are now required to include EV charging facilities. What role does Kazam envision in supporting residential charging solutions?
Maharashtra’s mandate for residential housing projects to integrate EV charging infrastructure is a pivotal development in normalizing electric mobility. We envision playing a central role by providing scalable, easy-to-use charging solutions tailored for residential complexes and gated communities.
According to Hardman et al., home charging meets the majority of an EV’s charging needs. Home charging accounts for approximately 50–80 percent. And therefore residential spaces count for a majority of home charging needs which then equates to larger energy consumption as well. Through this mandate, we aim to enable housing societies to seamlessly install and manage chargers through a unified platform. Our CMS allows for housing associations to understand energy consumption and equate it to residents equitably, and our app offers residents a hassle-free charging experience, real-time charger discovery, session initiation, and secure payments, all consolidated in one interface, eliminating the need for multiple apps.
We are also uniquely positioned in this space to enable private chargers for housing associations to give their residents a platform to charge outside of their home as well.
A key advantage of our Charger Management System (CMS) is that it provides complete visibility and control over charger usage within residential buildings. Unlike previous chargers where there was no clear way to track which household used the charger or how much electricity consumption to allocate, often leading to disputes and increased building expenses, our CMS ensures transparent monitoring. Building management can see exactly which house or guest is using the charger, manage user access, and allocate costs accurately, removing ambiguity and potential conflicts.
Our platform also supports dynamic pricing, user access management, and usage analytics, empowering residential developers and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) to optimize energy consumption and costs. We further offer property tax rebate advisory and help housing societies tap into Maharashtra’s residential incentives.
We are also pioneering peer-to-peer (P2P) charging solutions, enabling housing associations to share the energy generated within the building, for example with solar or wind, with neighbors or businesses, promoting energy resilience and efficient asset utilization. This decentralized model complements the state’s vision of broad-based EV adoption, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
This shows that this mandate is not only timely but essential in laying the groundwork for sustained EV growth. Our technology and services help housing projects overcome infrastructure gaps, delivering future-ready, accessible residential EV charging solutions aligned with Maharashtra’s policy framework.
4) The policy offers 10–15% purchase subsidies and toll waivers for EVs. How might these benefits accelerate EV adoption from Kazam’s perspective?
Maharashtra’s EV policy, offering 10–15% purchase subsidies and toll waivers, is a compelling step to drive faster adoption of electric vehicles. These benefits significantly reduce the total cost of ownership—making EVs not just environmentally responsible, but also economically viable for individual buyers, fleet operators, and commercial users.
From Kazam’s perspective, such incentives directly support our mission to accelerate the transition to electric mobility. They enhance the financial feasibility of switching to EVs, which in turn boosts the demand for reliable and scalable charging infrastructure—our core strength. Our interoperable, cloud-based charging platform is built to grow alongside this demand, ensuring seamless access and uptime across user types.
Historically, purchase incentives have played a crucial role in EV adoption. For instance, Delhi’s 2020 EV policy, offering similar financial incentives, contributed to exponential EV growth. In December 2022, EVs accounted for 16.8 percent of all vehicle sales in Delhi, marking a YoY growth of 86 percent. Similarly, Maharashtra’s earlier 2021 EV policy had an outlay of around ₹930 crore increasing by 157% year-on-year by mid-2022. Maharashtra accounted for 12 per cent of total EV sales in India in 2024.
These policy measures do more than reduce costs—they also boost consumer confidence and normalize EV usage. By shifting public perception and fostering long-term behavioral change, such incentives are critical to creating a thriving, inclusive EV ecosystem. Kazam is fully geared to support this evolution through our expanding network and smart energy solutions.
5) With registration fees waived for EVs, do you anticipate a significant uptick in EV registrations, and how is Kazam preparing for increased demand?
“An EV is 1.5 times the cost of an ICE vehicle and I don’t even know where I’ll charge.” “If I take my vehicle for a long drive I’m not sure if I can charge it anywhere in the middle”, these are everyday consumer concerns that we hear constantly the past few years. This waiver of registration fees for electric vehicles in Maharashtra is a decisive move toward making EVs more financially accessible, especially for cost-sensitive consumers and fleet operators. By lowering the upfront cost barrier, we expect this policy to drive a significant uptick in EV registrations across the state.
At Kazam, we are proactively preparing to support this surge in adoption. Our robust, cloud-based Charger Management System (CMS) is built to handle high transaction volumes without compromising performance. With over 4.69 million charging sessions delivered, and 40 GWh of energy managed so far, we’ve already demonstrated our capacity to scale operations efficiently.
We’re also expanding our capabilities in fleet management to better serve startups and corporations making the shift to electric mobility. Our software solutions facilitate efficient charging schedules, predictive maintenance, and load balancing, which we’ve identified as the key enablers of large-scale EV deployment for stakeholders across the E-mobility ecosystem.
Beyond infrastructure, we empower EV users and decision-makers with actionable insights into their energy usage. With home charging potentially increasing household electricity demand by up to 5 times, understanding energy utilization becomes critical. Through initiatives like the Unified Energy Interface (UEI), we’re also working closely with the grid to anticipate and manage this rising demand, ensuring a seamless transition to e-mobility for everyone.
6) The state aims for 40% two-wheeler, 30% four-wheeler, and 15% bus EV adoption by 2030. Are these targets achievable, and what challenges do you foresee?
Maharashtra’s ambitious EV adoption targets for 2030, 40% for two-wheelers, 30% for four-wheelers, and 15% for buses, are certainly achievable, especially with coordinated efforts from policy, industry, and technology providers like us. However, several challenges must be addressed to realize these goals fully. As of December 2024, Maharashtra had approximately 3,728 public EV charging stations. However, with the state’s EV adoption targets, the demand for charging infrastructure is expected to grow significantly.
Infrastructure availability remains the foremost challenge. While Maharashtra is making strides with highway charging corridors and urban infrastructure, scalable and accessible residential and workplace charging solutions need further expansion. Our focus on software-driven, and interoperable charging infrastructure helps mitigate this by enabling more flexible, user-friendly charging options. A new report by GameChanger Law Advisors and venture capital firm Speciale Invest says that India has only one public charger per 135 EVs – far below the global average of one per 6-20 EVs.
The upfront cost of EVs, despite subsidies, is still a barrier for many consumers and fleet operators. Education and awareness campaigns, alongside financial incentives, are crucial to build confidence. Our experience with fleet electrification, working closely with startups and corporates, illustrates the potential for scalable adoption of operational efficiencies and cost savings are demonstrated.
Battery technology, recycling, and energy storage integration present technical challenges that affect vehicle range, cost, and lifecycle. While challenges exist, Maharashtra’s comprehensive policy framework combined with technological innovations and partnerships create a promising environment for achieving these ambitious targets.
7) The policy allocates ₹1,993 crore for EV initiatives. How can Kazam leverage this funding to enhance its services and infrastructure?
Maharashtra’s substantial allocation of ₹1,993 crore for EV initiatives presents a strategic opportunity for Kazam, not just to grow, but to become an enabler for businesses transitioning to electric mobility across the state. This funding acts as a powerful tailwind, allowing us to position ourselves as a cost-effective, policy-aligned partner for businesses navigating the shift to clean transport.
Firstly, the funding reduces the financial barriers for businesses considering EV adoption. With increased subsidies and infrastructure support, Kazam can now engage clients, especially fleet operators, last-mile delivery companies, and real estate developers, with a stronger ROI narrative. We can clearly demonstrate how our smart chargers and cloud-based CMS, when combined with state incentives, make the transition more affordable and less operationally disruptive. This is especially impactful for large clients like Mahindra Logistics or emerging players in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities where upfront costs have traditionally slowed adoption.
Secondly, this allocation enables us to strengthen our pitch for integrated EV infrastructure solutions. For example, by co-investing with clients in state-supported charging hubs or residential complexes, we can offer bundled solutions that include installation, energy management, and real-time diagnostics, all under a single platform. This not only reduces downtime and complexity for businesses but also aligns with the policy’s focus on scalable, tech-enabled infrastructure.
Moreover, this funding allows us to expand innovation pilots in areas like peer-to-peer energy exchange. As the state accelerates its green energy transition, our clients will benefit from renewable-integrated charging options, dynamic pricing, and enhanced energy efficiency, further bringing down operational costs and aligning with their ESG mandates.
Finally, the emphasis on skill development in the policy supports our ongoing efforts to train and deploy local technicians. This ensures that our clients have access to reliable on-ground maintenance and faster service turnaround, critical for businesses operating high-utilization EV fleets.
This policy empowers the industry to directly support businesses in Maharashtra by reducing transition costs, simplifying deployment, and offering smart, future-ready EV solutions backed by government incentives.
8) The Clean Mobility Transition Model aims to reduce emissions significantly. How does Kazam align its operations with these environmental objectives?
We are deeply committed to supporting Maharashtra’s Clean Mobility Transition Model and its goal of significantly reducing emissions through widespread EV adoption. Our operations are built around accelerating the deployment of clean, accessible, and efficient EV charging infrastructure powered increasingly by renewable energy.
We actively collaborate with last-mile delivery and quick commerce operators, sectors that account for an estimated 50% of emissions in the delivery sector. By managing over 4.69 million charging sessions and enabling more than 38.9 GWh of clean energy consumption, we directly contribute to lowering carbon emissions, over 40,000 tons of CO₂ avoided so far. This quantifiable environmental impact exemplifies our alignment with Maharashtra’s sustainability objectives.
9) The policy emphasises battery recycling and skill development. Is Kazam involved in these areas, and what initiatives are underway?
Battery recycling and skill development are critical components of a sustainable EV ecosystem, and we recognise their importance in Maharashtra’s EV policy framework. While our core focus is on charging infrastructure and software solutions, we are committed to maximizing battery life and enhancing battery management for EV users.
Our platform provides advanced battery health monitoring and real-time diagnostics, giving fleet operators and drivers clear insights into battery condition and performance. This enables proactive planning, such as selecting routes closer to charging stations when batteries near end-of-life, and helps optimize charging schedules to reduce battery degradation. By empowering users with better visibility into battery status, we extend battery life, improve operational efficiency, and reduce the frequency of costly battery replacements.
10) With Maharashtra’s ambitious EV policy in place, what is Kazam’s long-term vision for contributing to the state’s electric mobility landscape?
We envision Maharashtra as a flagship state demonstrating India’s transition to a robust, inclusive, and sustainable electric mobility ecosystem. Our vision is to be the digital backbone that powers this transformation, enabling seamless EV charging, smart energy management, and fleet electrification across urban and rural landscapes which we are executing at present.
We aim to expand our interoperable, cloud-native charging platform to cover every highway, city, residential community, and commercial hub in Maharashtra, facilitating easy access to clean mobility for all demographics. Our peer-to-peer energy exchange model and integration of renewable energy sources will play a key role in decentralizing energy production and consumption, making EV charging greener and more resilient.
We also plan to deepen partnerships with public transport operators, logistics firms, and government agencies to accelerate bus and commercial vehicle electrification, directly supporting Maharashtra’s 2030 adoption targets. Our advanced fleet management solutions will optimize operational efficiency and reduce carbon emissions for the long term.