Background
Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, 2024 (“the Guidelines”) were issued by the Ministry of Power, Government of India, under its broad regulatory mandate under the Electricity Act, 2003, to operationalise and standardise India’s public and private EV charging ecosystem. The Guidelines supersede and replace earlier iterations — including the 2022 Guidelines — and establish a comprehensive technical and operational framework governing every aspect of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI): the equipment standards that all Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) must meet, the safety and grid-connectivity requirements applicable to EVSE installations, the functionality and user experience standards that charging stations must deliver, and the commercial and access obligations of Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and Distribution Licensees. The 2024 Guidelines reflect India’s accelerating EV adoption trajectory and the national policy objective of ensuring interoperable, safe, accessible, and reliable public charging infrastructure across the country. They mandate conformance with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) standards — particularly the IS 17017 series aligned with IEC 61851 — for all EVSE, and require that safety and connectivity of EVSE comply with the Central Electricity Authority (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2023, and the CEA (Technical Standards for Connectivity of the Distributed Generation Resources) Regulations, 2013. Compliance is enforced through the combined framework of the Electricity Act, 2003, the BIS Act, 2016, and applicable contractual and regulatory mechanisms.
Applicability
Guidelines and the compliance obligations arising under Sections 6(1), 6(2), and 6(3) apply to all entities engaged in the procurement, manufacture, import, sale, installation, and operation of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment in India. This includes Charge Point Operators installing and operating public and semi-public EV charging stations; EVSE manufacturers and importers responsible for ensuring product conformance with BIS standards and CEA regulations; fleet operators, commercial establishments, residential societies, and other entities establishing captive EV charging facilities; distribution licensees facilitating new electricity connections for EV charging infrastructure; and Original Equipment Manufacturers of electric vehicles integrating on-board charging systems compatible with the prescribed standards. All such entities must ensure that every unit of EVSE deployed complies with the IS 17017 series BIS standards (Section 6(1)), the CEA Safety and Connectivity Regulations (Section 6(2)), and the functionality and user experience specifications in Annexure II (Section 6(3)) of the 2024 Guidelines.
Compliance Requirement Under the act in Accordance with the Rules & Regulations:
All Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) installed and operated as part of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI) in India must comply with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) standards specified in Annexure I of the Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, 2024. The primary standard mandated is the IS 17017 series — which covers electric vehicle conductive charging systems and is aligned with the IEC 61851 international series — along with all other applicable BIS standards listed in Annexure I as updated from time to time. EVSE that does not bear the applicable BIS certification or does not conform to the IS 17017 series specifications may not be deployed at any public, semi-public, or private charging station. This obligation applies to all entities involved in the procurement, installation, and operation of EVSE, including Charge Point Operators (CPOs), Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), fleet operators, and captive charging facility operators. Compliance must be maintained on an ongoing basis as BIS standards are revised or new standards are notified.
The safety and connectivity of all Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment must comply with: (a) the Central Electricity Authority (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2023, as amended from time to time, which prescribe the safety requirements for the installation, operation, and maintenance of electrical equipment including EVSE; and (b) the Central Electricity Authority (Technical Standards for Connectivity of the Distributed Generation Resources) Regulations, 2013, as amended from time to time, which govern the technical requirements for the grid connectivity of distributed generation resources including EV charging infrastructure. EVSE, as defined by the CEA in the Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply Regulations, 2023, is the element within the EVCI that supplies electric energy for recharging the battery of electric vehicles. All safety measures prescribed under the CEA Safety Regulations — including earthing, protection against electric shock, overcurrent protection, short-circuit protection, and emergency isolation — must be implemented and maintained. The grid connectivity requirements under the CEA Connectivity Regulations — including power quality, anti-islanding, and protection functions — must be complied with for any EVSE connected to the electricity distribution network. These obligations apply to CPOs, EVSE manufacturers and importers, distribution licensees facilitating EV charging connections, and all other parties involved in the installation and operation of EVCI.
All Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment must meet the functionality and user experience requirements specified in Annexure II of the Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, 2024. These requirements govern the operational and interoperability standards that EVSE must fulfil to ensure a consistent, accessible, and user-friendly charging experience across India’s EV charging network. Annexure II requirements include: interoperability of charging connectors and protocols (including Bharat AC-001 and Bharat DC-001 standards); communication protocols between EVSE and the EV (using applicable IEC or ISO standards); network connectivity and communication between EVSE and the Charge Point Management System (CPMS); real-time monitoring, remote diagnostics, and over-the-air update capability; payment interface accessibility supporting multiple payment modes including UPI and RFID; display and user interface requirements including clear indication of charging status, tariff, and energy dispensed; accessibility features for differently-abled users; minimum uptime and availability standards for public charging stations; and cyber-security requirements for networked EVSE. CPOs and EVSE manufacturers must ensure all deployed equipment conforms to Annexure II requirements and must update their equipment when revised requirements are notified.
Penalty & Consequences
Consequence of Non-Compliance — Regulatory, Statutory, and Contractual Action
Non-compliance with any provision of the Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, 2024 — including the BIS standards requirement under Section 6(1), the CEA safety and connectivity regulations requirement under Section 6(2), and the functionality and user experience requirements under Section 6(3) — may attract regulatory, statutory, contractual, or other applicable enforcement action under the relevant laws, regulations, directions, approvals, and agreements. The Guidelines are issued by the Ministry of Power under the framework of the Electricity Act, 2003 and applicable Central Government policy directions; contraventions may accordingly invite action under Sections 142 and 146 of the Electricity Act, 2003 by the appropriate Commission or the Central Government, in addition to action under the BIS Act, 2016 for non-conformance with mandatory BIS standards, and action under CEA Regulations for safety and connectivity violations.
Section 142 of the Electricity Act, 2003 (as amended by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026, with effect from 1st June 2026) — Penalty for Contravention
Any contravention of any provision of the Electricity Act, 2003, or any rule, regulation, or direction issued thereunder — including directions issued pursuant to the EV Charging Infrastructure Guidelines — may attract a penalty of not less than ₹10,000 but which may extend to ₹5,00,000 for each contravention, and in the case of a continuing failure, an additional penalty of not less than ₹1,000 but which may extend to ₹10,000 per day during the period of such failure.
BIS Act, 2016 — Penalty for Non-Conforming Products
Where EVSE sold or deployed in India does not conform to the applicable mandatory BIS standard (including the IS 17017 series), the manufacturer, importer, seller, or distributor may be liable under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016. Under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016, any person who manufactures, imports, distributes, sells, hires, or otherwise deals in goods which are required to conform to a mandatory Indian Standard but do not so conform shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months and may extend to two years, or with a fine which shall not be less than ₹1,00,000, or with both.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this Article is intended solely for personal non-commercial use of the user who accepts full responsibility of its use. The information in the article is general in nature and should not be considered to be legal, tax, accounting, consulting or any other professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied regarding the accuracy, adequacy, reliability or completeness of any information on our page/article.
