Mr. Niranjan P M will present his MTP2 as per the details below:

Date: 23rd June 2026

Time: 1800 - 1900 hrs.

Venue: C-TARA Conference Room No.1

Topic: Electric mobility transition in India's three-wheeler sector: A study of Maharashtra

Guide: Prof. Anand B. Rao   

Examiners: Prof. Satish Agnihotri, Prof. D Venkatramanan  

Abstract:

India's electric vehicle transition has accelerated rapidly in the three-wheeler segment However, the adoption remains uneven across regions This study tries to understand the patterns of electric three-wheeler (E3W) adoption in Maharashtra using the RTO-level registration data available from VAHAN dashboard The dataset spans from 2014 to 2025, covering 58 RTOs and a total of 917,385 three-wheeler registrations A mixed-methods approach is used, which combines both quantitative data analysis with qualitative field study in Nagpur, which has the highest-volume E3W adoption region in the state.

The study shows that electric three-wheelers share grew from zero percent in 2014 to a 16.7 percent at the state-level by 2025  But this aggregate figure hides the regional disparities In 2025, the Vidarbha region in eastern part of Maharashtra has achieved an E3W penetration rate of 60-80% in several RTOs Meanwhile, the Mumbai-Pune region still remains below 5% in E3W penetration despite being considered the metropolitan areas Correlation analysis was done to confirm a strong negative relationship between pre-2020 CNG market share and recent EV penetration (ρ = −0.757, p < 0.0001), and a positive relationship between pre-2020 diesel share and EV penetration (ρ = +0.611, p < 0.0001) was found The finding is that the diesel operators are shifting to more cleaner fuels The areas with limited access to CNG are witnessing higher EV adoption, while much lower rates of adoption of EVs are observed in the places with better CNG presence.

Field study done in Nagpur (n = 18 stakeholders across operators, dealers, and RTO officers) shows that Nagpur's early adoption was initiated by a politically-led regulatory intervention from 2014 Various themes about the experience emerged while interviewing the operators One is the perceived usefulness of E3W as an alternative to conventional fuel vehicles People were switching to E3W for better quality of life, better livelihood, and more safer means of transport But, still a few challenges exist for the operators There exists a disparity between lead-acid e-rickshaws requiring annual battery replacement and newer lithium-battery vehicles offering better performance at a higher cost, but inaccessible to lower-income operators Total absence of public charging points forces dependency on home charging Information awareness gap regarding subsidy exists among the operators and dealers.

The study concludes how the electric mobility transition has happened in Maharashtra, and what are the lived experiences of the users.