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WE2: She Moves on Electric Two-Wheels 


The transition to electric two-wheelers (E2Ws) is a critical step toward achieving low-carbon transport in India. The road transport sector contributes 12% of the country’s energy-related emissions (280 million tonnes), with two- and three-wheelers accounting for 20% of these emissions. As of September 2024, two-wheelers make up 73% of the registered vehicle fleet and represent 62% of electric vehicle (EV) sales between September 2023 and 2024. Despite this growth, E2W penetration remains below 6%.

Women are underrepresented as drivers, and delivery workers in India. The gig economy, particularly in last-mile delivery, is projected to grow by $165.6 billion between 2022 and 2027 (which could be driven by Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) or electric two-wheelers). However, women hold only 6.3% of the total driving licenses issued as of March 2020. The number of licenses issued to women has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 9.3%, with women receiving 12% of all licenses in 2019–20. This growth signals a rising demand for personal mobility among women. Despite this, there is limited research on the gendered use and ownership of E2Ws.

This study aims to understand the gendered differences in the adoption and use of E2Ws in India, using Chennai and Delhi as case studies.


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WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels Understanding the barriers and opportunities for uptake and use of electric two -wheelers amongst women in India December 2024 HVT/059 This research was funded by UKAID through the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office under the High -Volume Transport Applied Research Programme, managed by DT Global . The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies . Reference No. HVT/ 059 Lead Organisation/ Consultant The Urban Catalysts Partner Organisation(s)/ Consultant(s) NA Title WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Type of document Project Report Theme Low carbon transport Sub -theme Gender and electric mobility Author(s) Sonal Shah, Manisha Sharma, Lakshmi R, Adithya D, Sutanu Pati, Priyadarshi Singh , Namrata Daniel Lead contact Sonal Shah, The Urban Catalysts Geographical Location(s) Delhi, India Abstract Keywords Electric mobility, two -wheelers, gender Funding High Volume Transport Applied Research Programme Acknowledgements We are grateful to Shri Sudhendu J. Sinha, Adviser (Infrastructure Connectivity & Electric Mobility, NITI Aayog, Government of India) for his support and guidance throughout the research. We sincerely acknowledge the guidance and valuable feedback provided by our advisory group members during the course of our research. The advisory group members include Abhinav Soman, Kirsty Rowan Marcus, Dr. Laghu Parashar, Monika Saxena, and Rohan Modi. We also extend our appreciation to the key informants, some of whom are Aayushi Jain, Amegh Gopinath, Bhavya Sharma, Lalit Kumar, Meera Sundararajan, Nehal Gupta, and Rubina Aziz, among others. We would also like thank Shradha Gupta , The Urban Catalysts for her support in managing outreach for this project . The DT Global Team provided us support throughout the research. We appreciate the technical reviews by Holger Dalkmann, leadership by Neil Ebenezer and project management support by Rita Mc -Intyre Pantz and Mihaela Vocila. Suggested citation The Urban Catalysts. 2024. WE2: She Moves on Electric Two - Wheels - Understanding the barriers and opportunities for increasing women’s uptake of electric two -wheelers in India. The Urban Catalysts : Mumbai . Issue Status Author(s) Reviewed By Approved By Issue Date 1 Inception Report Sonal Shah, Adithya D, Lakshmi R, Sutanu Pati, Priyadarshi Singh , Namrata Daniel Holger Dalkmann Holger Dalkmann 31 March 2024 2 Data Analysis and Preliminary Recommendat ions Report Sonal Shah, Manisha Sharma, Lakshmi R, Adithya D, Sutanu Pati, Priyadarshi Singh, Namrata Daniel Holger Dalkmann Holger Dalkmann 30 July 2024 3 Final Report Sonal Shah, Manisha Sharma, Lakshmi R, Adithya D, Sutanu Pati, Priyadarshi Singh, Namrata Daniel Holger Dalkmann Holger Dalkmann 6 December 2024 i WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels Contents List of Figures ii List of Tables v List of Annexures vi List of Boxes vi List of Abbreviations/Acronyms vii Executive Summary iv 1. Introduction 7 1.1 Project aim and objectives 8 1.2 Structure of the report 8 2. Research methodology 10 2.1 Inception stage and research uptake 12 2.2 Data collection and analyses 19 3. Research findings 26 3.1 Institutional framework for electric mobility 26 3.2 Gendered analysis of electric vehicle policies 33 3.3 Primary Data Analysis 38 4. Recommendations 71 4.1 National -level recommendations 72 4.2 State and City -level recommendations 75 4.3 Institutional support for commercial workers by EV industry 78 4.4 Strengthen the driving licensing process 85 5. Conclusion 86 Annexures 88 References 114 ii WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels List of Figures Figure 1: Research methodology ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 10 Figure 2: Driving licenses in India ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 13 Figure 3 : Women's access to finance in India ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 17 Figure 4: Gendered safety concerns at charging stations at global level ................................ ............................ 18 Figure 5: Categorisation of respondents and the sample size ................................ ................................ ............ 38 Figure 6 : Education level of personal and commercial workers ................................ ................................ .......... 39 Figure 7 : Type of work of commercial users ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 39 Figure 8 : Commercial workers: Women ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 40 Figure 9 : Commercial workers: Men ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 40 Figure 10: Average working time of commercial users by gender ................................ ................................ ...... 41 Figure 11 : Trave l distance, by gender and user type ................................ ................................ .......................... 42 Figure 12: Average Individual monthly income of commercial workers ................................ .............................. 42 Figure 13 : Issues faced by women in obtaining a driving license ................................ ................................ ....... 44 Figure 14 : Driving licences by gender ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 45 Figure 15 : Driver training by gender ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 45 Figure 16 : Cost of obtaining a driving licence ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 46 Figure 17: Obstacles faced in obtaining a driving licence ................................ ................................ ................... 47 Figure 18: Factors prioritised to improve the licence process ................................ ................................ ............. 47 Figure 19: Parameters prioritised in the design of a two -wheeler – E2W users ................................ ................. 49 Figure 20: Parameters prioritised in the design of a two -wheeler - ICE users ................................ .................... 50 Figure 21: Two -wheeler loan eligibility for Bajaj Finance ................................ ................................ .................... 50 Figure 22: Two -wheeler loan eligibility for Shriram Finance ................................ ................................ ................ 50 Figure 23: Mode of financing two -wheeler by fuel type and gender ................................ ................................ .... 51 Figure 24 : Vehicle registration name by gender and fuel type ................................ ................................ ............ 52 Figure 25 : Loan registration name by gender and vehicle fuel type ................................ ................................ .... 52 Figure 26: Banking procedures handled by ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 54 Figure 27: Proportion of users who ranked the following as one of top 3 barriers to access finance ................. 55 Figure 28: Proportion of users who ranked the following as one of top 3 factors to improve loan process ........ 55 Figure 29: Charging locations during the day ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 56 Figure 30: Charging locations during the night ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 57 Figure 31 : Priorities to improve charging infrastructure - personal users by gender ................................ ............ 58 Figure 32 : Priorities to improve charging infrastructure - commercial users by gender ................................ ....... 59 Figure 33 : Total PCS audited - Delhi ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 60 Figure 34 : Total PCS audited: Chennai ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 60 Figure 35 : Average score of audited charging stations by indicator in Delhi ................................ ...................... 61 Figure 36 : Average score of attributes of audited charging stations in Delhi ................................ ...................... 61 Figure 37: Charging point located behind an advertisement board, Karol Bagh ................................ ................. 62 Figure 38: Charging point hidden among pipelines, Chandni Chowk …………………………. ................... 62 Figure 39: Charging point positioned amidst electricity meters …… ................................ ................................ . 62 iii WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels Figure 40: Charging point covered with a protective box to prevent vandalism (Rajiv Chowk) .......................... 62 Figure 41: Charging gun and digital screen missing due to vandalism (Rajiv Chowk) ................................ ....... 62 Figure 42 : Average score of CS on 4 indicators in Chennai ................................ ................................ ............... 63 Figure 43 : Average score of attributes of audited charging stations in Delhi ................................ ...................... 63 Figure 44 : Charging point located between a tree and utility pole (Koyambedu) ................................ ................ 64 Figure 45 : Charging point among the advertisement boards (Adyar) ................................ ................................ . 64 Figure 46 : Charging points at MRTS station (Mandaveli) ................................ ................................ ................... 64 Figure 47 : Charging point at Basin bridge railway station in North Chennai ................................ ....................... 64 Figure 48: Type of support received by female 2W users ................................ ................................ ................... 67 Figure 49: Type of support received by male 2W users ................................ ................................ ...................... 67 Figure 50: Support required to increase uptake of EV ................................ ................................ ........................ 68 Figure 51: Major areas where support Is required to Increase the uptake of electric two -wheelers - Personal E2W users ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 69 Figure 52: Major areas where support is required to Increase the uptake of electric two -wheelers - Commercial E2W users ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 69 Figure 53: Major areas where support is required to Increase the uptake of electric two -wheelers - Commercial ICE users ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 69 Figure 54: Major areas where support is required to Increase the uptake of electric two -wheelers - Personal ICE users ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 70 Figure 55 : Approvals required before installation of a charging station ................................ .............................. 74 Figure 56 : SOS button in the Hero Vida V1 E2W ................................ ................................ ............................... 83 Figure 57 : Summary of proposed institutional support framework ................................ ................................ ...... 84 Figure 58 : Education level of commercial users, by city ................................ ................................ ..................... 87 Figure 59 : Education level of personal users, by city ................................ ................................ .......................... 88 Figure 60: Commercial users: Type of work by gender ................................ ................................ ....................... 88 Figure 61: Average working hours of commercial users by city and gender ................................ ....................... 89 Figure 62: Average daily distance travelled by commercial workers: by city and gender ................................ ... 90 Figure 63: Average daily distance travelled by personal users, by city and gender ................................ ........... 91 Figure 64: Average Individual monthly income of commercial workers ................................ .............................. 91 Figure 65 : Per hour income of commercial users, by gender and city ................................ ................................ 92 Figure 66 : Driving licences by city and gender ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 92 Figure 67 : Driving training by city and gender ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 93 Figure 68: Obstacles faced in obtaining a driving licence - Chennai ................................ ................................ .. 93 Figure 69: Obstacles faced in obtaining a driving licence - Delhi ................................ ................................ ........ 94 Figure 70: Factors prioritised to improve the licence process - Chennai ................................ ............................ 94 Figure 71: Factors prioritised to improve the licence process - Delhi ................................ ................................ .. 95 Figure 72: Parameters prioritised in the design of a two -wheeler - Chennai ................................ ...................... 95 Figure 73: Parameters prioritised in the design of a two -wheeler - Delhi ................................ ............................ 95 Figure 74 :Loan registration name by fuel, gender in Delhi ................................ ................................ .................. 96 Figure 75: Loan registration name by fuel, gender in Chennai ................................ ................................ ........... 97 Figure 76: Barriers to access finance – Chennai ................................ ................................ ................................ . 98 Figure 77: Barriers to access finance - Delhi ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 98 iv WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels Figure 78: Parameters prioritised in the design of a two -wheeler – Chennai ................................ ...................... 99 Figure 79: Parameters prioritised in the design of a two -wheeler – Delhi ................................ ........................... 99 Figure 80: Location of charging during the day, by city ................................ ................................ ....................... 99 Figure 81: Location of charging during the night, by city ................................ ................................ ................... 100 Figure 82 : Priorities to improve charging infrastructure ................................ ................................ ..................... 100 Figure 83 : Priorities to improve charging infrastructure - Delhi, by gender ................................ ........................ 101 Figure 84 : Priorities to improve charging infrastructure - Chennai, by gender ................................ ................... 101 Figure 85 : Priorities to improve charging infrastructure - Delhi, by type of work ................................ ................ 101 Figure 87 : Priorities to improve charging infrastructure - Chennai, by type of work and gender ....................... 102 Figure 87 : Battery swapping station at petrol station (Vinod Nagar) ................................ ................................ . 103 Figure 88 : Fast charging station at a petrol station (Pitampura) ................................ ................................ ....... 103 Figure 89 Lack of space to park an E2W to charge (Chandni Chowk) ................................ ............................. 103 Figure 90 Lack of space to park an E2W to charge ................................ ................................ .......................... 103 Figure 91 Lack of shade at charging point (Hauz Khas) ................................ ................................ ................... 103 Figure 92 : Touch screen CP at Anna Nagar Metro station, operated by EESL ................................ ................ 105 Figure 93 : Ather charging station with three -point plug ................................ ................................ ..................... 105 Figure 94 : Ather charging station with instructional information at Kotturpuram MRTS Station ....................... 105 Figure 95: Type of support EV users received in Delhi ................................ ................................ ..................... 106 Figure 96: Types of support EV users received in Chennai ................................ ................................ .............. 106 v WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels List of Tables Table 1: Members of the working group 11 Table 2: Gender scale for policy analysis 19 Table 3: Indicative questions for policy analysis 20 Table 4: Categories for key informant interviews 21 Table 5: Focus group discussion participants in each city 22 Table 6: User groups and number of samples for questionnaire surveys in each city 23 Table 7: Congregation points for sample identification 23 Table 8: Rating scale 25 Table 9: Key national level institutions and their roles 26 Table 10: Roles and responsibilities of national -level institutions in electric mobility 27 Table 11: State -level institutions in Tamil Nadu and their roles 29 Table 12: Roles and responsibilities of state -level institutions of Tamil Nadu in electric mobility 30 Table 13: State -level institutions in Delhi and their roles 31 Table 14: Roles and responsibilities of state -level institutions of Tamil Nadu in electric mobility 32 Table 15: Comparison of state level EV Policies of Delhi and Tamil Nadu 33 Table 16: Gendered analysis of State EV policies 34 Table 17: Work start and end time for commercial workers 40 Table 18:Average distance travelled 43 Table 19:TCO analysis 44 Table 20: Categories of two -wheelers in India 48 Table 21: Down payment as a percentage of vehicle value 53 Table 22: Loan tenure, rate of Interest and EMI 53 Table 23: Average loan approval time (in days) 54 Table 24: Selected organisations in India supporting the uptake of two -wheelers by women 65 Table 25: Summary of recommendations to increase uptake and usage of E2ws among women 71 Table 26: Type of motor vehicles as per MoRTH 75 Table 27: Work start and end time for commercial workers 89 Table 28: Mode of financing two -wheeler by fuel type and city 96 Table 29: Down payment as a percentage of vehicle value 97 Table 30: Loan tenure and rate of Interest 97 Table 31: Average loan approval time (in days) 98 Table 32: Rating score of a charging station/point 109 Table 33: Charging infrastructure assessment framework 109 Table 34: Average distance travelled in Delhi, by gender (in km) 112 Table 35: Gender difference in the cost of an E2W in an ownership period of 10 years 112 Table 36: Total cost of ownership of E2W for selected models (for an ownership period of 10 years) 112 Table 37: Average distance travelled in Chennai, by gender (in km) 113 Table 38: Gender difference in the cost of an E2W in an ownership period of 10 years 113 Table 39: Total cost of ownership of E2W for selected models (for an ownership period of 10 years) 113 vi WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels List of Annexures Annexure 1: Detailed city -wise findings of primary surveys and infrastructure audits 88 Annexure 2: Gender -responsive Charging Infrastructure Guidelines 109 Annexure 3: Charging Infrastructure Assessment Framework 111 Annex ure 4: Rationale for the women -focused purchased subsidies 114 List of Boxes Box 1: Illustrations of gender -responsive vision and goals …………………………………………………… 76 Box 2: Case examples of financing options adopted by states …………………………………………… … 77 Box 3: Case examples of skilling for the EV value chain …………………………………………………… …78 Box 4: Institutional support provided in E2W and E3W driving training and licenses for women ……… … 81 Box 5: Institutional support in increasing access to credit for purchasing E2W amongst women ………… 83 i WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels List of Abbreviations/Acronyms ANEW Association for Non -Traditional Employment for Women ARAI Automotive Research Association of India BEE Bureau of Energy Efficiency CAGR Compound Annual Growth Rate CCTV Closed Circuit Television CEA Central Electricity Authority CIBIL Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited CMVA Central Motor Vehicles Act CMVR Central Motor Vehicles Rules CNA Central Nodal Agency CP Charging Point CPO Charging Point Operator CSCL Chennai Smart City Limited DERC Delhi Electrical Regulatory Commission DTL Delhi Transco Limited DTTE Directorate of Training and Technical Education E- AMRIT Accelerated e -Mobility Revolution for India's Transportation E2W Electric Two -Wheeler E3W Electric Three -Wheeler E4W Electric Four -Wheeler EESL Energy Efficiency Services Limited EFL Engine & fuel tank location EMI Equated Monthly Instalments EMPS Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme EVs Electric Vehicles EVSE Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment ii WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels EWEE Empowering Women and Enhancing their Business through E -Mobility FAME Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles FCDO Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office FGD Focus Group Discussion GCC Greater Chennai Corporation GNCTD Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi GPL Gender and Policy Lab GPS Global Positioning System GST Goods and Services Tax HVT High Volume Transport ICE Internal Combustion Engine ITI Industrial Training Institutes IVR Interactive Voice Response KII Key informant interviews LMIC Low - and Middle -Income Countries LTV Loan to Value MHI Ministry of Heavy Industries MoEFCC Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change MoHUA Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs MoP Ministry of Power MORTH Ministry of Road Transport and Highways MOWO Moving Women MP Motor Power MRTS Mass Rapid Transit System MS Maximum Speed MSME Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises NBFC Non -Banking Financial Corporation iii WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels NGO Non -Governmental Organizations NITI National Institution for Transforming India OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer PCS Public Charging Stations PLI Production Linked Incentive RTO Regional Transport Office SEWA Self Employed Women’s Association SIAM Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers SNA State Nodal Agency STEM Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics TANGEDCO Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited TCO Total Cost of Ownership TNERC Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission TNSDC Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation URDPFI Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation WS Wheel Size iv WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels Executive Summary The transition to electric two -wheelers (E2Ws) is a critical step toward achieving low -carbon transport in India. The road transport sector contributes 12% of the country’s energy -related emissions (280 million tonnes), with two - and three -wheelers accounting for 20% of these emissions. As of September 2024, two - wheelers make u p 73% of the registered vehicle fleet and represent 62% of electric vehicle (EV) sales between September 2023 and 2024. Despite this growth, E 2W penetration remains below 6% . Women are underrepresented as drivers, and delivery workers in India. The gig economy, particularly in last -mile delivery, is projected to grow by $165.6 billion between 2022 and 2027 (which could be driven by Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) or electric two -wheelers). However, women hold only 6.3% of the total dri ving licenses issued as of March 2020. The number of licenses issued to women has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 9.3%, with women receiving 12% of all licenses in 2019 –20. This growth signals a rising demand for personal mobility among women. Despite this, there is limited research on the gendered use and ownership of E2Ws . This study aims to understand the gendered differences in the adoption and use of E2Ws in India, using Chennai and Delhi as case studies. Research Methodology The research focuses on five key factors affecting the uptake of E2Ws: driving license processes, vehicle design, financing, charging infrastructure, and institutional support. A mixed methods approach was adopted and d ata was collected through surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews with stakeholders in the electric mobility ecosystem . The users for primary survey are categorized as commercial (delivery workers and service providers) or personal (individuals with fixed -place employment) users . A gendered analysis of state EV policies was conducted using a graded framework that categorized policies from gender -discriminatory to gender -transformative. Institutional analysis was also undertaken to identify relevant stakeholders and their roles with in the policy and regulatory context. The research was guided by a multi -stakeholder advisory group comprising government representatives, development finance institutions, cooperation agencies, and private sector. Key Findings The primary survey revealed that commercial users are mainly involved in food delivery (45%), grocery delivery (16%), and home services (14%), with women distributed across food delivery, home services, and the delivery of other products such as cosmetics, medicines, and Yakult. A significant portion (92%) of personal users are engaged in the service sector. Commercial male users travel approximately 1.7 times more than their female counterparts (M:79 km; F: 46km). Personal male users with fixed employment locations also travel longer distances than female workers (M: 28km; F: 20km) . However, personal users, in general, travel shorter distances than commercial users. The travel distances between ICE and EV commercial users do not show significant differences. Female commercial workers work 95 to 167 minutes less than male workers, likely due to care responsibilities. While male workers earn 1.1 times more than female workers, this is primarily due to working longer hours. However, women earn a higher hourly inc ome (INR 115) compared to men (INR 104), as they generally take shorter -distance orders, enabling them to complete more deliveries in less time. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for female E 2W users is found to be 1.2 to 1.7 times higher than for male use rs due to differences in vehicle utili sation. Driving licence process and regulations. The findings reveal that women often rely on family members to learn driving, while men predominantly rely on friends or self -learning. Formal driving classes are rare for both genders, with only 8% of women and 2% of men using them. Respondents reported paying 2.5 to 2.7 times the prescribed fees to obtain a license, largely due to reliance on agents. Awareness of the recent shift to an online application process for driving licenses, implemented in 2023, is limited . Key challenges identified by respondents in the licensing process include administrative barriers at the Regional Transport Office (RTO), difficulties in passing the learner’s test, and challenges in passing the practical driving test. To enhance the lic ensing process, respondents prioriti sed assistance with paperwork, reducing waiting times for tests, and minimizing overall delays at the RTO. Women emphasi sed the importance of polite and v WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels respectful interactions with RTO officials and expressed a need for women -specific services to facilitate the licensing process. Design of electric two -wheelers . The study found that women show a stronger preference for e -scooters, while men are inclined to use both e -scooters and e -motorcycles. 72% of the respondents used five E2W models, which are (i) Ola Electric S1 Pro (22% of EV user respondents), (ii) Ather 450 (17%), (iii) Hero Electric Optima (14%), (iv) TVS iQube (12%), and (v) Honda Activa Electric (7%). Women demonstrated a higher tendency to use familiar and well -established models, with 74% of women choosing the top five ICE models compared to 48% of men. E2W users identified key priorities such as vehicle range, battery safety, and charging safety. Women emphasized the importance of vehicle weight, reverse assist, and hill assist features. Focus group discussions revealed that men generally prefer heavier and wider vehicles, considering them more stable, particularly on slopes or in adverse weather conditions. Conversely, women favoured lightweight vehicles with a broader width to ensure they could be used by male family members without concerns about gendered perceptions of the vehicle's design. Post -sales service emerged as a significant challenge, with limited access to skilled technicians, delays in servicing, and a lack of spare parts in local market affecting user experiences. Financing of electric two - wheelers. The majority of respondents across gender, vehicle type, and usage opted for self -financing when purchasing their two -wheelers. On average, 29% of respondents chose to finance their two -wheelers through loans, regardless of gender, usage type, or fuel type . Among male loan users, the majority financed their vehicles in their own name. In contrast, 81% of female users obtained loans in their own name for ICE vehicles, while only 51% did so for E2Ws. For male EV users, the down payment was typically 26% of the on -road price, while for female EV users, the down payment was 32%. This higher down payment requirement for women could present a barrier to the adoption of EVs. Loan approval times for EVs were generally shorter than for ICE vehicles. Key informants noted that while women borrowers exhibited better repayment profiles, they have less technical knowledge of vehicle specifications compared to male borrowers. Women represented approximately 10% to 2 0% of total borrowers. Between 65% and 80% of respondents received financing information from agents at two -wheeler dealerships. Limited f inancial literacy, lack of experience -sharing, and low or no CIBIL scores were identified as key obstacles for women in accessing financing. Both male and female respondents indicated that reducing documentation requirements, improving information access, and facilitating experience -sharing could improve the financing process. Charging infrastructure . The primary charging location for both commercial and personal E2W users is at home, regardless of the time of day. 25% of commercial users reported using public charging stations during the day , compared to just 7% of personal users. E 2W users indicated that they typically restrict their two - wheeler use to within the city and prefer to keep it within a comfortable range of home. Public charging stations are considered primarily for emergency use. Women users expressed concerns abou t vehicle range and often limit their travel to avoid running out of charge. In addition to the surveys and FGDs , public charging stations were audited using an assessment framework that evaluated four parameters: location accessibility, security, charging infrastructure, network connectivity, and amenities. It was found that 46% and 64% of the charging points in Delhi and Chennai, respectively, were operational. 65% of the audited charging points in Delhi are rated as "poor" or "very poor," on the assessment framework and 85% of the 46 audited charging stations across both cities received similar ratings. The key issues identified include the lack of real -time, centralized information on the location and availability of charging points. Many stations are located in poorly lit, inactive areas, which raises safety concerns, particularly for women. There is al so a shortage of fast -charging points, and basic amenities such as shaded spaces, seating, toilets, and drinking water are often unavailable, affecting the overall user experience. To improve charging infrastructure, priorities vary between men and women. For men, the focus is on affordability and the availability of operational charging points. For women, key concerns include safety, accessibility, and the overall quality of the cha rging stations. Women expressed concerns about the ease vi WE2: She Moves on Electric Two -Wheels of us ing the charging points , the safety at charging stations, and longer waiting times, which could increase the risk of unwanted attention. Institutional Support. Social enterprises and women -focused organizations are working to support resource -poor women in accessing electric vehicles by collaborating with government agencies, financial institutions, and driving schools. These organizations help women with tailore d financial products, subsidies, financial literacy, and job training in roles like chauffeurs and delivery riders. Findings from the primary survey reveal that EV users rely on family, friends, showrooms, and agents for various forms of support. However, users in both cities face challenges with post -sales support, such as a shortage of skilled technicians for electric two -wheelers, extended service turnaround times due to a limited network of service centres , and the unavailability of spare parts. Recurring issues, such as frequent shutdowns and failures to restart, require regular maintenance. Women users, in particular, have lower awareness of financial benefits like upfront subsidies, with only about 40% a ware of road tax waivers for EVs. Peer learning and knowledge -sharing were identified by E2W users as effective strategies for resolving daily operational issues. In contrast, users of ICE vehicles expressed a need for support in convincing their family members of the benefits of transitio ning to EVs. Women users highlighted four key areas where they need support: access to information on TCO, financial products and processes, charging infrastructure locations, and assistance with obtaining a driving license. The availability of special dea ls and discounts emerged as a priority for female commercial workers Recommendations The recommendations aim address the identi fied challenges faced by women in adopting and using E2Ws. These are categorized at national and state levels, taking into account existing policies and processes. At the national level, key actions include conducting research on gendered differences in E2W usage, developing a roadmap for a gender -just transition to electric mobility, implementing gender -sensitive guidelines for charging infrastructure, and publishin g annual data on EV registrations by gender. The Ministry of Heavy Industries, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency are identified as responsible agencies. At the state and city levels, recommendations emphasize the revision of state EV policies to include gender - responsive strategies, such as targeted purchase subsidies and improved charging infrastructure. State nodal agencies are urged to incorporate gende r experts in their EV Cell/Taskforce . Other recommendations include providing institutional support to women commercial users through driver training, financial literacy programs, and post -sales support, in collaboration with EV aggregators and women -focus ed organizations. Additionally, the licensing process should be strengthened by increasing awareness of online application procedures and pilot testing women -priority services at select RTOs. The focus is on reducing the financial burden on women, improving access to supportive infrastructure, and developing strategies to overcome socio -cultural barriers that impede E2W adoption. 7 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 1. Introduction Context A shift towards E2Ws is essential for moving towards low -carbon transport in India. Globally, r oad transport is a significant contributor to emissions . In India, road transport contributes 280 million tonnes or 12% of energy -related CO 2 emissions (1) . As of September 2024, two -wheelers constitut ed 73 % of all vehicles in the country (2) . Two - and three -wheelers account for 20% of CO 2 emissions from road transport (1) . Thus, a shift towards electric two -wheelers is an essential step for low -carbon transport in India. E2Ws constitute d 5.6% of sales of all two -wheelers in the country from September 23 -24 . While electric two -wheelers have higher upfront costs, their operational costs are lower than their ICE counterparts . On an average daily travel distance of 50 kms , the total cost of ownership 1 per kilometre for low -cost e lectric two -wheelers using lithium -ion batteries is approximately 57% less, and for high -cost electric two -wheelers using lithium -ion batteries , it's approximately 27% less than petrol -powered two - wheeler s (3) . India is one of the world’s largest two -wheeler market s with 27 7 million two -wheelers registered as of September 2024 (2) . Two -wheelers are used for both personal and commercial use . For commercial purposes , they are used as last -mile deliveries and bike taxis. Electric two -wheelers are leading the electric vehicle (EV s) market in India , and constitute d 62 % of all EV sales between Sept 2023 -24 . Yet, electric two - wheelers constitute d only 5 .6% of all two -wheeler sales in the country during this period (4) . Women are underrepresented as drivers, delivery partners and as two -wheeler owners . Women , in India, form a small fraction of drive rs constituting only 6.3% of the total driving licences issued as of March 2020 (5) . However, the share of driving licences issued to women has increased at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.3%. In 2019 -20, 12% of all driving licences were issued to women . In India, the last -mile delivery market is estimated to be between $6 .0-7.0 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15.6% annually with an increase of $165.6 billion between the years 202 2 to 2027 (6) . Two -wheelers are used as bike taxis and as the most preferred mode for hyperlocal deliveries, including e - commerce, courier services and food deliveries (3) . Many gig workers also us e electric mopeds/cycles which do not need driving licences. In 2021, women were estimated to constitute 4 -7% of delivery drivers in India (7) . There is some research on women’s preference for (ICE) two -wheelers. In Calicut in 2017, women prefer red to buy two -wheelers that are comfortable and easy to use (8) . Amsaveni and Kokila (2014) observed that working women in Coimbatore expected performance, cost -effectiveness, aesthetics, and resale value (9) . Research aiming to understand the preferences of working women, homemakers and female students in Pondicherry in 2018 revealed that efficient brake control, mileage, comfortable riding, light weight and high speed and good wheel alignment were the five major factors in the selection of (ICE) two -wheelers. The 1 The total cost of ownership of a vehicle refers to the complete cost incurred over the entire period of ownership, including purchase price, maintenance, fuel or energy costs, insurance, taxes and any other relevant expenses. In India, the internal combustion engine (ICE) two -wheelers constitute 7 2% of all vehicles with 27 4 million ICE two -wheelers registered at present ; necessitating the transition to electric two -wheelers (E2W s) as an essential step for a transition to low carbon mobility. However, women are estimated to constitute only 12% of all driving license holders . There is limited data, understanding and awareness of the gendered nuances, similarities and differences in the use and ownership of E2Ws for personal and commercial use. This hinders the framing of electric two -wheeler policies and schemes to increase women’s uptake. This research fills this gap by identifying the opportunities and barriers to increase women's ownership and use of electric two -wheelers for a just transition to low carbon mobility. 8 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India five additional services preferred by them were vehicle registration service, financial assistance, driving license services, insurance claims and settlement services , and helping women customers learn two - wheeler driving from female trainers (10) . There is limited research and understanding of the gendered use and purchase of E2Ws . There are numerous factors influencing consumer behaviour towards E2Ws . Studies have noted that purchasing decisions o f E2W users are based on several factors such as: comfort, mileage, design, style, optimum speed, maintenance cost, reliability, brand image, advertising, spare parts availability, after -sale service and resale value. Bhatia, Chauhan and Kumar in their research have noted that cost efficiency, environment -friendliness and low maintenance were some of the key factors that influenced purchase intention of E2Ws in the state of Gujarat (11) . Th e study further notes the importance of considering the impact of demographic variables such as age and gender on uptake of E2Ws (11) . "Brand reliability is crucial, especially considering the influx of new E2W brands in India. It's essential to ensure that post -purchase services and spare parts availability are guaranteed. Over the past seven years, numerous brands have emerged, but many have also shut down” . - A male ICE commercial user (Delhi) In particular, Bhat and Verma in Bengaluru found that gender has a statistically significant positive impact on adoption behaviour implying that men are more open to the idea of buying E2Ws (12) . However, another study by Jayasingh, Girija, and Arunkumar observed that women exhibit a higher inclination towards E2Ws when compared to ICE vehicles (13) . This study theorised that this inclination could be due to factors includ ing women's tendency to travel shorter distances on an average , their preference for low -speed models, and the convenien ce , cost -effective ness , safety and comfort offered by low -speed vehicles . 1.1 Project aim and objectives As India urbanizes with an estimated 60% of its population residing in cities by 2030, creating gender - responsive walking, cycling, and electric mobility systems could accelerate the transition to low carbon mobility. Therefore, o ur research aims to understand the gender ed differences in the use of electric two - wheelers in India and formulate recommendations to create an enabling environment for women to own and use electric two -wheelers. Simultaneously, we aim to increase awareness on our research amongst policy makers, policy influencers, private sector partners to enable a gender -just transition to electric mobility systems. 1.2 Structure of the report The first chapter introduces the need for the study and the aim of the project. The second chapter provides a detailed account of the research methodology, geographic scope, and analytical framework employed. It describes the five key entry points identifi ed through a comprehensive literature review and outlines the mixed -methods approach used for data collection. This includes surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The third chapter presents the research findings derived from both secondary and primary data analyses. The secondary data analysis focuses on the institutional framework for electric mobility in the two states studied, including a gendered analysis of ele ctric vehicle policies. The primary data analysis explores gender -based differences in travel behaviour among users of ICE and electric two -wheelers. It also evaluates the total cost of ownership for personal and commercial two -wheeler users , and identified key barriers faced by women across each entry point in the uptake of E2Ws . These findings highlight the systemic enablers and barriers, providing a nuanced understanding of the adoption and use of E2Ws from gender and policy perspectives. The final chapter outlines recommendations to promote a just and inclusive transition to electric mobility. It begins with national -level recommendations, followed by state -level recommendations. The state -level 9 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India recommendations are broad -based, with contextual adaptations for implementation in the case cities. Recommendations related to institutional support are not state -specific and focus on measures EV industry can take to facilitate the uptake and use of E2Ws for commercial purposes by women. Throughout the chapter, relevant case examples are highlighted in grey boxes to illustrate key points and best practices effectively. Picture source: Azad Foundation 10 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 2. Research m ethodology The mixed methods , action -oriented research is structured in four stages : inception, data collection and analysis, policy recommendations and dissemination (Figure 1). The research employs quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection including surveys and focus group discussions with ICE and electric two -wheeler users, along with key informant interviews with stakeholders in the electric mobility ecosystem. Figure 1: Research methodology A. Research preparation Research preparatory activities were commenced during and prior to the inception stage to guide the team, improve overall quality and ensure its relevance to multiple stakeholders. Drawing on the literature of policy adoption and transfer, our research is guided by a multi -stakeholder working group from our target audience. Research uptake and dissemination are an integral part of the process ; and the details of research uptake are included with a description of key activities in each stage ( Figure 1). 11 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India The working group includes government representatives, national and international experts and from the private sector (Table 1). The process of co -creation ensure s that our methodology responds to real world experiences, challenges and proposes strategic recommendations that can result in implementation. The members understand and appreciate the importance of gender -responsive mobility systems and are in leadership positions within their organi sations. Table 1: Members of the working group Working group member Type of stakeholder Sudhendu J. Sinha Adviser (Infrastructure Connectivity & Electric Mobility) , NITI Aayog , Government of India Policy think tank of the national government. Laghu Parashar Senior Transport Specialist, World Bank Multi -lateral development bank. Abhinav Soman Policy Manager, Gogoro Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of electric two -wheelers and battery swapping network. Rohan Modi Asia Lead, T ransformative Urban Mobility Initiative, GIZ International development corporation organi sation supporting the national government and multiple states in India on electrification . Kirsty Rowan Marcus Senior Transport Specialist, India Resident Mission, Asian Development Bank Multi -lateral development bank. Monika Saxena Chief Strategy Officer, RevFin Non -Banking Financial Corporation (NBFC) B. Study locations There are different patterns of mobility corresponding to regional socio -cultural, economic and environmental contexts in India . The research cover s two mega cities in the south and north of the country - Chennai and Delhi - to provide a comparative perspective . Chennai • Progressive policies towards gender equality : Greater Chennai Corporation has established a Gender and Policy Lab (GPL), and the city has implemented a fare -free bus transport for women in July 2021 (14) . The state government also adopted the Tamil Nadu State New Policy for Women in 2024 (15) . • Electric vehicle manufacturing ecosystem: The state of Tamil Nadu, where Chennai is located, accounts for 40 % of India’s EV production in 2023 (16) . • Vehicle registration: Since 2021 two -wheelers constitute 70% of vehicle registrations in Chennai. Further, EV registrations constitute d 6.2% of all vehicles registered, with electric two wheelers contributing to 72% of all EVs sold as of March 202 4 (2) . Delhi • Continued engagement: This is to build on the continued engagement of the research team with the Delhi Government as a part of an ongoing High -Volume Transport (HVT) research to implementation project (17) . • Progressive policies for EVs and women’s mobility: Delhi has led the way towards electric vehicles with the erstwhile Delhi Electric Vehicles Policy , 2020 . It is working towards increasing women's employment in the transport sector with several schemes including fare -free bus transport for women. The Delhi Transport Department has also notified the Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Service Provider Scheme , 2023 which mandates all cab aggregators and delivery service providers to switch their fleet entirely to electric by 2030 (18) . 12 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India • Vehicle registration: Since 2021, the two -wheelers constitute 60% of vehicle registrations in Delhi. Further, as of March 2024, EV registrations constitute 6% of all vehicles registered, with electric two wheelers contributing to 5 4% of all EVs sold (2) . The four stages of the research (Figure 1) are described below along with the research uptake activities highlighted separately for each stage . 2.1 Inception stage and research uptake The inception stage include d a preliminary literature review on factors affecting the adoption of E2Ws in India. A desk review of research papers was conducted through Research Gate , Google Scholar . Additionally, desktop research on e lectric vehicle design, financing, driving licence process and regulations, charging models and institutional support was conducted through websites of respective organizations and institutions. This was an ongoing activity through the course of the project Additionally, a rapid desk review was undertaken to understand existing research on gender and E2Ws , and to assess the existing landscape of organi sations working to increase women's access and use of electric vehicles (either as drivers, delivery partners or gig workers). A call was also issued via social media, inviting individuals and organi sations to share relevant literature on gender and electric two and three wheelers. Research uptake: The proposed methodology was presented to the working group. Inputs from the working group were used in the development of research tools and quality assurance processes. Additionally, a LinkedIn page was created to launch the WELECTRIC program by The Urban Catalysts . The objective of this program is to conduct research, convene multi -stakeholder dialogues, address industry and procurement gaps for a gender equitable just transition to electric mobility systems . The WELECTRIC Program page (19) was used to share weekly updates on the on -going research throughout the project timeline. 2.1.1 Identification of five entry points A literature review was conducted through which five key entry points were identified concerning the uptake of E2Ws in India. This was also informed by preliminary interviews with key stakeholders in the electric mobility and two -wheeler ecosystem . The five entry points identified are vehicle design, financing, licensing, charging infrastructure and institutional support. The rationale and research questions for each are outlined below. Driving licence process and regulations The Motor Vehicles Act 1988 lays out the requirement of a licence to drive a motor vehicle in any public place. A driving licence can be obtained either from a Regional Transport Office (RTO) or by applying online through Parivahan portal with the states of Tamil Nadu and Delhi encouraging the latter . Women in India constitute only 12% of issued driving licences in the year 2019 -20 20 . Sex - disaggregated data on cumulative driving licences issued as of 31 st March 2020 is available on the Sarathi portal for all Indian states and territories except for Gujarat, West Bengal and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Th e data shows that men constituted 93% of all licences (Figure 2). The states with the highest share of female driving licences are Manipur (26.2%), Goa (24.7%) and Kerala (20 %). Women constitute 10% and 11.6% of issued driving licences in Delhi and Tamil Nadu, respectively. Of the commercial licenses, 99% were issued to males and only 1% to females. The growth in female driving licenses is increasing at a faster rate, indicating a demand for personal mobility . Between the years 2013 to 2020, the number of driving licence s issued nationally increased at a CAGR of 4.8% with female driving licenses increasing at a CAGR of 9.3% compared to 4.3% for men . There is no data on licenses disaggregated by the type of vehicle. 13 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 2: Driving licenses in India Graphic prepared by: The Urban Catalysts 14 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India While the official process for obtaining a driver's licence is gender neutral in India, women often encounter additional hurdles. The procedure and fees for obtaining a driving licence are consistent nationwide while there may be variations in coaching fees across different states due to private driving schools. Cultural and societal norms may also discourage women from pursuing a driving licence, leading to barriers like lack of family support or societal expectations (20) . Resource poor women face additional barriers in obtaining driving licenses . They may not be able to afford driving lessons and associated fees (21) , and face additional difficulties obtaining the required documents, n avigating at the RTO (21) . They may be unaware of the online application process and require support. The research questions that we address ed are below with a detailed analysis in section 3.3.6 . • What are the gender differences in obtaining a driving licence for two -wheelers in Tamil Nadu (using Chennai as a reference) and Delhi? • How can the process of obtaining a driving licence become gender -responsive? 2 Vehicle design There is limited research on how electric two -wheeler designs can be responsive to women’s needs. Early observations indicate that electric two -wheelers have certain factors which make them more conducive for women to use than ICE two -wheelers . The electric two -wheeler market is primarily composed of electric gearless scooters with a limited number of motorcycle models. Scooters are preferred by women in cities like Chennai (22) and in India (23) . Some electric scooter models are lighter than ICE scooter s. For example , Honda Activa, a n ICE scooter model in India, weighs 110kg. Electric scooter s such as Yulu Wynn can weigh as low as 60 kg (24) , making it easier for manoeuvring . Additionally, e lectric scooter models may include features to assist in navigation and manoeuvring such as Global Positioning System (GPS ) tracking, easy reverse mode and hill assist modes. Further, t here are low -speed electric two -wheeler models with maximum speeds up to 25kph. These vehicles require minimal maintenance as they lack mechanical components like gearboxes and clutches further reducing operational costs (25) . Their adoption is predominantly seen for commercial purposes (26) . There is a limited understanding of how E2Ws can address women’s comfort and risk of safety. As two -wheelers in India are also used for commercial purposes such as for local deliveries, the focus needs to be on the design of the two -wheelers to ensure comfort for long hours of usage. There is also limited exploration o n how the design can address women’s increased risk of unsafety due to vehicle breakdown or discharge , and considerations on the height and the design of seats of the two -wheelers. The research questions with regard to the design of electric two -wheelers are described below and addressed in section 3.3.7 . • What are the gender preferences in the design of electric two -wheelers (scooters)? • How can electric two -wheelers be designed to cater to women's needs? 2 Vehicles with maximum speeds less than 25kph may be driven without a driving licence which significantly addresses the accessibility issue caused by barriers in the licensing process. Our research also included a question on the impact of low -speed (<25kmph) electric two -wheelers among women and men in India. However, none of our sample survey respondents rode low -speed scooters, due to which this question could not be addressed. 15 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Financing EVs face financing challenges on account of a new technology . EVs have higher up -front costs than ICE vehicles and thus the requirement for down -payment and credit limit increases. The secondary market for electric vehicles is not developed due to low penetration and limited battery life (27) . If the battery is not replaced, the asset may become unusable . In case the borrower defaults, the lender repossesses the secured asset and sells it to recover its outstanding debt. Most EV manufacturers are new in the market. Due to lack of track record of the makers/models of EVs, as well as lack of a secondary market, lending institutions find it difficult to assess residual value of the vehicle. Hence, they stipulate a higher down payment to reduce their risks. Battery -as -a-service models where batteries can be exchanged at swapping stations reduce upfront investments for vehicle owners. However, the lower resale value of an electric vehicle that does not include a battery may be a deterrent (28) . Loan to Value 3 for EVs can range between 10% to 30% resulting in a higher initial down payment . In addition, the EMI burden is higher due to 1 -9% inflated interest rates and six to 18 months shorter tenure offered for EVs as compared to ICE vehicles (29) . In addition to ownership, leasing and rental models are available for electric two -wheelers , particularly for commercial use (30) . The mobilisation of capital for financing will play a critical role to actualise faster mobilisation of electric vehicles. According to NITI Aayog, the quantum of capital and finance required for India’s EV future is considerable (31) . Between 2020 to 2030, the estimated cumulative capital cost of the country’s EV transition is INR 19.70 trillion ( USD 240 billion at March 2024 prices ) and the projected size of the annual loan market for all EVs is INR 3.70 trillion (USD 45 billion at March 2024 prices ) in 2030. In 2018, between 19% to 38% of women in various income groups across India preferred personal vehicles for their daily commute (32) . The availability of financing for women to own E2Ws could play a critical role in faster transition to the zero -emission mode of personal transport. The credit penetration and participation of women consumers has rapidly increased in India’s credit market. There were about 63.5 million women borrowers in 2022 as compared to 31.3 million in 2017 increasing at a CAGR of 15% (33) . The share of women borrowers to total borrowers is 28% as on 2022 increasing from 21% in September 20 13. Credit access (as a percentage of the adult population) has increased from 7% in 2017 to 14% in 2022 (33) , with Tamil Nadu having the highest number of women borrowers. These data points are for retail credit products including home loans, vehicle loans, education loans, personal loan, credit card and business loans. Only 2% of all loans taken by women borrowers (with CIBIL score) were for two -wheelers and an additional 2% for auto loans (33) . There is empirical evidence to support that there are gender barriers women’s participation in formal financial services (34,35) . The demand side barriers include women’s poor experience of banking, a lack of awareness due to smaller and less divers networks to receive information from people, p oor confidence and capability to use digital financial services , socio -cultural barriers, digital gender divide, a lack of access to resources and assets and a lack of official documents (35) . Gender norms often influence formali sed rules within financial systems such as the requirement of the husband’s signature when opening a savings account, or applying for a loan, collateral requirements, and so on . Simultaneously, as per the National Health Survey 2019 -21, less than 3 out of 10 women in rural India and 4 out of 10 women in urban India have ever used the Internet (36) . There may be a lack of products and services designed for women’s lifecycle needs. The loan products maybe designed considering men as a default borrower (35) . The requirements for collaterals can exclude many women who seek access to higher credit. Evidence shows that more men than women have land ownership — the most prominent form of collateral used widely. Many women do not have assets or properties in their name, and hence do not have the authority to mortgage or sell them for their business 3 The Loan to Value ( LTV ) ratio is a financial metric used by lenders to represent the proportion of a loan compared to the value of the asset being purchased. 16 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India (37) . Therefore, eligibility criteria may pose a major problem when applying for private financ e or collateral loans. The gendered and asset -specific barriers need to be considered to understand the uptake of electric two -wheelers among women. The re is a gender gap in the representation of women on the supply side . The lack of women delivering financial services may also impact the gender gap in financial inclusion. The microfinance industry with more than 90% of women clients, employs only 12% of the total women workforce and 11% of women as field staff. An agent’s gender plays a crucial role in increasing regular usage of accounts by women, yet women constitute less than 10% of business correspondents in India (35) . “When visiting the bank for loan inquiries and procedures, I often encounter numerous doubts. However, I feel hesitant to repeatedly ask male officers for clarification. Having a female officer would provide a more comfortable environment for seeking detail s and requesting explanations multiple times.” - A Female EV Commercial user (Chennai) The research questions are described below and addressed in section 3.3.8 : • What are the gender differences in accessing institutional financing for purchase of electric two - wheelers? • How can gender responsive loan eligibility criteria, products and experience improve women's access to credit, while reducing their precarity? 17 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 3: Women's access to finance in India 4 Graphic prepared by: The Urban Catalysts Charging infrastructure and models The availability of public charging infrastructure is a significant barrier in the adoption of EVs . Range anxiety which is a concern or fear of becoming stranded with a discharged battery away from charging infrastructure (38) is highlighted as a key factor that affects the adoption of electric vehicles in India (39) . It is also noted worldwide that women have greater concerns about range anxiety (40) , possibly due to gender -based safety concerns. There is a correlation between safety concerns at public charging infrastructure and EV transition . Research in the U nited States of America (USA) and Canada established a correlation between safety concerns surrounding charging point locations and EV ownership. It revealed that 40% of women in the US A and nearly 50% of women in Canada would shift to electric vehicles with accessible and well -lit charging stations (41) . In battery swapping model s, challenges may also be faced if they are unmanned stations . A user may need to swap the batteries 5 by themselves. 4 Access complete graphic here: WELECTRIC 5 A battery of 1-1.5 kWh may weigh between 10 -12 kg and a 2 -2.5 kWh battery may weigh between 12 -15 kg. 18 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India The research questions that we aim to answer and are addressed in section 3.3.9 6 are: • What are the gender differences in using public charging infrastructure? • To what extent is existing charging infrastructure gender -responsive? (Refer to section 2.3.6) Figure 4: Gendered safety concerns at charging stations at global level 7 Graphic prepared by: The Urban Catalysts Institutional support Institutional support aims to understand the assistance provided by organi sations in addressing the barriers that different groups of women experience in transitioning to electric two -wheelers . These include accessing and learning to operate vehicles, financing and skills training to decent paid employment. Logistics and delivery companies are taking steps towards increasing the participation of women. The documentation of the learnings from these and other organisations can provide insights on how existing gendered barriers are being addressed. Pathways can be identified to scale -up these approaches to enable women to use and own electric two -wheelers. 6 The cost implications of gender -responsive public charging infrastructure is not delved into in this research. 7 Access complete graphic here: WELECTRIC 19 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India The research questions are outlined below and addressed in section 3.3.10 : • What are the learnings from existing practices to address and overcome gender barriers in women's access to electric two wheelers? • What are the additional support mechanisms required from institutions across the electric mobility ecosystem to increase the uptake of electric two -wheelers among women? 2.2 Data collection and analys es The research includes secondary and primary data analyses. The secondary data collection and review includes an analysis of the policies, institutions and schemes governing the electric mobility ecosystem in India, and in the states of Tamil Nadu and Delhi. 2.2.1 Secondary analys es State electric vehicle policies The states of Delhi and Tamil Nadu (where Chennai is located) formulated electric vehicle policies in 2020 and 2019 respectively 8. State policies are instrumental in establishing the EV ecosystem at the sub -national and local levels. A graded analytical framework has been developed to evaluate the extent of gender - responsiveness of the E V policies. This ranges from gender discriminatory to gender transformative ( Table 2) and a set of questions ( Table 2). This framework includes identified entry points such as charging infrastructure, financing mechanisms, governance and institutional support, along with opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship within the EV sector. Table 2: Gender scale for policy analysis Scale Description Gender Discriminatory A gender -discriminatory approach perpetuates gender inequality by reinforcing patriarchal norms, roles and relations. For ex ample, an EV policy may aim to create jobs for women in roles traditionally associated with women’s care -giving or if the EV policy prohibits women’s employment from 8pm to 6am in the value chain rather than enabling safe access or workplace. Gender -Blind A gender -blind approach treats everyone the same ignoring the different practical and strategic needs of women, men, boys, girls and gender minorities. Such an approach ignores gendered customs, responsibilities and barriers that women face in accessing paid employment. An EV policy may have a gender agnostic purchase subsidy for electric vehicles or for skilling. Gender Sensitive A gender -sensitive approach recognizes different needs of women, men, girls, boys and gender minorities. It acknowledges the gendered structures and systems but it does not address them completely . For instance, making charging infrastructure safer through location and design aspects. Gender Responsive A gender -responsive approach aims to reduce the existing gender gaps. Some outcomes include : reducing gender gaps in employment and reducing inequality in asset ownership. Gender Transformative A gender transformative approach aims to address the root causes of gender inequality within society such as reducing gender -based disparities in leadership and decision -making positions. An EV policy may aim to create gender -balanced EV task forces or EV cells with women in decision - making positions. Source: Gender scale adapted from (42) and modified for current study by The Urban Catalysts 8 The state of Tamil Nadu revised its policy in 202 3. The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) extended the Delhi EV Policy till March 2025 . 20 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Table 3: Indicative questions for policy analysis Background • Are there any baselines (gender -disaggregated data ) used in the policy to set targets? • Are gender -based issues identified by the policy in the process of transition to electric mobility? Vision • Does the vision statement acknowledge the need for gender equity in the transition to electric vehicles? Goal/Objectives • Do the goals include gender -disaggregated targets for EV adoption, employment and entrepreneurship in EV value chain ? Financing • Are there specific measures to enable financial inclusion for women and enable them to purchase EV assets ? • Are there financial measures to encourage women’s skilling and employment in the EV value chain? Charging Infrastructure • Are there considerations (such as guidelines or incentives) for the security and convenience of women in the design and location of EV charging points ? • Does the policy outline measures to encourage women -led Charging Point operators ( CPOs )? Skilling and Employment • Are there specific courses and/ or incentives to skill and employ women at different levels in the EV value chain (manufacturing and maintenance) ? • Are there specific courses and/ or incentives to skill and employ women in the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) value chain ? • Are there specific courses and / or incentives to train and employ women as drivers 9 or driver trainers? Entrepreneurship • Are there incentives to promote entrepreneurship for women in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) ? Institutional Support • Is there institutional support to increase women’s employment in the EV and EVSE value chain? • Is there any institutional support to increase women’s entrepreneurship in the EV and EVSE value chain? • Is there institutional support to increase women’s use and ownership of electric vehicles" Governance • Is the EV cell or EV task force gender -balanced? • Does the EV cell and/ or EV task force include women in decision -making positions? • Are there gender experts 10 to advise on the EV policy and its implementation? Institutional framework and coordination for electric mobility The institutional analysis of electric mobility in India aims to identify the ministries involved at the national level along with respective departments in the state s of Tamil Nadu and Delhi and at local levels. It will identify nodal agencies and pathways on how gender equality can be institutionali sed across scales and departments. 9 Electric two -wheelers, three -wheelers and four -wheelers such as e-trucks and e -buses. 10 Gender and mobility, communications and partnerships. 21 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 2.2.2 Primary d ata collection and analysis Primary data collection was conducted through three tools: key informant interviews. focus group discussions , and user surveys . Key informant interviews (KIIs) The k ey informant interviews were conducted with 20 ecosystem stakeholders 11 to understand their perspectives on gender ed influences and barriers on the purchase and use of E2Ws ( Table 4). The key informants were sourced based on their scale of operation and willingness to be interviewed . They were consulted with at the inception stage of the research and after the data analysis and preliminary recommendations were developed to share our findings and obtain feedback. Table 4: Categories for key informant interviews Category Number interviewed (Outreach to relevant stakeholder) Key questions addressed Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) 1 (2) • Socio -economic demographic of the users; • Gendered use of electric two wheelers; • Gender -responsive vehicle design; • Recommendations and references to dealerships. Financing organizations (non -banking financing companies 12) 4 (7) • Gendered differences in accessing financial products; • Internal processes or government policies to address the gender gap in accessing credit for vehicle loans. Commercial two -wheeler delivery operators/ aggregators 5 (7) • Gendered differences in experiences with delivery partners or workers affiliated with their platforms. Charging point operators/ Battery swapping station operators 3 (4) • Gendered use of charging stations and battery swapping stations; • Gender -responsive charging points and battery swapping stations. Think -tanks 3 (3) • Understand their research on electric two -wheelers and uptake; • Perspectives on gendered considerations in electric mobility and/ or electric two -wheelers. Government agencies 4 (4) • Ministry of Heavy Industries • Transport Department, Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) • Gender and Policy Lab, Chennai • Guidance T amil Nadu Focus Group Discussions (FGDs ) The insights from the key informant interviews and preliminary literature review were used to identify main themes and formulate the questionnaires for FGDs and user surveys. The purpose of FGDs were to provide insights into people’s behaviour , test initial hypotheses and guide the design of the survey questionnaires. The questions focused on understanding the motivation of buying and/or using a two -wheeler, details on usage, perspectives on two -wheeler design, financing, the process of obtaining a driving licence, charging infrastructure and institutional support; and the comparison between an ICE and an E2W . 6 FGDs were conducted in each city with a total of 36 participants in each city . FGDs for men and women were conducted separately (Table 5). A survey was administered to the FGD participants to collect an initial sample of 72 responses. The responses were used to test and update the survey questions, where required. 11 Original equipment manufacturers, financing institutions, commercial two -wheeler operators or delivery aggregators, charging point operators and battery swapping stations operators and think tanks. 12 The team reached out to multiple scheduled commercial banks; and did not receive any response. 22 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India The FGDs were conducted with both men and women to understand the similarities and dissimilarities in use, due to the sparse data on gender and electric mobility in India. The FGDs were conducted for the following groups of six members in each city . Table 5: Focus group discussion participants in each city Personal use 13 Commercial use 14 Women ICE two -wheeler users -6 ICE two -wheeler users & EV two - wheeler users – 6 EV two -wheeler users – 6 Men ICE two -wheeler users – 6 ICE two -wheeler users & EV two - wheeler users – 6 EV two -wheeler users – 6 Total focus group participants in each city 24 12 13 Individuals who have a fixed place of employment and travel from home to their workplace are considered as personal users. 14 Individuals without a fixed place of employment who make multiple trips throughout the day are classified as commercial users. For example, a Swiggy delivery personnel falls under this category. 23 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Primary Surveys Surveys were conducted to achieve a minimum number of 240 samples in each city 15, with 30 respondents in each category ( Table 6). While a small sample, a statistically sound conclusion is expected for each group (43) . Table 6: User groups and number of samples for questionnaire surveys in each city Personal use Commercial use Women ICE two -wheeler users -30 ICE two -wheeler users – 30 EV two -wheeler users – 30 EV two -wheeler users – 30 Men ICE two -wheeler users – 30 ICE two -wheeler users – 30 EV two -wheeler users – 30 EV two -wheeler users - 30 Total samples in each city 16 120 120 Data collection plan A detailed plan was formulated for data collection over a period of two months in consultation with the survey agency . The two cities were divided into zones to ensure a geographic spread . Congregation points were identified (Table 7) where user group members c ould be mobilised for the focus group discussions and surveys. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to recruit respondents as the research involved surveys with specified target groups such as ICE/electric two -wheeler users categorised by gender and nature of use . Table 7: Congregation points for sample identification Predominant personal use Predominant commercial use Parking areas of mass transit stations, office complexes, business centres, malls and markets. Fuel stations for ICE users, charging stations or battery swapping stations for EV users. Dark stores, warehouses, cloud kitchens and service centres of food delivery and e -commerce platforms . Fuel stations for ICE users, charging stations or battery swapping stations for EV users. Data collection team and methodology A team of five mobilisers were engaged in each city to identify participants for the FGDs at the congregation points. Snowball sampling method was used to identify the participants, particularly in the case of women commercial users as they are significantly low in number. The FGDs were co -facilitated by the core project team and the survey agency. For surveys, one team of five interviewers and one supervisor were engaged in each city. Team members had prior experience of at least two years in administrating surveys. The survey questionnaires were translated to the local languages (Hindi and Tamil) of the study cities; and pilot surveys of two to three users in each city were conducted to test the survey tool. Quality assurance Quality control methods were used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the survey data. This included training t he interviewers in person with support from the project team. Additionally, the supervisor perform ed a minimum of 10% accompaniments or spot checks and 20% back checks for each interviewer. Back checks occur red either on -site following the interview or through telephone inquiries. 15 This includes the 72 surveys conducted as a part of the focus group discussions. 16 This includes the participants in the focus group discussions, with whom surveys were conducted. 24 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Charging infrastructure assessments A gender -responsive analytical and scoring framework is developed to assess charging stations and points in the cities of Chennai and Delhi . The framework was pilot tested in both cities, shared with the working group and reviewed by multiple key informants including charging point operators, think tanks and gender specialists. Methodology for auditing the charging station The charging infrastructure audits were conducted in both case cities under this project - Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Delhi. According to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) by May 2024, there are 151 charging stations in Chennai (44) . As of August 2024, Delhi has 2,452 charging points distributed across 1,919 charging stations, along with 232 battery swapping stations (45) . 45 charging stations were audited in each city considering the project timelines and to ensure a sufficient sample size for quantitative analysis. Both charging stations and battery swapping stations were audited that are publicly accessible. Each city was divided into different zones according to existing administrative boundaries, with an equal number of charging stations audited in each zone to ensure the adequate spatial distribution across the city. Delhi was divided into five zones — north, central, south, east, and west — each targeted with six charging stations. Chennai, in contrast, is divided into three zones, with each zone targeted for 10 charging stations. The methodology prioriti sed stations located in high -pedestrian footfall public areas such as malls, metro - rail stations, outside showrooms, on -road locations, petrol pumps and markets. Since not all charging stations are listed on Google Maps, multiple applications provided by different CPOs were used alongside Google Maps to locate the charging stations. In Delhi, these applications included One Delhi, BOLT, Kazam, Statiq, Charge Karo, Ather and Ola. For Chennai, the applications were by BOLT and Kazam. "The charging station infrastructure currently lacks adequate space for vehicles compared to traditional petrol pumps. While petrol pumps offer proper space for vehicles, charging stations often fall short in this aspect. Additionally, charging an E2W can be time -consuming. Therefore, if demand increases, it is essential for charging stations to accommodate this surge by providing sufficient space. Ideally, chargi ng stations should be equipped to handle the simultaneous charging of 15 -20 vehicles to meet growing demand effectively." - A Male ICE personal user (Delhi ) Methodology for analysis The assessment framework is structured around 4 indicators with 23 associated attributes. These indicators and attributes were selected and weighed based on the responses by the survey respondents . The four indicators include (i) ease of locating the charging stations; (ii) security; (iii) charging infrastructure and network connectivity; and (iv) amenities. Each attribute is scored on a scale of 0-3, where 0 indicates the absence of that particular factor and 3 indicates the highest level of quality. Each attribute was weighed with respect to the other on a scale of 0, 1, 2 depending on whether it was less important, as important or more important. The summation of the row for each attribute was divided by the summation of the column for each attribute. This was rounded off to the closes t decimal of 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 to obtain the weight for each attribute. The scores for each attribute obtained from the audits were multiplied by the weight to obtain a total score for the charging point. The assessment framework provides a total score (out of 99 ), which is the summation of the weighted scores for all attributes . This is the overall performance of a charging station . It also provides an indicator - wise performance , which is calculated as the percentage of the score from the audits to the maximum possible score for that indicator (Table 8). 25 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Table 8: Rating scale Total score Indicator -wise performance (%) 17 Rating 0-33 0-33% Very poor 33.01 - 66 33 -67% Poor 66.01 - 99 67 -100% Satisfactory Data analysis and preliminary recommendations The primary data was cleaned in SPSS using consistency checks, outlier detection, and missing data. The frequencies and descriptives functions were applied to identify and resolve missing values, outliers, and data inconsistencies across all variables. The data sets were then analysed by checking the similarities and dissimilarities in responses across the following three factors: gender, user type and fuel type. Later this analysis was further disaggregated at the city level for a comparative analysis between Chennai and Delhi . The data analysis was done to understand the following key aspects: survey respondent demographics, travel behaviour, total cost of ownership and the five entry points. The insights from data analysis assisted us to formulate preliminary recommendations on each entry point. Research uptake – Stage two Review by the working group The data analysis and preliminary recommendations were presented to the working group for their feedback. Additionally, an online roundtable was organized with all key informant interviewees to share the research findings and initial recommendations. Th ese engagement s facilitated the refinement and further detailing of the recommendations. Social media outreach Regular social media outreach was conducted through the WELECTRIC page on LinkedIn. Roundtable at Urban Mobility Conference 2024 A roundtable session was conducted at the national -level Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Expo 2024 on October 27 th. During the session, key findings from the WE2 research were presented. 17 Scores are converted into percentages for the four indicators, as each indicator has a different total score based on the assigned weightage. 26 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 3. Research f indings 3.1 Institutional framework for electric mobility The Government of India aims to achieve net -zero emissions by 2070 and is actively promoting the electrification of road transport. Several initiatives have been launched by the central government, including FAME -I (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hyb rid and Electric Vehicles -I)18 and FAME -II, which provide purchase incentives for electric vehicles and support the development of charging infrastructure. FAME -II concluded in March 2024 . In 2018, the Ministry of Power (MoP) de -licensed the establishment of public charging stations for electric vehicles, allowing any entity to set up such facilities (46) . During the project period, the Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme (EMPS) 19 was operational with a focus on E2Ws and electric three -wheelers (E3Ws). Under the EMPS, the central government offered subsidies of up to Rs 10,000 for electric two -wheelers (47) . The EMPS was subsequently integrated into the Prime Minister's E -DRIVE Scheme, introduced at the end of September 2024. This scheme aims to further accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, establish charging infrastructure, and develop an electric veh icle manufacturing ecosystem in India. The PM E -DRIVE Scheme will be implemented from October 1, 2024, to March 31, 2026. The institutional analysis in this section includes ministries and departments at the national, subnational and local levels responsible for different parts of the electric mobility system, and the policy, regulatory and legislative context. 3.1.1 Organi sations responsible for electric mobility The national and sub -national agencies, ministries and departments are mapped to understand their role in electric mobility. The table below looks at the institutions at the national level and their role with respect to the entry points of design, charging infrastructure, financing and licensing. The institutions and their key roles and responsibilities were identified through secondary research including a review of the policies or acts under which they were set up and their websites. Table 9: Key national level institutions and their roles National Level Institutions Design of electric vehicles Charging infrastructure 20 Financing schemes to promote electric mobility 21 Licensing process and procedures Other22 NITI Aayog Ministry of Heavy Industries Ministry of Power 23 Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Testing Agencies 24 Ministry of Finance 18 FAME -I was operational from 1st April 2015 - 31st March, 2019. 19 EMPS was operation from April 1, 2024 to September 30, 2024. 20 This includes framing guidelines , rules and regulations around the licensing of charging infrastructure, grid connectivity . 21 This includes direct financing for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure , and indirect financing support through waiver of road taxes, reduced GST on lithium -ion batteries, income tax deduction for purchase of EVs . 22 Includes but is not limited to skills development, recycling, employment in the value chain of electric vehicles and support equipment. 23 This includes activities undertaken by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency and Central Electricity Authority . 24 Automotive Research Association of India, International Centre for Automotive Technology. 27 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India National Level Institutions Design of electric vehicles Charging infrastructure 20 Financing schemes to promote electric mobility 21 Licensing process and procedures Other22 Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Bureau of Indian Standards Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Source: (48) and the website of respective ministries . Table 10: Roles and responsibilities of national -level institutions in electric mobility National Level Institution Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility NITI Aayog NITI Aayog is the public policy think -tank of the Government of India. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility: ● To spearhead the formulation of strategic plans and policies to accelerate the adoption of electric mobility (49) ; ● To provide insights about electric vehicle technologies, types of electric vehicles, insurance options , and financing options. Ministry of Heavy Industries The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) is responsible for the development and promotion of the heavy industries sector, including the automotive industry (50) . Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility : ● Coordination for manufacturing, sale and adoption of electric vehicles (51) ; ● Promotion of EVs through schemes like FAME which includes subsidies for electric vehicles (52) ; ● Support to automotive manufacturing industries in transitioning to electric mobility: MHI has launched other schemes such as the Phased Manufacturing Programme to promote indigenous manufacturing of electric vehicles , P roduction Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell which aims to strengthen the ecosystem for electric mobility and battery storage , PLI for Automobiles and Auto Components which is focused on Zero Emission Vehicles ; ● The ministry has also sanctioned 2,877 EV charging stations under FAME scheme (2019 -24) in 68 cities across 25 states and union territories (53) . However, out of these only 148 have been constructed and are operational (54) . Ministry of Power The MoP is responsible for general policy in the electric power sector and issues relating to energy policy and coordination . MoP oversees the central and state nodal agencies which enable implementation of charging infrastructure (55) . Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility: ● Responsible for issuing the charging infrastructure guidelines and standards for public charging infrastructu re; ● In its capacity as a legislative authority, the MoP clarified that operating EV charging services does not require a licence under the provisions of the Electricity Act 2003, which mandates a licence only for the activities of transmission, distribution or trading of electricity. (56) Bureau of Energy Efficiency The BEE is an agency of the Government of India under the Ministry of Power. The agency's main function is to encourage the efficient use of energy by developing programs to support it. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility ● Appointed as Central Nodal Agency for rollout of public charging infrastructure. As part of this role, BEE ensures that state nodal agencies share the data of charging stations in prescribed formats for a national online database of public charging stations (48) ; ● The BEE operates and maintains the EV Yatra web portal and a mobile application to promote electric mobility. EV Yatra offers a directory of electric vehicles, tools for vehicle comparison , total cost of ownership calculations, a charging station locator information on government schemes and policies for electric mobility ; ● Organising various awareness campaigns, workshops and seminars for the promotion of electric mobility ; 28 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India National Level Institution Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility Central Electricity Authority (CEA) The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is an organisation operating under the Ministry of Power, Government of Indi a. It is tasked with the functions of advising the central government on matters relating to national electricity policy, specify technical standards , safety requirements for electrical plants, lines and connectivity to the grid (57) . Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility ● A committee under the CEA is responsible for periodically recommend ing the ceiling limit of service charges for public charging stations ; ● The CEA specified standards for charging stations seeking connectivity to the electricity system and regulations for safety requirements at electric vehicle charging stations in 2019, covering provisions for electrical safety, fire safety and periodic inspection of charging stations (58) ; Ministry of Road Transport and Highways The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to road transport, transport research and also to increase the mobility and efficiency of the road transport system in India (59) . MoRTH maintains online database s of registration of vehicles, including EVs ( VAHAN ) and driving licen ces (SARATHI ). Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility ● MoRTH has constituted committees to deliberate and advise on technical aspects related to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989. The committees include the CMVR -Technical Standing Committee (CMVR -TSC) and the Automotive Industry Standards Committee (AISC) (60) . These include technical standards for electric vehicles ; ● Formulat e policies, regulations and guidelines related to driving licences ; ● MoRTH has taken a number of initiatives to promote the use of electric vehicles including green registration plate for EVs for a distinct identity and has requested states to waive road tax on EVs (5). It has also permitted the sale and registration of two - and three -wheeler vehicles without pre -installed batteries which reduces the upfront cost of EVs (61) ; Automotive Research Association of India Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) is an autonomous body affiliated to the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India. ARAI provides technical expertise in automotive design, testing, and certification, and conducts research and development in the automotive sector. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility • ARAI supports the central government by offering regulatory assistance. This includes providing technical secretariat services to the CMVR -TSC, advising MORTH on various technical aspects related to the CMVR (62) . ARAI also offers technical advisory services to the AISC by facilitating the formulation and publication of standards for automotive vehicles and components. This encompasses procedures for type approval and certification of vehicles to comply with the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (63) ; • Conduct research on electric vehicle technologies (64) . Ministry of Finance The Ministry of Finance (MoF) is responsible for managing the government's financial policies, economic regulations , fiscal management including the formulation and implementation of budgetary policies, taxation, financial services and economic affairs in India. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility • Fiscal incentives and subsidies : - Reducing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on electric vehicles from 12% to 5% to make EVs more affordable (65) ; - Offering income tax deductions on the interest paid on loans taken for the purchase of electric vehicles under Section 80EEB 25 of the Income Tax Ac t- Deduction in respect of interest paid on loan taken for the purchase of electric vehicle (66) ; • Reduced import duties on EVs and its components such as batteries and chargers. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs MoHUA (MoHUA) is the apex authority of the central government to formulate policies and coordinate the activities of various central ministries, state governments and other nodal authorities . In addition , it monitor s the programmes concerning all the issues of housing and urban affairs in the country (67) . Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility • The Model Building Byelaws 2016 and Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines have been amended to include provisions for EV charging (68) . 25 Under Section 80EEB, individuals can claim a deduction of up to ₹1,50,000 for interest paid on loans for electric vehicles. This benefit is available regardless of whether the electric vehicle is used for personal or commercial purposes. 29 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India National Level Institution Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) BIS is the National Standards Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016 for standardi sation, marking and quality certification of goods (69) . Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility • Responsible fo r standards for EV charging infrastructure ; • Standards for automotives are prepared by BIS, with standards prepared by AISC ; • The Indian Standards for the automotive industry are prepared by BIS. Additionally, standards formulated by AISC are transformed into Indian Standards by BIS. Both BIS and AISC standards are considered by CMVR -TSC for implementation (60) . Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is the nodal agenc y of the central government for the planning, promotion, coordination and overseeing the implementation of India’s environmental and forestry policies and programmes. One of the core objectives of the ministry is prevention and control of pollution (70) . Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility • Notified E -Waste (Management) Rules 2022, Battery Waste Management Rules 2022 (71) and Hazardous Waste Management Rules 2016 . The following tables assess the institutional landscape of electric mobility for the states of Tamil Nadu (Table 11 , Table 12 ) and Delhi (Table 13 , Table 14 ). The key authorities at the state levels are s tate transport authorities or departments , s tate nodal agencies for implementation of EV policies and e lectricity generation and distribution companies . Table 11: State -level institutions in Tamil Nadu and their roles State Level – Tamil Nadu Institutions Design of EVs Charging infrastructure Financing for electric mobility Licensing process & procedures 26 Other Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) Transport Department Department of Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce Guidance Tamil Nadu 27 EV Steering Committee Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC) City level departments in Chennai and other public entities Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) , Chennai Smart City Limited (CSCL) , Chennai Metro -rail Limited Source : (72) and the website of respective departments. 26 Driving training and licensing processes are not restricted to electric vehicles. 27 Includes the EV Taks Force. 30 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Table 12: Roles and responsibilities of state -level institutions of Tamil Nadu in electric mobility State Level Departments – Tamil Nadu Department or Agency Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility TANGEDCO TANGEDCO is responsible for electricity generation, transmission and distribution in Tamil Nadu. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility • TANGEDCO serves as the State Nodal Agency (SNA) for facilitating the development of charging infrastructure (73) and e -vehicles awareness (74) ; • It is responsible for the integration of EV charging infrastructure with the power grid and the promotion of renewable energy sources for charging EVs. TNERC TNERC is an independent statutory body responsible for regulating the electricity sector in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility ● The commission is responsible for determining the tariff for electricity and fixes the tariff for EV charging stations in the state (73) . Transport Department The Transport Department is responsible for the regulation and management of transportation in Tamil Nadu Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility ● Facilitating the registration and incentive schemes for electric vehicles and licensing processes ; ● nodal department for issuance of guidelines to achieve electrification of public transport & exemptions for EVs (72) Department of Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce It is the nodal department for the implementation of manufacturing related incentives for large industries and special demand side incentives. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility ● The Tamil Nadu Electric Vehicles Policy 2023 was prepared by the Department of Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce ; ● The department also facilitates the manufacturing related investment of EV OEMs in the state (73) Guidance Tamil Nadu Guidance is the Government of Tamil Nadu’s nodal agency for investment promotion and single window facilitation. Nodal agency under Industries, Investment promotion & Commerce Department for investment promotion. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility ● All investment proposals in the electric mobility sector will be facilitated with handholding services by Guidance or F AME TN (organisation to promote trade, investments and exports in the MSME) (73) EV Steering Committee A steering committee was constituted in Tamil Nadu in 2019 under the 2019 EV policy (75) . It is headed by the Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu as the Chairman and include s the secretaries of the Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department, Finance Department, Home Department, Housing and Urban Development Department, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Transport Department, Micro, Small and Me dium Enterprises Department, the Chairman and Managing Director of TANGEDCO and the MD and CEO of Guidance. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility ● The EV steering committee shall be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the policy. 31 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India State Level Departments – Tamil Nadu Department or Agency Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility Tamil Nadu EV Taskforce Under the EV Policy 2023, an EV task force was established under the Guidance in April 2024 (76) . Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility ● Facilitate investment in EV manufacturing units; ● Develop and maintain a dedicated EV portal with information on policies, guidelines and charging station locations; ● Coordinate and support in identification of sites for public charging stations in government offices and other public places; Organise EV conclaves comprising different EV stakeholders – government agencies, industry associations, manufacturers, research associations and think tanks (73) . Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC) TNSDC is a not -for -profit company that was established in 2013 to provide skill training to required industries. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility ● This initiative aims to offer short -term training on electric vehicles (EVs) to personnel based on the skill qualifications approved by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). These qualifications include roles such as mechatronics technician, b attery technician and EV technician (73) . City level departments – Chennai Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Chennai Smart City Limited (CSCL) GCC is the urban local body for the city of Chennai. CSCL is a special purpose vehicle established to implement the Smart City Mission in Chennai. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility • The Tamil Nadu EV policy designates Chennai as one of six EV cities in Tamil Nadu, with the Smart City Commissioner appointed as nodal officer ; • The Smart City Commissioner will be the nodal officer to coordinate and drive EV adoption ; • The Smart City Mission will design a smart mobility program to prepare a roadmap for EVs, including electrification of auto rickshaws and buses within 10 years in a phased manner (73) ; Table 13: State -level institutions in Delhi and their roles State Level – Delhi Institutions Design of electric vehicles Charging infrastructure Financing schemes for electric mobility Licensing process & procedures Other Transport Department, Government of NCT of Delhi Power Department and DISCOMs Delhi Transco Limited Delhi Electrical Regulatory Commission Working Group on Accelerated Rollout of Charging Infrastructure in Delhi Directorate of Training and Technical Education City level agencies and other public entities Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Source: (77) and the website of respective departments 32 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Table 14: Roles and responsibilities of state -level institutions of Tamil Nadu in electric mobility State Level Departments – Delhi Institutions Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility Transport Department, Government of NCT of Delhi The Transport Department is responsible for the regulation and management of transportation in Delhi. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility: ● Formulating policies and regulations to promote the adoption of electric vehicles ; ● The Transport Department is the nodal agency for the implementation of the Delhi EV Policy (77) ; ● Facilitating the registration and incentive schemes for electric vehicles and licensing processes (78) ; ● Overseeing the implementation of electric vehicle policies and initiatives. EV Cell An EV cell was established in March 2022 by the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (79) . The EV Cell is responsible for the implementation of Delhi EV policy under the Transport Department. Power Department and DISCOMs The Power Department and DISCOMs are responsible for electricity distribution in Delhi. Delhi has the following distribution companies: Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, BSES Rajdhani Power Limited, BSES Yamuna Power Limited, New Delhi Municipal Corporation and Military Engineering Services . Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility: ● Supporting the integration of EV charging infrastructure with the power grid (77) ; ● Providing reliable electricity supply for EV charging stations. Delhi Transco Limited (DTL) DTL is the state transmission utility for the NCT of Delhi. The distribution of electricity is with private companies while the generation and transmission are under DTL. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility: ● DTL has been assigned as the State Nodal Agency for charging infrastructure in Delhi . Delhi Electrical Regulatory Commission (DERC) DERC is responsible for regulating the electricity sector for the NCT of Delhi. Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility: ● DERC is responsible for setting the EV tariff and other regulations concerning electricity supply for EV charging (77) . Working Group on Accelerated Rollout of Charging Infrastructure in Delhi ● The Delhi Government constituted the Working Group in 2020 to develop a strategy to create a network of charging stations (80) . It includes representatives from the Power Department, Transport Department, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council, Delhi Transco Limited, all DISCOMs and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL ). As of July 2022, five meetings had been conducted. Directorate of Training and Technical Education (DTTE) The DTTE is an agency under the Government of Delhi with a mandate to regulate, monitor and provide technical and vocational education (81) . Roles and responsibilities in electric mobility: ● As per the Delhi EV policy, training related to new jobs in the electric mobility ecosystem will be prioritised ; ● EV policy also recommends that v ocational courses shall be designed to train EV drivers, mechanics and charging station staff through the World Class Skill Centres (WCSCs) set up by the GNCTD. 33 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 3.2 Gendered analysis of electric vehicle policies In addition to national -level schemes and policies, the state governments have implemented EV policies designed to increase EV adoption and stimulate the manufacturing of EVs and their components. These policies are instrumental in establishing the electric vehicle ecosystem within the states. As of July 2024, 28 Indian states and territories , including Delhi and Tamil Nadu, have notified EV policies (82) . Tamil Nadu introduced its EV policy in 2019 and revised it in 2023, whereas Delhi's EV policy was introduced in 2020 28 for a period of three years and was later extended. The nodal department for the implementation of EV policy in Delhi is Transport Department of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi , whereas in Chennai, it is Guidance, set up under Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. Table 15 shows a comparison of the key aspects of the EV policies of Delhi and Tamil Nadu. Table 15: Comparison of state level EV Policies of Delhi and Tamil Nadu Features Delhi EV Policy 2020 Tamil Nadu EV Policy 2023 Timeline Three years (2020 -2023) extended till March 2025 10 years (2019 -2030) Purchase subsidy Rs.5,000/kWh, up to Rs. 30,000 Rs.10,000/kWh, up to Rs. 30,000 Other consumer demand incentives Scrapping incentive of up to Rs. 5,000 per vehicle is provided for ICE 2Ws Retrofitting incentives of Rs.10,000/kWh, subject to maximum of Rs. 30,000 Tax incentives 100% road tax exemption for electric vehicles 29 100% road tax exemption will be provided till 31 st December 2025 Charging infrastructure • Target of installation of 18,000 public and semi -public EV charging points and battery swapping stations . • Target of one charging point for every 15 EVs sold. • Target of charging stations on national and state highways at 25 km intervals on both sides. • Slow and fast charging stations to be provided in government offices and public places. Skill ing incentives • Vocational courses to train EV drivers, mechanics and charging station staff in partnership with automobile OEMs and energy operators to make workers industry - ready. • Set up centres of excellence focused on electric mobility. • Provide a stipend or reskilling allowance for the training of employees by companies. • Set up centres of excellence focused on electric mobility. Source: (73) ; (77) State EV policies offer a range of industry incentives, including fiscal and legal support, capital and infrastructure subsidies, skill development, employment generation, research and development by , providing holistic support to the ecosystem. However, most state policies lack explicit pro -gender references, with only five state EV policies introducing provisions for women so far (83) . To assess how effectively the State EV policies - Delhi and Tamil Nadu - consider gender disparities within the EV sector, a gendered framework (Table 3) has been developed to assess electric vehicle policies and programs. This framework evaluates gender inclusion across multiple dimensions, including vision and goals, EV financing, charging infrastructure, employment and skill development, entrepreneurship, governance and institutional support. The gendered analysis of EV policies (Table 16 ) revealed that they are largely gender -blind treating everyone same and ignoring the different practical and strategic needs of women, men, boys, girls and gender minorities. 28 The Delhi EV Policy, initially introduced in August 2020 and was extended and remained in effect until June 2024 (150) . The policy was not operational from July to October 2024. However, the Delhi EV Policy 2020 was subsequently extended in November 2024 until March 2025, reinstating subsidies and road tax exemptions for EVs purchased on or after January 1, 2024 (122) . 29 Ibid . 34 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Table 16: Gendered analysis of State EV policies Tamil Nadu Electric Vehicles Policy, 2023 Delhi Electric Vehicles Policy, 2020 Background Tamil Nadu's updated EV policy was launched in 2023 after the 2019 version . It aims to increase the state's EV adoption rate, which reached 3.9% in 2022 after three years of implementation. A gap assessment highlighted the absence of upfront capital subsidies as a primary factor behind the low adoption rate (84) . However, no gender -specific analysis was conducted to understand challenges women face in adopting EVs or to establish a baseline to understand whether there is need of different subsidies for women. This data is also not reported at the national -level Vahan dashboard. Delhi's EV policy was initiated in 2020 . It acknowledges the prominence of two -wheelers, comprising two -thirds of new vehicle registrations. However, the policy does not utili se gender -based data. It incentivi ses 2W owners to facilitate the adoption of E2Ws, especially among delivery providers, aiming for a 50% transition by 2023 and full adoption by 2025. However , the policy lacks data such as the number of women in delivery services and the rationale for these targets. It overlooks gendered issues women might face such as access to finance in its implementation strategy. Vision The vision of the policy is to attract investments in EV manufacturing and creation of 150,000 jobs during the policy period. As per the Annual Industries Survey 2018 -2019, a 40% of total workers directly employed in manufacturing are women (85) . But the policy’s vision does not have a gender -disaggregated target for the employment of women . The policy aims to increase the adoption rate of EVs in the state, targeting 25% of all new vehicle registrations to be electric vehicles by 2025. However, there is no baseline data or target based on gender. Information on the sex of the individual is not collected at the time of vehicle registration . It is implied 30 and not disaggregated at the national (or state level ), through the Vahan portal which provides vehicle registration details. The policy also aims to create more jobs in the EV ecosystem, particularly in driving, sales, financing, servicing, and charging. However, there are no baseline or targets have been established for these objectives. Goal/Objectives The objectives of the policy are to develop infrastructure to attract manufacturing units in the state, increase adoption of EVs through demand incentives and charging infrastructure, develop industry -academia linkage and promote electrification of commerc ial and public transport fleets. There are no targets (gender -disaggregated) or baseline on the adoption rate of EVs, availability and quality (safe and accessible) of charging infrastructure and the employment of women in EV and EVSE value chain. Also, there is no attempt to ensure that the transition of commercial and public transport to electric is just. The policy does not set specific targets in its objectives and instead focuses on EV adoption through financial incentives, development of charging infrastructure, and job creation in the ecosystem by promoting skills. Although the policy aims to transitio n 50% of the fleet of delivery service providers to EVs by 2025, it does not consider the impact on buyers since the vehicle is owned or leased by the deliver y personnel, particularly women with limited knowledge and access to credit. Financing for EV adoption The policy provides purchase incentives only for commercial vehicles, including commercial two - wheelers 31, without any gender -based incentives. It fails to consider gender -based differences in working hours and travel distances, which impact women's earnings and the total cost of ownership of an electric vehicle. According to The policy aims to increase EV adoption through purchase incentives, interest subventions, and waivers of road tax and registration fees. However, it considers all EV users as a single group, disregarding gender -specific issues faced by women. For example, the total cost of ownership of an E2W for women in delivery services in Delhi is 30 Through details such as son of, daughter of or wife of in the form. 31 On -ground verification revealed that incentives under the EV policy are currently not being disbursed, as two -wheelers are not registered under the commercial vehicle category. 35 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India the 2024 survey by The Urban Catalysts , the total cost of ownership for women using E2Ws in Chennai is 1.25 to 1.67 times higher than for men. This disparity is due to women working fewer hours (7 hours) compared to men (9.8 hours) , possibly due to household and caregiving responsibilities. Women also face challenges in securing financing, primarily due to a lack of financial literacy, limited experience sharing by other users, and low or non -existent CIBIL scores. Only 33% of women using E2Ws have taken loans in their own names, compared to 91% of men in Chennai (Error! Reference source not f ound. ). The loan -to-value ratio, indicated by the percentage share of the down payment, is higher for women (33%) than for men (26%). Additionally, women face higher average interest rates compared to men and ICE vehicle loans. The policy does not address these issues, despite its goal to increase the adoption of EVs. found to be 1.2 -1.4 times higher than for men. Women also face difficulties in obtaining driving licence s due to limited access to information and procedural challenges, often relying on agents, which increases the cost of a 2W driving licence to 2.7 times the government -prescribed rate in Delhi. Additionally, women face issues such as low CIBIL scores and lack of financial literacy, hindering their access to finance for EV ownership. Charging Infrastructure The policy primarily focuses on developing charging infrastructure but lacks detailed considerations such as the location of charging points, the availability of fast chargers, and real - time operational information on charging points. Audits carried out as part of this project found that only 43% of the total audited charging stations in Chennai we re operational. The locations of charging stations in Chennai are poorly planned, as they are often located on deserted or narrow roads, obstructed by parked vehicles, situated at lower heights ( below four feet) than recommended by national guidelines, or located in poorly maintained areas, which not only create issues in locating the infrastructure, but also safety concerns for women. During FGDs, the availability of information on locations of charging stations was raised as a significant issue by both male and female EV users. Additionally, mandates for EV parking and charging at office buildings do not incorporate guidelines for the location and design of charging infrastructure, signage, and information requirements, potentially creating safety issues for women. The policy also does not consider the provision of basic amenities such as shaded waiting areas, seating space and personal safety measures near the charging infrastructure. The policy promotes home and workplace charging for private EV owners and advocates for changes in building bye -laws to ensure charging infrastructure availability. However, it lacks locational guidelines, leading to charging stations being placed in isola ted and deserted basement corners, raising safety concerns for women. The policy aims for comprehensive coverage of charging infrastructure, with a goal of having a charging point within 3 km of any location in Delhi. While this ensures spatial availability, only about 64% of the audited charging stations were found to be operational during audits carried out as part of this project . Charging audits have highlighted issues with the placement of public charging stations. The policy requires a public database managed by the Transport Department for charging locations and real -time information. Though the One Delhi application 32 provides information on charging infrastructure, it does not include the location of all charging stations, locations are not consistently updated, and real -time information is not available. Multiple charging point operators provide charging infrastructure, each with their own platforms for information. Women reported avoiding public charging infrastructure due to longer charging periods and a lack of shaded waiting areas and seating. Due to the lack of information and concerns about charging infrastructure, women tend to adjust their travel distances bas ed on their vehicle's charge. Men using their two -wheelers for commercial work (delivery or home services) 32 The Delhi Transport Department launched the One Delhi mobile application in 2019 and revamped it in 2022. The updated application allows users to purchase bus tickets online, access real -time information, provide feedback, and locate electric vehicle charging points and battery swapping stations. 36 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India reported earn ing 10% more than of women workers. Employment and skilling The primary goal of the policy is to create 150,000 jobs in manufacturing with no gender - based targets, despite Tamil Nadu already having 40% of women directly employed in the manufacturing sector (85) . Subsidies, such as the investment promotion subsidy based on turnover and employment incentives for Employment Provident Fund contributions, are provided for new job creation, but there are no specific considerations to attract more women. However, the policy provides for transition support for ICE manufacturing companies that wish to transition to EV manufacturing. For this, the policy provides a training subsidy for up - skilling of existing workers. An additional INR 2,000 33 per worker per month (in addition to INR 4,000 per worker) is provided for 6 months to autom otive industries for women and transgender employees. The policy does not ensure women's participation in managerial or senior -level positions. Tamil Nadu has established WorkLabs , a cell to facilitate partnerships between industries and academic institutions - under the EV policy which will aim to equip graduates with EV sector skills. While there are efforts to improve students' knowledge and experience in the EV sector through internships, curriculum reforms, and memorandum of understanding with international organi sations for more work and education opportunities, the policy does not specifically focus on these initiatives for women. Apprenticeship programs t argeting women are necessary as data from 2021 -22 indicates that women accounted for 42.5% of STEM enrolments in India (86) . However, this participation has not translated into equitable representation in STEM employment. The policy aims to create new jobs in the EV sector, including roles as drivers, charging station operators, EV mechanics, and positions with OEMs and energy operators, by developing more vocational training programs. In 2022, the Delhi government signed an MoU with EV manufacturers and think tanks to introduce an EV mechanics program as part of the automobile engineering diploma at Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (87) . However, there is no attempt to raise awareness of these programs or to ensure inclusion of women in these courses. Dedicated efforts are required to attract women to these job roles as enrolment in STEM courses in India is not translating to paid work role s among women. In 2023, the Delhi government reserved 33% (1,406) of e -auto permits for women (88) . Entrepreneurship The policy offers an additional capital subsidy of 3-6% to MSMEs engaged in EV or EVSE manufacturing. However, it does not extend any additional subsidies or set targets to support women -owned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs ). 23% of MSMEs registered in 2020 -22 in Tamil Nadu were owned by women (89) . The lower CIBIL scores and financial awareness of women may impact their access to finance for establishing an MSME in the EV ecosystem. The policy does not address these issues by providing additional support through enhanced capital subsidies or interest subvention to women. There are no specific provisions or incentives target ing women entrepreneurs in the context of higher capital incentives or gender -based targets for MSME enterprises in the EV sector. 33 This amounts to a total of INR 36,000 per female worker distributed over a period of 6 months. 37 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Governance and Institutional Support Tamil Nadu’s EV policy mandates the creation of a steering committee for monitoring the implementation of the EV policy and an EV Cell, to be set up at Guidance, a nodal agency under the Department of Industries and Commerce of Tamil Nadu for investment promotion and single window facilitation. There is no gender expert mandated to be a part of the EV cell. EV Taskforce is established in Tamil Nadu in April 2024 (76) . However, there is no information available on the members of the task force. The policy identifies the different departments that would be part of the EV steering committee. Further , the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department is not represented . Surveys from this project revealed that 28% of women with ICE vehicles are unaware of any benefits associated with owning an electric vehicle. This highlights the need for a targeted awareness campaign to enhance knowledge and awareness of electric vehicles among women. However, the current policy does not acknowledge this need. The policy mandates the establishment of an EV cell for its implementation, but it does not designate a nodal person, a department or expert s to ensure gender considerations are integrated into the policy's document and implementation. An EV cell was established in March 2022 by the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited . The Women and Child Development department is not part of this EV cell. The policy includes plans for public outreach and communication campaigns to spread awareness about the benefits of adopting EVs. However, surveys showed that a round 15% of women in Delhi are unaware of any financial benefits associated with the ownership of an EV. Therefore, a targeted approach is necessary to disseminate information among women, which the policy does not address. Additionally, there is no effor t to involve civil society organi sation s or non -governmental organizations (NGOs) working with w omen in the EV ecosystem to ensure gender aspects are considered. 38 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 3.3 Primary Data Analysis This section outlines the analysis of primary survey conducted with both men and women who use ICE/EV two -wheelers for either their personal use of for commercial purposes. It also includes the findings of FGD, KIIs and charging i nfrastructural audits. The first part of this section covers the demographics and travel behaviors of the survey respondents, followed by an analysis distributed across each entry point. 3.3.1 Type of users and sample size The study sample from the two cities were selected based on the following three criteria : fuel type, nature of use and gender. The vehicles included in the study are both electric two -wheelers and ICE two -wheelers . Based on the nature of their use, the users w ere categori sed as commercial us ers and personal users . Commercial us ers include d individuals who use d their two -wheelers for commercial activities such as delivery and home services which r equir e travel to multiple locations during work hours. Persona l users are those with one fixed place of employment . Based on these parameters, the sample was further divided into eight categories, as illustrated in Figure 5. A total of 496 surveys were conducted in both cities with at least 30 samples for each category in both cit ies . Figure 5: Categorisation of respondents and the sample size 3.3.2 Age, marital status, and education The average age of the sample i s 29 years in Delhi and 34 years in Chennai . Among commercial workers, the average age is 28 years in Delhi and 33 years in Chennai. This suggests that the commercial worker population is predominantly urban youth (18 -29) in Delhi, whereas in Chennai, it skews towards an older demographic. The education level of commercial users is lower than that of personal users ( fixed place of employment ). 82% of personal users hold at least a bachelor's degree as compared to only 39% of commercial users (Figure 6). Also, a ll surveyed respondents, both men and women have access to smartphone and a bank account. 39 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 6: Education level of personal and commercial workers N: C - 249 , P- 247 3.3.3 A nalysis of type of wor k This study categorizes workers using E2Ws for employment purposes into two groups: personal and commercial users . Personal users are those with a fixed place of employment who typically make two home - office trips. In contrast, commercial users do not have a fixed employment location and make multiple trips throughout the day. This group includes users engaged with online platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, and Urban Company, as well as non -platform users who deliver products like medicines and cosmetics. Plat form workers in the transportation industry, such as bike taxi providers, are not included in this study. Type of work Commercial users Commercial users are primarily engaged in food delivery (45%), grocery delivery (16%) and home service s (14%) (Figure 7). The top five companies with which these users work are : Swiggy (food and grocery delivery) , Zomato (food delivery) , Urban Company (home services) , Yakult and Blinkit (grocery delivery) . Figure 7: Type of work of commercial users N: 496 2% 11% 28% 21% 33% 6% 0% 0% 2% 6% 10% 55% 25% 1% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% <4th 4th-10th 10th-12th Diploma Undergrad Post grad PhD % of respondents Commercial Personal 45% 16% 8% 14% 0% 9% Food delivery Grocery delivery E-commerce (Non-perishable) Service Courier services Other 40 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Women are distributed across food delivery, home services and delivery of other products such as cosmetics and medicines Furthermore, the gender analysis (Figure 8 and Figure 9Figure 60 ) indicates that men are engage d in food (51%) and grocery delivery (20%), whereas women are involved in food delivery (39%), and home services (21%). Women also participate in the delivery of cosmetic products, medicines and specific items such as Yakult (17%) . The chi -square d test indicates that the gender difference observed in the type of work is statistically significant (χ ² (6) = 46.029, p < .001). Figure 8: Commercial workers: Women Figure 9: Commercial workers: Men F-125; M -123 Personal users 92% of personal users are engaged in the service sector. The data shows us that 92% of workers with fixed places of employment are in the service sector . There is not much variation seen across gender. Working times Commercial users It is observed that men typically begin their work earlier than women and work till later hours into the evening. On an average, men start their work day 8:45 am and continue until 7:45 pm . On the other hand, it was observed that women start their work day at or after 10:00 am and finish by 6:45 pm /07: 00 pm (Table 17 ). These differences are likely seen due to women being responsible for care work and household responsibilities along with gendered safety concerns. Table 17: Work start and end time for commercial workers Women Men Average Start Time 10:00 am 08.46 am Average End time 06:43 pm 07:43 pm Female commercial workers work for approximately 95 to 167 minutes less than their male counterparts , which could be attributed to care work. On an average, commercial workers work approximately 527 minutes per day. Men work longer hours than wome n with t he gender difference in working hours being 128 minutes (Figure 10 ). These differences are 39% 11% 4% 21% 9% 17% 51% 20% 11% 7% 11% 41 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India statistically significant at a significance level of <0.05 based on independent t -test. The results correspond with the 2019 Time Use Survey, which reported a gender difference of 139 minutes in time spent on employment -related activities in urban areas in India (90) . Figure 10: Average working time of commercial users by gender N: F-125; M -123 ; Total - 248 3.3.4 A nalysis of travel behaviour Travel distance s Commercial users Male commercial users travel around 1.7 times more than female commercial users . On average, commercial users travel around 63 km a day with gender difference of 33 km (M:79 km; F: 46km) (Figure 11 Figure 62 ). The observed gender difference in travel distances is statistically significant at p < 0.05. The differences in travel distances between ICE and EV commercial users are not statistically significant (Error! Reference source not found. ). A comparative analysis of travel distances by fuel type reveals no major difference overall. EV commercial users travel on an average of 3 km more than ICE users in both cities. However, this difference in travel distance between ICE and EV users is not st atistically significant using a two -tailed t -test Personal users Male users with a fixed place of employment travel longer distances than female workers for work purposes. On average, personal users travel approximately 24 km per day, with gender difference of around 8 km (M: 28km; F: 20km) (Figure 11 Figure 62 ). The observed gender difference in travel distances is statistically significant at p < 0.05. The gender -based analysis indicates that men travel 1.6 times farther away than women in Chennai and 1.3 times in Delhi. These observed gender differences in both Chennai (t( 121) = -3.532, p=<0.001) and Delhi (t(127)= -2.218, p=0.028) are statistically significant as determined by a two -tailed t -test. 3 591 52 Average working time (in minutes) Women en Total 42 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 11: Trave l distance, by gender and user type N: Commercial: W -125; M -123; Personal: Total: 248; M: 125; F: 123 The differences in travel distances between ICE and EV personal users are not statistically significant There is no substantial difference observed in the distances travelled by ICE users and EV users. In Chennai, EV users travel an average of 3.3 km more than ICE users, whereas in Delhi, EV users travel 1.2 km less than ICE users. However, these differences in travel distances are not statistically significant. The gender -based difference observed i s not substantial and is not statistical ly significant . Analysis of reported incomes Commercial users Male commercial workers earn 1.1 times more than female commercial workers, primarily because they work longer hours. The average income of commercial users is higher in around INR 23,690. The gender -based analysis indicate that men earn around INR 3,044. The observed gender difference in income is statistically significant on the two -tailed t -test. However, it is observed that women earn a higher hourly income (INR 115) compared to men (INR 104). This is because women typically take shorter -distance orders 34, allowing them to complete more deliveries within a shorter working period. Figure 12: Average Individual monthly income of commercial workers N: Chennai: W- 60, M - 61; Delhi: W- 65, M - 62; Total: W-125; M -123 34 On average, women travel 3.9 km per order, compared to 5.8 km per order for men. 46 20 79 28 63 24 0 20 40 60 80 100 Commercial users Personal users Distance travelled in a day (in km) Women Men Total 22,180 25,224 23,690 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 Average monthly income (INR) Women Men Total 43 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 3.3.5 Total cost of ownership (TCO) The t otal cost of ownership of a vehicle refers to the complete cost incurred over the entire period of ownership, including purchase price, maintenance, fuel or energy costs, insurance, taxes and any other relevant expenses. For electric two -wheelers, TCO also includes costs related to charging infrastructure and battery maintenance. The TCO varies based on the distances travelled. As seen in the travel behaviour analysis, the distance travelled varies by gender, city and nature of use. Thus, the TCO for electric and ICE two -wheelers by gender (male and female) and usage types ( personal and commercial) in Delhi and Chennai is evaluated . For the TCO analysis, the top three most commonly used models in Chennai and Delhi were selected based on the survey data. For electric two -wheelers, Ola S1 Pro and Ather 450X were considered. For ICE two - wheeler, Honda Activa 6G model was considered. The average distance travelled by nature of use , gender and city is obtained from the travel behaviour analysis and is used here for the TCO calculations. As the difference in average travel distance between ICE and electric two -wheelers is not significant, th e overall average daily distance travelled is considered . Table 18:Average distance travelled Type of user Distance travelled in a day (in km) Delhi Chennai Women Men Women Men Personal user (f ixed place of employment ) 24.15 30.85 15.5 24.2 Commercial user 61.05 105.1 30.15 52.85 N: Commercial users: Chennai: W - 60, M - 61; Delhi: W - 65, M - 62 ; Personal users: Chennai - M:61; W: 60; Delhi - M:64; W:63 The TCO is calculated for an ownership period of 10 years, including battery replacement after 5 years. The other factors considered in the calculation of TCO includes : (i) initial cost ; (ii) operational cost ; and (iii) depreciation cost . Initial cost : The purchase price of the vehicle includes ex -showroom price, registration charges and RTO fees. For E2Ws , state incentives for electric vehicles are factored into the purchase cost. To maintain consistency, the BEE portal was kept as the baseline reference for values. The selected vehicle models and their key specifications such as mileage, ex -showroom price etc were obtained from the BEE TCO calculator portal . Taxes and fees considered include the one -time vehicle registration fee and GST applicable on vehicle purchases. The incentives provided by the state EV policies such exemption of road tax , upfront purchase subsidies are considered for EVs . Registration fee is different for ICE 2 -wheelers in Chennai and Delhi (91) . Operational Cost : Ongoing expenses during the vehicle's use include fuelling (electricity for EVs and fuel costs for ICE vehicles), insurance and maintenance expenses. Fuelling cost for the ICE two -wheeler is based on current values, which differ s in Chennai and Delhi (92) . Residential electricity rates are considered for both Chennai and Delhi in determining home -charging costs. In Delhi, it is INR 8 per unit, and in Chennai, it is INR 4.5 per unit (93) . Different electric two -wheeler models claim various ranges; however, the fuel cost is based on the actual distance travelled per charge by the user as reported in the survey. Vehicle maintenance cost insurance costs are referred from the BEE Portal. Depreciation Cost : Vehicles are assumed to be amortized over a 5 -year ownership period with depreciation calculated based on residual value (94) . The TCO for female EV users in both cities is approximately 1.2 to 1.7 times higher than that of their male counterparts. Based on the observed costs and distances, the TCO was calculated, as shown in the table below. Findings indicate that the TCO for E2Ws is lower than for ICE vehicles across both cities and for both commercial and personal users. However, a gender disparity was observed, with the TCO for women being 1.2 to 1.7 44 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India times higher than that for men in both cities. In Chennai, the TCO for women operating Ather E2Ws exceeds that of ICE two -wheelers and only becomes cost -effective if daily travel exceeds 18 km. Table 19:TCO analysis Total cost in INR 35 per km Personal Commercial Men Women Men Women INR/km INR/km INR/km INR/km Chennai EV Ola S1 Pro 3.42 5.28 1.61 2.76 Ather 450X 4.07 6.28 1.94 3.29 ICE Honda Activa 6G 4.09 5.57 2.66 3.57 Delhi EV Ola s1 2.47 3.11 0.84 1.33 Ather 3.03 3.80 1.06 1.65 ICE Honda Activa 6G 6.21 7.12 3.87 4.57 Note: The TCO calculation includes EMPS and state EV policy incentives. In Delhi, a subsidy of ₹5,000/kWh is applied. In Tamil Nadu, a commercial EV subsidy of ₹10,000/kWh (up to ₹30,000 per vehicle) is available but is not currently provided, as E2Ws are not registered as commercial vehicles. 3.3.6 Driving licence process and regulations Th e requirement for a driving licence at the local level is administered by RTOs. Applicants can also apply for a driving licen ce online through the Parivahan Sarathi portal . Although the procedure for obtaining a driving licen ce is standardi sed nationwide by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the fees differ across states. The Commissionerate of Transport and Road Safety (95) issues licen ces in Tamil Nadu, while the Transport Department, Government of NCT (96) of Delhi, handles licensing in Delhi. The process, cost and potential barriers in the licensing process are summarised . The barriers faced by women in the licensing process were identified through the FGDs and during the desk review. Figure 13: Issues faced by women in obtaining a driving license 35 The currency exchange rate at the time of this calculation was 1 GBP = INR 111.86 . 45 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Findings from the surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews Female respondents primarily hold driving licenses for only two -wheelers, whereas male respondents have licenses for both two -wheelers and four -wheelers. According to the survey, 91% of respondents hold a driving licen ce, with 51% having licence s for both two - wheelers and four -wheelers The gender -based analysis indicates that women predominantly hold a two - wheeler driving licence , whereas men generally possess a combined licence for both two - and four -wheelers in both Chennai and Delhi (Figure 14 ). The respondents primarily learned to drive a two -wheeler by informal methods such as from their family members , friends or self -learning. A g ender ed analysis indicates that more than half of the women in learned from their family members, while men typically learned from their friends, followed by family members. A small minority of respondents learnt to drive a two -wheeler through formal driving classes. This includes 2% of men and 8% of women (Figure 15 ). Figure 14: Driving licence s by gender N= M: 247; W: 249, T: 496 Figure 15: Driv er training by gender N= M: 247; W: 249, T: 496 29.1% 51.8% 40.5% 62.8% 39.0% 50.8% 8.1% 9.2% 8.7% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Men Women Total % of respondents 2W 2W_4W None 20% 41% 30% 20% 35% 28% 53% 22% 37% 4% 2% 3% 4% 2% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Women Men Total % of total respondents Self Friends Family Driving class with male instructor Driving class with female instructor 46 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Respondents paid approximately 2.5 to 2.7 times more than the government -prescribed fee to obtain a driving license. The average cost incurred by individuals in Delhi to obtain a two -wheeler driving licence is INR 2,427, which is 2.7 times the fee as per government regulations. In contrast, the average cost in Chennai is INR 2,567, equivalent to 2.5 times the stipulated fee (Figure 16 ). This is primarily due to the involvement of agents in the process. The FGD participants mentioned that the entire process of obtaining a driving licence was cumbersome and time -consuming, leading most people to seek assistance from agents who help applicants navigate the driving licence process and charge higher fees . Figure 16: Cost of obtaining a driving licence N: Delhi: 254; Chennai: 242 It is noted that the respondents in the primary survey obtained their licenses 6 –9 years ago. The application process for driving licenses has transitioned online in all states in India since 2023 (Figure 13 ) (97) , but primary survey indicates a lack of awareness regarding this change amongst the participants, including women. Some of the issues mentioned by the primary users may no longer be relevant, as the process has transitioned online. These changes will be highlighted in the relevant sections. Respondents across user groups ranked three major challenges: administrative obstacles at the RTO , difficulty in passing the learner’s test and in passing the practical test . Respondents were asked to select the top three obstacles they faced in learning to drive and obtaining a driving licence (Figure 17 ). These challenges are based on the experiences of respondents who obtained their licenses before the process transitioned to an online system. At present, applicants are only required to visit the RTO to complete the driving test for obtaining a permanent driving license. 900 1,350 1,030 1,480 2,427 2,553 2,567 3,045 2W 2W+4W 2W 2W+4W Delhi Chennai Cost (INR) As per MoRTH As per survey 47 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 17: Obstacles faced in obtaining a driving licence N = 453, M=227, W=226 To improve the licens ing process , the r espondents ranked the priorities and assistance required as follows: guidance with paperwork formalities, reduced waiting times to undertake the driving test and a reduced waiting time at the RTO . Women prioritised polite behaviour of RTO officials while conversing with them and need for women -priority services at the RTO . (Figure 18 ). "In the licensing process, there are different queues for various procedures, such as one queue for paper verification and another for taking pictures. It would be more efficient to have a single queue with different counters for same procedure. Additional ly, providing tokens could also streamline the process." - A female personal EV user (Chennai ) Figure 18: Factors prioritised to improve the licence process N = 453, M=227, W=226 19% 17% 21% 13% 8% 10% 6% 4% 2% 23% 17% 18% 12% 8% 9% 6% 6% 0% Administrative obstacles at the RTO Difficulty in passing the learner's test Difficulty in passing the practical test Limited access to transportation to the RTO Safety concerns, such as harassment at RTO Long queues and waiting times at RTO Rude behaviour of the officials at the RTO Affordability of driving lessons and license fees Gender of driving instructor Women Men 21% 20% 20% 12% 11% 7% 8% 26% 20% 17% 10% 13% 11% 2% Assistance with paperwork formalities Reduced waiting times to undertake driving test Reduced waiting time at the RTO Polite behaviour of the officials at the RTO Support in passing the written test to get learner’s license Guidance through the RTO processes Women-priority service at RTO Women Men 48 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 3.3.7 Design of electric two -wheelers In India, the classification of two -wheelers is defined by the Central Motor Vehicles Act (CMVA) and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). The CMVA categori ses two -wheelers into L1 and L2 based on maximum speed and motor power (Table 20 ). SIAM classification is based on design attributes of the vehicle, including wheel size and the location of the fuel tank. As per Central Motor Vehicle Rules, electric two -wheelers with speed <25 km/h and weight <60kg (excluding battery weight) are considered a non -motorised vehicle (98) . These vehicles are exempted from registration at RTOs and users do not require a driving licence . Table 20: Categories of two -wheelers in India As per Criteria Category Central Motor vehicles Act (99) • Maximum speed (MS); • Motor Power (MP) L1 MS <45 km/hr; MP <0.5 kW L2 MS >45km/hr MP >0.5 kW Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (100) . • Wheel Size (WS) • Engine & fuel tank location (EFL) Motorcycle WS >12 inches; EFL: Located in front of the rider and above the engine Scooter WS <12 inches; EFL: Located under the driver’s seat and have legroom in the form of a foot - platform between the seat and the handlebar Preferences amongst electric two -wheeler users Women demonstrate a higher preference towards e-scooters whereas men ride e-motorcycles and e-scooters . As per the primary survey (section 2.2.2) , 72% of the respondents used five E2W models , which are (i) Ola Electric S1 Pro (22% of EV user respondents) , (ii) Ather 450 (17%) , (iii) Hero Electric Optima (14%) , (iv) TVS iQube (12%) , and (v) Honda Activa Electric (7%) . All these vehicles come under the L2 category with speed s over 45 km/ hr and are also gearless scooters. Around two -thirds of the respondents used five models of ICE two -wheelers : (i) Honda Activa (30% of ICE user respondents) , (ii) TVS Jupiter (13%) , (iii) Hero Honda Splendor (8%) , (iv) TVS Scooty Pep Plus (6%) and (v) Honda D io (4%) and Hero Passion (4%) . A significant gender difference is seen in the choice of ICE two -wheeler models. Female users show higher preference towards scooter models while male users use both motorcycles and scooters. Among the top five models, Hero Honda Splendor and Her o Passion are motorcycles and only used by male respondents. There is a greater diversity of electric two -wheeler models among respondents in Delhi (32 unique models) whereas respondents in Chennai reported using 15 different models. Women exhibit a higher propensity to use familiar and established models 74% of women us e the top five ICE models as compared to 48 % of men. 78% of female EV users use one of the top five models as compared to 70% of male EV users . Men may exhibit a higher propensity to adopt a wider range of models including motorcycles. There may be a lower risk tolerance among female users, potentially indicating a preference for established and proven models over fewer familiar options. EV users prioritise vehicle range, battery safety and charging safety. Women users prioritise weight of the vehicle, reverse and hill assist (Figure 19 ). The FGDs revealed that the m en generally prefer heav ier and wider vehicles . They also believe that heavier vehicles offer greater stability, particularly on slopes and in bad weather conditions . Women favoured light - weight vehicles with broader width so that the male family members can also use the vehicle without perceiving it as “ feminine ”. For example , many men considered the TVS Scooty Pep (ICE) to be a feminine two -wheeler model , which they would not prefer using. Additional perceived risks include concerns around vehicle stability at higher speed s and battery safety during monsoon s. EV users in Chennai raised concerns about the potential safety risks associated with electric vehicle batteries during the monsoon season. Given the city's susceptibility to urban flooding, there are apprehensions about the impact of waterlogging on 49 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India battery integrity. Some users, particularly those with dual -battery E2Ws, reported that storage space is often insufficient for helmets or other items. I'm unable to store my helmet under the seat since the space is occupied by the battery compartment for the electric vehicle (EV). At best, I can only fit my purse inside." - A female personal EV user (Chennai ) Post -sales service emerged as a major concern for EV users During the FGDs , participants emphasised the challenges they face in getting their E2Ws serviced at OEM service cent res, especially fewer authorised service centr es with trained mechanics and available spare parts. This results in long waiting times for repairs and services, which negatively impacts their experience . Figure 19: Parameters prioritised in the design of a two -wheeler – E2W users N = 248, M= 123, W=125 Preferences amongst ICE two -wheelers users ICE users prioritise aesthetics and vehicle range . Women ICE users give a high priority to the weight of the vehicle Women ICE users rank weight, aesthetics and the range of the vehicle as their top three parameters , whereas men ICE users rank aesthetics, range and seat height as their top three criterion (Figure 20 ). Women give slightly higher importance to storage space in comparison to men . This is in contrast to EV users who give high priority to battery and charging safety . ICE vehicle users expressed concerns about the long -distance durability of E2Ws and the availability of trained mechanics locally. The issue of availability and affordability of spare parts is also highlighted by all EV users in FGDs. During the FGDs, it was highlighted that features of E2Ws, such as assisted reverse mode are particularly beneficial for women in maneuvering the vehicle. However, manufacturers are currently focusing on gender - neutral approach, with no plans for women -specific models at this time. 13% 15% 9% 4% 17% 17% 14% 6% 3% 1% 14% 10% 11% 5% 18% 17% 14% 5% 3% 1% Aesthetics of the vehicle Weight Height of the seat Width of the seat Range of the vehicle Battery safety Charging safety Storage space Availability of spare parts Affordability of spare parts Women EV User Men EV User 50 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 20: Parameters prioritised in the design of a two -wheeler - ICE users N = 248, M= 124, W=124 3.3.8 Financing of electric two - wheelers Electric vehicles have higher up -front costs than ICE vehicles and thus the requirement for down -payment and credit limit increases . NBFCs are the primary lenders for E2Ws in India, financing approximately 64% of the market compared to 30% by private commercial banks (101) . Thus, the eligibility criteria for obtaining a two -wheeler loan from two NBFCs are illustrated in the Figure 21 and Figure 22 . Both Bajaj Finance and Shriram Finance are NBFCs that provide loans for E2Ws. Figure 21: Two -wheeler loan eligibility for Bajaj Finance Figure 22: Two -wheeler loan eligibility for Shriram Finance Source: (102) Source: (103) 19% 21% 11% 5% 17% 6% 4% 9% 5% 2% 20% 9% 15% 9% 19% 8% 3% 4% 6% 4% Aesthetics of the vehicle Weight Height of the seat Width of the seat Range of the vehicle Battery safety Charging safety Storage space Availability of spare parts Affordability of spare parts Women ICE User Men ICE User 51 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India It is observed that t he eligibility criteria for obtaining a loan restrict borrowers to those between the age groups of 18 and 65 years, as loans are not available to individuals under 18 (the minimum age for obtaining a driving license) or to senior citizens. Eligibility criteria may imp ede women’s access to formal credit Generally, no collateral is required for a two -wheeler loan . However, gender bias in the perception of the stable earning member of the household or in whose name movable or immovable assets are registered, results in male family members or an earning parent to apply for the loan or co -sign the loan application. Obtaining a loan becomes more difficult for those working in the informal economy, as they do not have salary slips, employment stability certificates, or are self -employed. This may disproportionately impact women in India whose labour force participation rate was only 37% in 2022 -23 (104) . Additionally, many women often have limited access to credit products such as credit cards, housing loans, or car loans, hindering their ability to establish a CIBIL score. Peer networks are desired as a useful resource to obtain real -world experiences (as compared to business correspondents) . Borrowers often face challenges in obtaining reliable information about specific banks or loan products. Many seek insights from peers regarding their experiences for informed decision -making . The majority of respondents had opted for self -financing for their two -wheeler across gender, vehicle type and the nature of usage . There isn’t a noticeable difference in the financing pattern between commercial users and personal users of two -wheelers for either gender. On an average, about 29 % of respondents have opted for loans to finance their two -wheelers across gender, nature of use and fuel type (Figure 23 ). Figure 23: Mode of financing two -wheeler by fuel type and gender N = 496 22% of the female EV owners registered their vehicles in the name of a male relative Though majority if the respondents have registered the vehicle in their own, i t is noted that this proportion drops slightly for women EV users. Only 75% of women EV users had the vehicle registered in their own name as compared to 90% of women ICE users (Figure 24 ). In most cases where the vehicle is not registered in their own name, it is registered in the name of male relatives (11%). Similar patterns are observed in both cities. 4% 2% 4% 26% 32% 28% 30% 27% 29% 68% 66% 68% 70% 73% 71% Men Women Total Men Women Total EV ICE Lease/Rent Owned (Loan) Owned (One-time payment) 52 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 24: Vehicle registration name by gender and fuel type N = 496 More men obtain loans in their name than women Among male users who took a loan to finance their two -wheeler, the majority obtained the loan in their own name. Among female users, 81% obtained the loan in their own name for ICE vehicles, while only 51% did so for EV s (Figure 25 ). Figure 25: Loan registration name by gender and vehicle fuel type N= 142, M=70, W=72 ; ICE: N=71, M=38, W=33 ; EV: N=71, M=32, W=39 Downpayment 36 is higher for female EV users as compared to ma le EV users in both cities . For male EV users, the down payment proportion is about 26% of the on -road price of the vehicles. However, in the case of women EV users, the down payment proportion is higher at 32% (Table 21 ). This difference is significant at a 95% confidence level. Considering the higher cost of acquisition of the EV, a 36 The down payment is the amount that the user or vehicle owner is required to pay from their own sources when acquiring a vehicle, while the remaining amount is financed through a loan. 2% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 3% 22% 13% 12% 8% 10% 93% 75% 84% 87% 90% 89% 2% 2% 2% 0% 1% 1% Men Women Total Men Women Total EV ICE % of respondents in each category Female relative Male relative Self Others 0% 3% 2% 3% 0% 2% 6% 46% 26% 19% 19% 19% 91% 51% 71% 78% 81% 80% 3% 0% 2% 0% 0% 0% Men Women Total Men Women Total EV ICE Loans in the name of Female relative Male relative Self Others 53 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India higher down payment means that the total amount that needs to be arranged upfront is significantly high than the up -front amount needed to acquire an ICE vehicle. This could be a significant deterrent in increasing the uptake of EVs by women. The Equated Monthly Instalments (EMI) for EVs is comparatively higher than ICE two -wheelers. It is seen that on an average, the EVs have higher EMIs than ICE vehicles and women also pay higher EMIs as compared to their male counterparts ( Table 22 ), although this difference is not statistically significant at 90% confidence level. Table 21: Down payment as a percentage of vehicle value Loan registered in the name of Overall Men 26% Women 30% Grand Total 28% N=139 (W:70) Table 22: Loan tenure , rate of Interest and EMI Average loan tenure (months) Average interest rate (%) Average EMI (INR) EVs Men 33 10.2 ₹ 4,058 Women 25 11.5 ₹ 4,658 Grand Total 28 10.9 ₹ 4,384 ICE Men 29 9.6 ₹ 4,026 Women 26 9.6 ₹ 4,099 Total 27 9.6 ₹ 4,060 N=140 (Women:70) for loan tenure & EMI and N=117 (Women:57) for interest rate Roughly half of the borrowers of two -wheeler loans require c o-signatories irrespective of gender . In most cases m ale family members are the co -signatories . Men not only handle b anking/ leasing procedures for themselves but also for half of the female users ( Figure 26 ) Co -signatories are often required for loans when borrowers lack sufficient credentials or credit scores. It is observed that co -signatories are predominantly male for both male and female borrowers. This trend reflects the socioeconomic structure of many I ndian families, where the male head of the household is typically viewed as the primary breadwinner. Additionally, assets such as houses, property, and land are often registered in the name of male family members. Moreover, a higher proportion of men are e ngaged in formal employment, which provides them with access to bank accounts and credit cards, resulting in improved credit scores . This is further supported by the fact that the banking or leasing procedures for most men and women is completed by male members of the family . Reported loan processing times are shorter for shorter for EV users and for women on average. In most cases it was observed that the loan approval time for EVs is lower than for ICE vehicles . Also loan approval time for women in lower (Table 23 ). This could be attributed to the fact that most EV financing is being done by new -age fintech companies who have set up systems for easier and faster application, and approval of loans through automated and streamlined processes as compared to traditional asset financing companies. 54 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 26: Banking procedures handled by N=152 (Women:76) Table 23: Average loan approval time (in days) Gender User Grand Total Men Overall 4.3 EV 4.0 ICE 4.5 Women Overall 4.1 EV 2.9 ICE 5.5 N= 141 (women:71) Most users get information on financing at two -wheeler d ealerships . Between 65 to 80% of users of different groups reported obtaining information on financing from bank or finance institution agents at two -wheeler dealerships. The key criteria that borrowers look at wh ile selecting a financing institution for loan is the reputation and trustworthiness of the lender, lower interest and recommendation by dealerships. Lack of financial literacy, experience sharing by other users and low/no CIBIL scores appear to be the biggest b arriers for women in accessing financing (Figure 27 ) Users were asked to rank top three barriers that they experienced while accessing financing for two - wheelers. The top barriers are as follows: a limited network of peers to understand financial processes, low or no CIBIL score and lack of financial literacy. Some FGD participants highlighted that they faced issues in obtaining a loan in their own names due to their low credit score and difficulties with the documentation. Despite needing a two -wheeler for my job, I faced challenges obtaining a loan due to a low CIBIL Score, which is difficult to improve without employment. However, my sister with her strong CIBIL Score from employment, extended her support by taking loan fo r me.” - A female EV Commercial user (Chennai ) Men and women respondents ranked reduced documentation requirements, increased access to information and sharing of experience by other borrowers as key to improving the experience of accessing finance (Figure 28 ). 0% 47% 47% 5% 3% 17% 80% 0% Female relative Male relative Self Others Women Men 55 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Users rank the two top factors for improving access to financial products as reduced documentation requirements and access to information on financial products and processes. Additionally, a network of peers for sharing experiences and information on financial products & processes from the existing users ranks among the top three factors for improvement. The key informant interviews with financing institutions confirmed that there is reluctance among the traditional asset financing companies to finance EVs except to salaried individuals who have better credit profile and who are likely to pay off their loan irrespective of the vehicle performance. For commercial users, very few financing options are available and that too at a high cost and the interest rate can be 24% or more . The said entities seek guarantees/co -applica nts from house owning relatives or acquaintances of the borrower. The key informants highlighted that women borrowers ha d a better repayment profile as compared to their male counterparts , but were less aware of the technical specifications of vehicles as compared to men. Yet, they constituted only about 10 -20% of the total borrowers. It was also noted that male users sometimes borrowed in the name of their female family members to benefit from schemes 37 targeted towards women. Due to higher acquisition cost of electric vehicles more users require financing in comparison to ICE vehicle users. The typical loan duration is of two to three years depending on the vehicle type and battery warranty. Generally, the loan is processed quickly with users receive their funding within three to four days. Figure 27: Proportion of users who ranked the following as one of top 3 barriers to access finance N= 152 ; W :76 Figure 28: Proportion of users who ranked the following as one of top 3 factors to improve loan process N= 152 ; W :76 37 PNB Power Ride – A scheme for financing two -wheelers for women . Under this scheme, the net income requirement for female applicants has been reduced from INR 10,000, after all deductions including the proposed two -wheeler loan instalment, to INR 8,000. 17% 24% 29% 10% 11% 8% 17% 21% 25% 11% 16% 10% Lack of financial literacy Low or no CIBIL score Limited network to understand financial processes Behaviour of relationship manager Limited collateral options Social norms discouraging you from taking loans 27% 25% 26% 6% 9% 5% 2% 27% 20% 28% 5% 7% 11% 1% Access to information Learn from experience of prior borrowers Reduced documents requirements Gender-sensitive customer service Tailored financial schemes for your gender Different eligibility criteria Female relationship manager Women Men 56 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 3.3.9 Charging infrastructure The c harging infrastructure for E2Ws are of two types: E2W charging stations : E2Ws have both slow and fast chargers. S low chargers use two types of connectors 38: Bharat AC -001, with power capacities of 10 kW and Bharat DC -001 with 15 kW power capacity (105) . For fast charging, they use Type 2 AC chargers with a minimum power output of 22 kW (106) . The Bharat AC001 charger standard typically uses a 3-pin socket for charging, designed primarily for slow charging of electric vehicles. Some E2W OEMs have their own proprietary , fast chargers that are not inter -operable with other two -wheeler models (107) . These fast chargers can provide a range of 20 -50 km in 15 minutes (108,109) . Battery swapping stations: Drained batteries can be replaced with a fully charged one from a battery swapping station . Battery swapping is advantageous as the recharging time becomes comparable to the fuelling time for ICE vehicles (28) . The swapping process may take up to five min ute s and offer a range of 40 to 60 km. Battery swapping of electric two/three wheelers is gaining momentum with over ten different battery swapping companies in the Indian market (28) . Findings from the surveys , focus group discussions and key informant interviews The primary location for charging EVs for both commercial and personal users is at home, regardless of time of the day . On an average, commercial users charge their vehicles six days per week, whereas personal users only charge their vehicles four days per week. This is in line with the greater distances travelled by commercial users . Commercial users are the main users of public charging stations (PCS) . During the day (Figure 29 ), 25% of commercial users reported charging at PCS, compared to just 7% of personal users. At night, 9% of commercial users used PCS as compared to 2% of personal users (Figure 29 ). Additionally, commercial workers also report a higher usage of battery swapping stations. Personal and commercials users preferred charging at home or within building/housing society premises at night. Figure 29: Charging locations during the day N: C: 124; P:124 38 The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has standardized the charger specifications provided by the Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) as Bharat AC001 and Bharat DC001. 69% 11% 7% 12% 25% 15% 17% 0% 65% 2% 1% 9% 7% 7% 23% 2% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Home Parking in the building premises Housing society charging station Office Public charging station Battery swapping station None Not Applicable % of respondents Location of charging 57 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 30: Charging locations during the night N: C: 124; P:124 FGDs corroborate the preference for charging at home . EV users highlighted challenges with using PCS such as the lack of awareness of PCS locations, perceived lack of safety, and long waiting times EV users stated that they ensure to use their two -wheelers only within the city and prefer to take it within a comfortable range of home. Public charging stations are primarily seen as an option to use for charging in case of emergencies. However, commercial users do report using PCS due to their longer distances travelled in a day . Women in Chennai reported their discomfort with using PCS as they are often located in secluded areas which were perceived to be unsafe and this information was corroborated from the audits of charging stations. Concerns are raised by users about the lack of a single reliable source to locate PCS. Additionally, women reported concerns about vehicle range and often limit their travel due to the fear of running out of charge. Men stated that the public charging infrastructure in Chennai is insufficient. Some stations are non - operational at times, resulting longer travel and long waiting times. Therefore, an extensive planning is required for E2W users intending to travel longer distances. In Delhi, women EV users highlighted concerns about long waiting times at charging stations, as only slow chargers are available, requiring them to stay at stations for approximately two to three hours. This is particularly problematic when they are accompanied by children, as there are no shaded spaces or waiting areas. "Getting petrol is convenient. Even if it’s crowded, it does not take more than 15 minutes to refuel the vehicle. However, it takes 3 hours to charge the battery. It is difficult for a woman to wait for such a long time." - A female EV personal user (Delhi) Men in Delhi reported issues with non -operational charging points at stations, leading to long waiting times and crowd s. Female EV users highlighted their lack of understanding of how to use the charging infrastructure, noting the absence of information at stations . All participants emphasised the need for better information on the availability of charging stations. 83% 10% 9% 8% 9% 5% 1% 2% 90% 7% 2% 1% 2% 0% 3% 2% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Home Parking in the building premises Housing society charging station Office Public charging station Battery swapping station None Not Applicable % of respondents Location of charging Commercial Personal 58 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India In addition, the EV users shared challenges of using PCS which are located in secluded areas and do not have waiting areas. Users recommended integrating PCS within fuel stations which are typically easy to locate, and are present in active areas as well as well -lit. Current users of ICE two -wheelers frequently express concerns about the availability and reliability of charging infrastructure. These issues influence their perception and their willingness to adopt electric two - wheelers in the future. "One day, my two -wheeler charge was very low, so I decided to take my two -wheeler to a nearby mall, planning to charge it while I roamed around. However, upon arrival, I realised that the charging port did not suit my vehicle. I became really scared as my two -wheeler started blinking due to the low battery. Somehow, I managed to make it back home, but it was a night mare for me." - A female personal EV user (Chennai) EV users prioriti sed the availability of fast chargers, the strategic placement of charging stations in high -traffic areas, and access to updated information regarding the locations of charging points Additionally, due to frequent encounters with non -operational charging sockets, EV users emphasized the need for functional charging sockets at all stations. Furthermore, both commercial and personal users prioriti se a network of battery swapping stations , fast and affordable charging stations and charging stations located in active areas . A gender -disaggregated analysis showed that both men and women have similar priorities (Figure 31 and Figure 32 ). However, women prefer to have assistants of same gender at charging stations. Figure 31: Priorities to improve charging infrastructure - personal users by gender N: 248 22% 17% 16% 16% 15% 5% 5% 4% 21% 16% 13% 13% 17% 6% 10% 4% -30% -20% -10% 0% 10% 20% 30% Charging stations are located in active areas Information on the location of charging stations Assistants of same gender at the charging station Well-lit charging stations Fast, affordable chargers Wide network of battery swapping stations Sitting space at charging stations during waiting time Information on availability of 2W sockets Women EV User –Fixed place of employment Men EV User –Fixed place of employment 59 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 32: Priorities to improve charging infrastructure - commercial users by gender N: 248 Findings from charging infrastructure audits In addition to the FGDs and surveys with two -wheeler users, public charging stat ions were audited based on the assessment framework created ( Annex ure 3). This section presents the analysis of the infrastructure audits of E2W charging points conducted in Chennai and Delhi. An overview of the charging infrastructure audits conducted in the cities is presented and is followed by a city -wise analysis. Operational charging infrastructure : Around 45 charging stations or battery swapping stations we re audited in each city. As of August 2024, Chennai has 151 public charging points (Bureau of Energy Efficiency), whereas Delhi has 2452 charging points (Switch Delhi). Based on our sample survey, 46% and 64% of the charging points are operational respectively (Figure 33 and Figure 34 ). This translates to one charging point for every 103 EVs in Delhi and o ne charging point for every 455 EVs in Chennai, in comparison to 6 -20 EVs for one public charger globally (110) . The comparative assessment shows that the data on charging station availability is more accurate in Delhi. This indicates that the reported number of charging stations on the government website s such as BEE, Switch Delhi or Google Maps in each city may not represent the true picture, as field observations indicate significant discrepancies. Informal discussions with people at these locations indicate that although charging stations were initially available, they were removed over time for various reasons, including low usage. However, this information has not been updated on the online platfo rms. 16% 16% 16% 7% 20% 11% 7% 7% 21% 17% 13% 9% 16% 12% 6% 7% -30% -20% -10% 0% 10% 20% 30% Charging stations are located in active areas Information on the location of charging stations Assistants of same gender at the charging station Well-lit charging stations Fast, affordable chargers Wide network of battery swapping stations Sitting space at charging stations during waiting time Information on availability of 2W sockets Women EV User –Commercial use Men EV User –Commercial use 60 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 33: Total PCS audited - Delhi Figure 34: Total PCS audited: Chennai N: 45 N: 46 Charging Operators : The audited charging stations were under a range of different operators. In Delhi, the audited charging stations or battery swapping stations are operated by around 17 different CPOs. The top three operator s – Bolt Earth (22%), Sun Mobility (13%) and Char jKaro (11% ) - operat e around 46% of the audited charging stations. Following closely are Ather, Ola and Kazam with a comparable number of stations (9% each ). In Chennai, around 12 operators operate the audited charging points . The top three operators - Bolt Earth (33%), Ather (20%) and EESL (15%) - account for 68% of the total audited charging stations. Besides around 11% of the audited stations are operated by the Municipal Corporation in Chennai. Type of chargers : In Delhi, a mong the total operational charging stations (29) only 21% ( 6 stations) have fast chargers and 21% ( six stations) are battery swapping stations. The fast -charging stations are operated by certain OEMs and are exclusively compatible with their two -wheeler models only. In Chennai, 38% ( 8 stations ) of the audited charging stations have fast chargers. All the fast -charg ing stations audited in Chennai are operated by Ather. Analysis of charging infrastructure audit s: Delhi The charging stations audited have been rated as ‘very poor’, ‘poor’ and ‘satisfactory’, based on the total score arrived at from the four indicators. Based on the total score, 65% (of 45) of the audited charging stations in Delhi fall into the 'poor' and 'very poor' categories (Figure 35 ). At the indicator level, the charging points in Delhi were rated ‘satisfactory’ on average for only the charging infrastructure and network connectivity indicator. They are rated 'poor' for ease of locating and security, and 'very poor' for amenities. The details of the charging audits are provided in the annex. The attributes rated as very poor include real -time information on the availability of charging points, signage for locating charging stations, and the availability of seating areas (Figure 36 ). 64% 13% 22% 46% 11% 43% 61 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 35: Average score of audited charging stations by indicator in Delhi N:45 Figure 36: Average score of attributes of audited charging stations in Delhi 41% 60% 69% 25% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Ease of locating charging point Security Charging Infrastructure & Network connectivity Amenities Average score (in %) Indicators 67% 22% 28% 46% 56% 97% 68% 52% 43% 44% 67% 41% 89% 43% 44% 98% 34% 9% 72% 44% 57% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Accuracy of the location Real-time information on availability Signage Visibility of the CP Active/ secluded area Stand alone liquor store Lighting CCTV camera Height of the CP Fire extinguisher Helpline number and safety instructions Accessibility to the nearest exit and its… Information on the gender of the users Trained personnel at or near the charging point Interoperability Availability of fast charging points Information on how to use the CP Waiting time Shaded waiting area Seating Drinking water within 100m Functional clean toilets within 100 m Parking space for E2Ws Ease of locating CP Security Charging Infrastructure & Network connectivity Amenities Average score (in %) 62 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Source: The Urban Catalysts Figure 40: Charging point covered with a protective box to prevent vandalism (Rajiv Chowk) Figure 41: Charging gun and digital screen missing due to vandalism (Rajiv Chowk) Source: The Urban Catalysts Analysis of charging infrastructure audit – Chennai The density of charging station s in Chenna i is comparatively lower than Delhi. Based on the total score, 85% (of 46) of audited charging stations are rated as poor or very poor. Overall , Chennai's charging stations perform poorer than those in Delhi on this assessment framework . The average score for Chennai's charging stations falls within the ‘poor’ range across all categories: ease of locations, security, charging infrastructure, network connectivity and amenitie s (Figure 42 ). Among the indicators, security concer ns are higher in Chennai with an average score of 65.5%. In Chennai, the attributes rated as very poor include real -time information on the availability of charging points, signage for locating charging stations, availability of fire extinguishers, presence of trained personnel Figure 37: Charging point located behind an advertisement board, Karol Bagh Figure 38: Charging poin t hidden among pipelines, Chandni Chowk …………………………. Figure 39: Charging point pos itioned amidst electricity meters …… …. 63 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India at charging stations for assistance, clear instructions on how to use the charging points, and the availability of seating areas (Figure 43 ). Figure 42: Average score of CS on 4 indicators in Chennai N: 46 Figure 43: Average score of attributes of audited charging stations in Delhi 42.3% 65.5% 52.9% 34.2% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Ease of locating charging point Security Charging Infrastructure & Network connectivity Amenities Average score (in %) 91% 0% 23% 78% 82% 100% 77% 64% 100% 4% 100% 4% 0% 23% 71% 31% 27% 81% 63% 23% 67% 54% 78% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Accuracy of the location Real-time information on availability Signage Visibility of the CP Active/ secluded area Stand alone liquor store Lighting CCTV camera Height of the CP Fire extinguisher Helpline number and safety instructions Accessibility to the nearest exit and its… Information on the gender of the users Trained personnel at or near the charging… Interoperability Availability of fast charging points Information on how to use the CP Waiting time Shaded waiting area Seating Drinking water within 100m Functional clean toilets within 100 m Parking space for E2Ws Ease of locating CP Security Charging Infrastructure & Network Amenities Average score (in %) 64 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India “High temperatures and heat in Chennai elevate the risk of battery explosions in electric vehicles. As a Swiggy staff member, my job often requires me to be outdoors, which heightens my concerns about potential battery explosions." - A male EV commercial user (Chennai) Figure 44: Char ging point located between a tree and utility pole (Koyambedu) Figure 45: Charging point among the advertisement boards (Adyar) Source: The Urban Catalysts Figure 46: Charging points at MRTS station (Mandaveli) Figure 47: Charging point at Basin bridge railway station in North Chennai Source: The Urban Catalysts 65 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 3.3.10 Institutional support Social enterprises, m embership -based organisations and women -oriented organisations are working to address the barriers that resource -poor women face in accessing electric vehicles. Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) Bharat has supported its members in purchasing electric three -wheelers. Their Shri Mahila SEWA Cooperative Bank provides support in availing EV subsidies and issue s loan to its members. SEWA Bharat partnered with SMV Green Solutions to support their members in obtaining driving licences and maintaining their vehicles. It encourages members to open bank accounts and deposit savings on a monthly basis (111) . All-women last -mile delivery companies such as Even Cargo, train women to operate two -wheelers and creat e a team of female driving instructors. This is conducted with self -help groups, colleges and NGOs to assist trainees in obtaining their learner's licences. They also incorporate electric two -wheelers in their training fleet and provide it to those who do not have access to their personal vehicle (112) . Learnings from the experiences of organizations (Table 24 ) that support women in asset ownership, licensing and financing are summarized below, based on insights gathered from key informant interviews. Collaboration and partnerships: Organisations such as SEWA, MOWO, ANEW and Azad Foundation have formed partnerships with government agencies, financial institutions and driving schools to address barriers in obtaining a driving license and accessing formal finance . Financial inclusion: Women require tailored financial products, and organizations such as SEWA and Even Cargo facilitate access to financing through their cooperatives or partnerships with NBFCs respectively , while also assisting them in obtaining subsidies for vehicle purchases and/ or with training fees. In addition to financial support, these organizations offer financial literacy training to help women effectively manage their finances. Driver training : MOWO , Azad Foundation and ANEW conduct programs to train women in driving and provide support in obtaining driving licence s and employment opportunities. They offer practical driving lessons, classroom instruction on traffic rules and safety, and soft skills training to enhance employability. Azad Foundation goes a step further to focus on gender roles , rights and self -empowerment , MOWO also trains women to become driving instructors addressing the shortage of female instructors in the indu stry. MOWO in Telangana uses a women -managed motor training site and women’s mobility -centric ecosystem aided by the government. It offers two and three -wheeler training for women above 18 years of age facilitated by driving schools. Employment opportunities: Azad Foundation, Even Cargo, Amazon India and Mahindra Logistics create employment opportunities for women in transportation and logistics. They provide training and job placement for roles such as chauffeurs, cab drivers and delivery riders. Table 24: Selected organisations in India supporting the uptake of two -wheelers by women Organisation Nature of support Key features MOWO (Moving Women) – Telangana • Two - and three - wheeler training; • Support to obtain licences. • Fully women -managed training site with female instructors; • Programs are conducted with self -help groups and colleges • Vehicles are provided to those who do not have their own vehicle, with electric vehicles also being incorporated in training fleet; • Opportunities for graduates to undergo instructor training (112) . ANEW (Association for Non -Traditional Employment for Women) – Chennai • Three - and four - wheeler training; • Support to obtain licences. • Training is undertaken in partnership with licenced driving schools, with ANEW funding the journey to getting a licence (113) . Azad Foundation – Delhi, Chennai Jaipur, Kolkata, • Two -wheeler and four - wheeler training; • Women on Wheels Program targets young women aged 18 -35 in slums and resettlement colonies; 66 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Organisation Nature of support Key features Ahmadabad, Bangalore and Indore • Support to obtain licences; • Support to find employment as chauffeurs , cab drivers and with delivery companies. • Azad Foundation provides driving, technical, self - empowerment and self -development training (114) . Initiatives by logistics and delivery companies Even Cargo – Delhi • Two -wheeler training for resource -poor women; • Support to find employment with e - commerce companies for delivery jobs. • Mobilisation of women from resource -poor communities with support for driving training. Mahindra Logistics Limited (MLL) • Two -wheeler training • Women electric two -wheeler riders for last -mile deliveries; • Training is provided to women candidates for safe riding, last -mile delivery operations, and soft skills development (115) . Source: Key informant interviews, online newspapers and websites. Findings from the surveys , focus group discussions and key informant interviews Primary survey findings indicate that EV users rely on family, friends, showrooms and agents for different types of support (Figure 48 and Figure 49 ). Respondents relied on family and friends for information on operational costs, range, available discounts or deals when purchasing electric two -wheelers. Some users (predominantly male) also conducted online research using websites such as Bike Dekho t o understand the TCO and available financial products (116) . EV users in both the cities reported significant challenges with post -sales support . This included a limited number of skilled electric two -wheeler technicians , extended vehicle service turnaround times due to a limited network of service centres , and the unavailability of spare parts. Recurring display issues such a s frequent shutdowns and failure to restart requir ed regular attention and maintenance. In Delhi, EV users have reported having limited information about the vehicle's functionalities with some users concerned about the vehicle shut ting down midway in a trip. “Six months have passed since I handed over my vehicle for servicing, yet I have not received it back. Despite notifying them via email of my intention to file a complaint with the consumer court, I have not received any response. Perhaps this lack of resp onse is indicative of the service quality associated with lesser -known brands. Established brands prioritise service to maintain their reputation, whereas lesser -known brands may not. Despite sending nearly 60 emails, I have not received any acknowledgment or resolution.” - A female personal EV user (Chennai) Women have lower level of awareness of the existing financial benefits such as upfront subsidies . In Delhi, 59% of female respondents report awareness of the EV purchase subsidy, compared to 69% of male respondents. In Chennai, awareness levels drop, with only 33% of female respondents and 53% of male respondents aware of the subsidy. Awareness of the road tax waiver for EVs is comparatively low, with only about 40% of respondents aware of this benefit. 67 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Users also reported discrepancies between the advertised vehicle range and the actual range with a general expectation that the actual mileage will be 20 -25% less er than claimed by the OEMs. Figure 48: Type of support received by female 2W users N = 249 Figure 49: Type of support received by male 2W users N = 247 1 Support in obtaining driving licence 6 Information on charging infrastructure in the city 2 Information on TCO 7 Information on special deals or discounts on the purchase of E2Ws 3 Information on financial products 8 Convince household members on the model and type of the vehicle 4 Connect with other E2W/ ICE 2W users 9 Training on digital services 5 Connect with 2W users of the same gender 73% 55% 52% 55% 61% 49% 35% 55% 41% 32% 33% 31% 15% 16% 16% 23% 15% 14% 16% 51% 51% 36% 32% 54% 70% 35% 62% 6% 12% 14% 10% 9% 28% 15% 10% 15% 12% 7% 9% 25% 22% 14% 5% 21% 9% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 % of respondents 63% 45% 42% 53% 54% 36% 28% 39% 34% 47% 43% 36% 22% 22% 26% 31% 20% 19% 16% 40% 51% 34% 32% 46% 64% 35% 53% 7% 19% 14% 8% 8% 27% 17% 12% 25% 13% 11% 11% 21% 20% 15% 6% 27% 14% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 % of respondents Family/friends Agent CSO/NGO (Name) Advertisements Showroom Online research None Other 68 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India E2W users reported th at peer learning and sharing may help them in addressing daily operational issues faced with E2Ws . E2W users reported that post -purchase support and timely resolution of service issues to reduce turnaround times was important . They recommended that the video reviews of the E2Ws on social media platforms such as YouTube might help existing E2W user and ICE users . These reviews should provide detailed explanations about charging, range, battery life and day -to-day maintenance of EVs to assist existing and potential buyers in making informed decisions when choosing a two -wheeler brand. Comparably, more women reported requir ing support in using digital devi ces related to EVs. ICE vehicle users have expressed a need for additional support in convincing their household members about the merits of transitioning to electric vehicles . User reported that TV advertisements primarily feature ICE two -wheelers, with very few promoting E2Ws. Increasing TV advertisements for E2Ws would raise awareness about them. These advertisements should highlight the benefits of E2Ws, such as cost -effectiv eness compared to ICE vehicles, lightweight design and silent operation. Women E2W users highlighted four key areas for support These included access to information on TCO, financial products and processes, location of charging infrastructure, and assistance in obtaining a driving license ( Figure 51 ). The support in obtaining a driving licence is prioritised by commercial users more than personal users (workers who have a fixed place of employment). Women ICE commercial workers are more price sensitive than their male counterparts (Figure 52 ). The availability of special deals and discounts emerged as a second highest priority for female ICE commercial workers. Figure 50: Support required to increase uptake of EV N = EV: 248; ICE: 248 16% 19% 19% 10% 14% 12% 7% 3% 1% 17% 17% 17% 6% 14% 14% 8% 5% 2% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% Provide support in obtaining a license Provide information on the TCO between ICE and E2W Provide information on financial products and support in loan or lease process Connect with other E2W users Provide information on charging stations & sockets Offer special deals or discounts Provide training on using digital devices Convince household members on the model and type of the vehicle Other % of respondents EV ICE 69 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 51: Major areas where support Is required to Increase the uptake of electric two -wheelers - Personal E 2W users N = 124, M= 62, W=62 Figure 52: Major areas where support is required to Increase the uptake of electric two -wheelers - Commercial E 2W users N = 124, M= 61, W=63 Figure 53: Major areas where support is required to Increase the uptake of electric two -wheelers - Commercial ICE users N = 124, M= 62, W=62 13% 20% 21% 11% 14% 13% 6% 2% 16% 21% 20% 11% 16% 13% 2% 1% Provide support in obtaining a licence Provide information on the TCO of ICE and E2W Provide information and support in financial process Connect with other E2W users Provide information on charging station locations Offer special deals or discounts Provide training on using digital devices Convince household members on vehicle type Women EV User –Fixed place of employment Men EV User –Fixed place of employment 18% 21% 21% 8% 11% 11% 8% 2% 19% 19% 20% 9% 14% 13% 4% 1% Provide support in obtaining a licence Provide information on the TCO of ICE and E2W Provide information and support in financial process Connect with other E2W users Provide information on charging station locations Offer special deals or discounts Provide training on using digital devices Convince household members on vehicle type Women EV User –Commercial use Men EV User –Commercial use 17% 17% 16% 6% 8% 17% 12% 8% 17% 18% 21% 5% 15% 13% 6% 2% Provide support in obtaining a licence Provide information on the TCO of ICE and E2W Provide information and support in financial process Connect with other E2W users Provide information on charging station locations Offer special deals or discounts Provide training on using digital devices Convince household members on vehicle type Women ICE User –Commercial use Men ICE User –Commercial use 70 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 54: Major areas where support is required to Increase the uptake of electric two -wheelers - Personal ICE users N = 124, M= 62, W=62 18% 20% 20% 5% 15% 15% 4% 2% 21% 14% 19% 8% 18% 13% 3% 4% Provide support in obtaining a licence Provide information on the TCO of ICE and E2W Provide information and support in financial process Connect with other E2W users Provide information on charging station locations Offer special deals or discounts Provide training on using digital devices Convince household members on vehicle type Women ICE User –Fixed place of employment Men ICE User –Fixed place of employment 71 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 4. Recommendations This research identifies key challenges faced by women in the adoption and utilization of E2Ws, based on desk -based research, primary surveys, and engagement with stakeholders within the electric mobility ecosystem, including CPOs and OEMs in the metropolitan areas of Delhi and Chennai . Driving training & licencing. In the context of obtaining driving training and securing a two -wheeler license, women face several obstacles. These include limited awareness of the online licensing process and restricted access to digital tools necessary for completing online learner's license tests. System vulnerabilities that allow for impersonation also pose significant challenges from a road safety perspective. Design of E2W. Women exhibit a limited understanding of the advantages of E2Ws compared to ICE two - wheelers. They also express concerns regarding vehicle stability and skidding at higher speeds, insufficient knowledge of the integrated digital tools available in E2Ws, ba ttery safety issues during monsoon seasons, long vehicle service times at OEM service centres , the absence of local mechanics, and limited availability of spare parts in local market . Financing . Despite their participation in commercial activities, women face higher total ownership costs for E2Ws, largely due to usage patterns influenced by household and caregiving responsibilities. Access to financing remains a significant barrier, characterized by limited awareness of available financial products and processes, low CIBIL scores, the requirement for male co -signatories, and low levels of financial literacy. Charging Infrastructure. While home charging is the primary method for two -wheelers, women often restrict their travel due to concerns about the perceived charging range of E2Ws. Furthermore, challenges associated with charging infrastructure — such as outdated information on chargi ng points, unsafe locations, a limited number of fast charging options, and insufficient basic amenities during wait times — restricts women’s access to charging infrastructure . This chapter outlines the recommendations to address these four key challenges. The recommendations are categorized at two different levels — national and state — based on the existing policies and processes. They focus on reducing the financial burden on women, enhancing access to supportive infrastructure, and identifying strategies to navigate the socio -cultural factors that hinder their adoption of E2Ws . This chapter is structured to first present national -level recommendations, followed by state -level recommendations . The state -level recommendations are broad -based, with contextual adaptations provided for implementation in the case cities of Chennai and Delhi. Recommendations pertaining to institutional support are not state specific and are illustrated on what institutional support could be provided to ease the process of uptake and usage of E2W for commercial purposes among women. Throughout the chapter , relevant case examples are highlighted in grey boxes to effectively illustrate key points and best practices. Table 25 : Summary of r ecommendation s to increase uptake and usage of E2ws among women Recommendations Responsible agencies 1 National 1.1 Undertake research on the gendered differences in the uptake and usage of E2Ws in India. Niti Aayog, Ministry of Heavy Industries 1.2 Create a road map for a gender -just transition to electric mobility, starting with electric -two wheelers. Ministry of Heavy Industries 1.3 Develop and implement gender -sensitive guidelines for charging infrastructure. Bureau of Energy Efficiency Ministry of Power. State nodal agencies and electricity regulatory commissions, public land - owning agencies 72 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 1.4 Track and publish annual data on registration of EV vehicles by gender Ministry of Road Transport and Highways 2 State and City -levels 2.1 Review and revise state EV policies to be gender -responsive • Include gender lens in the vision, objectives and targets. • Provide targeted purchase subsidies for women. • Improve quality of charging infrastructure by focusing on location accuracy, security, charging network and interoperability and amenities. • Include gender experts within state EV cells for policy formulation and implementation support. State Nodal Agencies Tamil Nadu : Guidance Department in the Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department Delhi : Transport Department 2.2 Provide institutional support to women commercial users • Provide driver training and support in the licensing process. • Increase awareness on the TCO of E2Ws and maintenance and improve financial literacy. • Facilitate access to formal credit at affordable rates and terms. • Provide post -sales support. • Provide a SOS button on the E2W, grievance and emergency support. EV aggregators and platform companies in collaboration with OEMs, financing organisations, E2W leasing companies and women -oriented organisations 2.3 Strengthen the licensing process and promote awareness of the online application procedures for licensing • Pilot -test women priority services at select RTOs. • Increase awareness on the online process of license application, update the tutorials along with video proctoring. State Transport Department 4.1 National -level recommendations Our recommendations aim to generate evidence, share knowledge on the gendered differences in the uptake of electric two -wheelers, based on which a gender equitable road map for electric two -wheelers (and electric vehicles more broadly) can be formulated. 4.1.1 Conduct research on the gender differences and similarities in the ownership and us e of E2Ws in India This research has aimed to fill a gap in the gendered analysis of the use and purchase of E2Ws in two mega cities in India. It has created an analytical framework for a gendered analysis of state EV policies , assessment of charging infrastructure with targeted interventions to improve utilization and a gendered analysis of the TCO of an E2W. This framework will serve as a relevant resource and starting point for future research across small and medium -size cities in India to develop gender -responsive state EV policies and schemes to increase women’s uptake of E2 Ws. Numerous studies have examined how vehicle specifications — such as speed, range, maintenance, reliability, and cost — affect consumer behaviour regarding the adoption of E2Ws (11) , there is limited research on the gendered differences in the use and purchase of E2Ws at the pan -India level. This Niti Aayog 39 can lead research to understand women’s ownership 40 of E2Ws, the gendered regional differences impacting the uptake of E2Ws and how the ecosystem could address the barriers faced by women. This could be in partnership with the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Ministry of Power and Ministry of Road Transport and H ighways. This could provide insights on how state EV policies could become 39 Public policy think tank of the Government of India. 40 Gender -disaggregated data on the ownership of vehicles is not reported on the Vahan dashboard. 73 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India gender -responsive, the necessity and quantum of women -focused national E2W purchase subsidies, schemes to improve women’s access to credit for E2W, the quality of charging infrastructure and driving training as well as reforms in the licensing processes. Our research has demonstrated and highlighted the gender differences in travel behaviour and the use of E2Ws, financial literacy and access to finance, perception and quality of charging infrastructure, and the need for institutional support (especially fo r female commercial workers). Driving training and licensing processes are not specific to electric vehicles. Since women constitute only 14% of all driving licenses with less than 1% of professional driving licenses, targeted support will be required for driving training and licensing support. 4.1.2 Create a road map for a gender -just transition to electric mobility systems In 2023, the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) was identified as the nodal agency for formulating business rules related to electric mobility. It created a multistakeholder EV Taskforce to address different aspects of the transition to electric mobility (117) . It is recommended that MHI convene a Working Group focused on a gender -just transition to electric vehicles with a focus on employment in the EV and EVSE value chain and increasing women’s uptake of electric vehicles. 4.1.3 Develop and implement gender -sensitive guidelines for charging infrastructur e Through the course of this research, we created a framework and questionnaire for assessing the quality of charging points and guidelines to improve the user experience, with a focus on women. We submitted recommendations to the Ministry of Power as they w ere in the course of the revision of charging infrastructure guidelines. The Ministry of Power issued the final Guidelines for Installation and Operation of EV Charging Infrastructure (GIOEVCI) - 2024 on September 17, 2024 (118) . It includes recommendations provided by us in Functionality and User Experience checklist 41 for CPOs and in Section 11 (4), which focuses on placement of charging stations . However, we have also identified additional areas of improvement based on our surveys and audits. CPOs should self -certify that their proposed charging stations follow the safety, location, amenities, and network connectivity guidelines (Annexure 2) whe n applying for electricity connections. According to BEE guidelines, setting up a charging point is de -licensed, provided the guidelines are adhered to. However, CPOs are required to obtain an electricity connection from the relevant DISCOM. We recommend that CPOs self -certify that their charging stations comply with safety, location, amenities, and network connectivity standards as outlined in the Annex ure 1 and provide a site plan (scale of 1:500) and a layout plan on a scale of 1:50 with dimensions at the time of submitting their applications (Figure 55 ). The State Nodal Agencies will grant approval following an assessment of the layout plan based on the self - certified checklist provided. The BEE guidelines also recommend that DISCOMs implement a single -window system for processing and approving electricity connection requests for CPOs. This step may be included as part of the online electricity connection application. 41 The Urban Catalysts team submitted recommendations for CI guidelines during the public opinion phase, based on the project's initial findings. The Functionality and User Experience Checklist - (Checklist B - Annex II) includes the recommendations provided, along with the introduction of signage at petrol stations to indicate the availability of charging points (Section 11(4)) and placement of charging stations near entrances, exits, or elevators to optimize accessibilit y (Section 11(4)). 74 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 55: Approvals required before installation of a charging station Source: (119) State Nodal Agencies with support from Municipal Commissioners should conduct charging station audits based on the Charging Infrastructure Assessment Framework (Annex ure 3), focusing on functionality and user experience. The GIOEVCI guidelines mandate that state nodal agencies and Municipal Commissioners perform an annual assessment of EV charging demand to determine capacity requirements and optimize the placement of charging stations. In conjunction with this assessment, audits of a sample of geographically distributed charging points/stations should be conducted based on the Charging Infrastructure Assessment Framework 42 to evaluate the quality of existing infrastructure. These audits will provide insights into the state of charging infrastructure, aiding in future planning and requirements. CPOs should share the following data with the State Nodal Agencies on a monthly basis for each charging point - (i) Battery capacity of the EV charger; (ii) Gender -wise average hourly electricity consumption (kWh) by type of EV over a 24 -hour cycle for weekdays and weekends. The current BEE guidelines (GIOEVCI) require CPOs to report annual data on energy sold per EV charger. This data does not provide SNAs with insight s into the utili sation of existing charging points or changes in electricity demand. Additionally, annual data reporting may provide delayed insights on usage trends, inaccuracies in demand forecasting, difficulties in resource allocation, missed maintenance needs, and challenges in making timely policy adjustments. More frequent data updates would enhance the ability to address these issues and improve o verall infrastructure management. 4.1.4 Track and publish annual data on registration of EV vehicles by gender There is no gender -disaggregated data on the registration of vehicles, both ICE and EV. The Vahan database offers information on the total number of registered vehicles categorized by fuel type at both the state and RTO levels. Access to gender -disaggregated data is essential for understanding vehicle -asset ownership rates among women and for implementing evidence -based measures to enhance the gender responsiveness of the EV ecosystem. Stockholm (Sweden) is one such example which collects and publishes gender -disaggregated vehicle registration data since 2010 (120) . Therefore, Form 20 - filled at the time of vehicle registration 43, should be updated to collect gender information of vehicle owners. Since Form 20 is standardized across all states in India, the Ministry of Road 42 The Charging Infrastructure Assessment Framework was developed by The Urban Catalysts team to conduct charging infrastructure audits as part of this study. 43 The vehicle registration process, including the completion of Form 20, is typically handled by the dealer . 75 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Transport and Highways will have to update the form . The state transport department is responsible to ensure that Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) adopt the updated form. The gender -disaggregated data should be collected at the time of registration for the following types of vehicles, as specified by MoRTH: Table 26 : Type of motor vehicles as per MoRTH Non -Transport Vehicles Transport Vehicles Motor cycle with or without side car for personal use Motor cycle use for hire Moped and motorized cycle 3-wheelers Public/ Private Service Vehicle Motor Car Public Service Vehicles Source: (121) 4.2 State and City -level recommendation s The state level recommendations are focused on how the state EV policies can become gender -responsive. 4.2.1 Review and revise state EV policies to be gender -responsive The Delhi EV Policy was formulated in August 2020 and got extended till March 2025 (122) . The Delhi Transport Department, which is the nodal agency for the EV policy, is in the process of revising it. The Tamil Nadu Department of Industries revised its EV policy in 2023, with Guidance - EV taskforce designated as the nodal agency for implementation (123) . Our gendered analysis of the state EV policies of Delhi and Tamil Nadu indicates that these policies have not included gendered considerations in their objectives, goals, targets and provisions 44. They are largely gender blind (Table 16 ). As these policies play a crucial role in establishing the EV ecosystem, it is essential for them to become gender -responsive. The following recommendations outline potential revisions for these EV policies : Develop gender -responsive vision, goals and set targets for adoption of E2Ws amongst women in state EV policies The analysis of Delhi and Tamil Nadu EV policies indicate that both policies did not account the differential risks, vulnerabilities, and barriers women face in electric mobility systems as users, service providers (such as drivers, mechanics, etc.), and decision -makers, including the socio -cultural and economic realities and power relations that exist. Box 1 : Illustrations of gender -responsive vision and goals In 2021, the Delhi government reserved 33% of electric auto permits for women, demonstrating a gender - sensitive approach by setting specific targets for women (124) . This enables better monitoring and tracking of progress. However, the policy should further explore the challenges women face, including technology - related risks that restrict their access. For instance, women have reported barriers such as difficulties with the documentation process and high interest rates, which have hindered the uptake of e-autos . As a result, only 14 out of 743 applicants have registered their electric autos (125) . The Tamil Nadu EV policy aims to position the state as an EV manufacturing hub and create approximately 1.5 lakh jobs. While there is no direct data available to assess women's inclusion in the EV ecosystem, existing data can be utilized to inform policy a nd establish gender -responsive targets. The Annual Industries Survey 2018 -19, reports that 40% of the total workforce directly employed in manufacturing in Tamil Nadu are women (85) . This data can guide efforts to ensure a gender -responsive vision for the policy. 44 Though the TN EV Policy included a higher provision for skills training for women. 76 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India The existing EV policy provides an additional subsidy of INR 2,000 per female worker per month for 6 months to industries to skill and train women. Currently, there are no targets or baseline on the adoption rate of EVs, availability and quality (safe and accessible) of charging infrastructure. The EV Policy could be revised to include segregated targets based on vehicle types 45, incorporating specific targets of uptake of EVs among women. Existing vision of Tamil Nadu EV policy: The Government of Tamil Nadu has a vision of attracting Rs. 50,000 crores worth of investments in EV manufacturing, creation of 1.5 lakh new jobs during the policy period. Indicative example of gender -responsive vision: “The Government of Tamil Nadu seeks to attract ₹50,000 crore worth of investments in EV manufacturing and create 1.5 lakhs new jobs during the policy period, with at lea st 40% 46 women in these jobs.” Provide an additional purchase subsidy to women for electric two -wheelers The purchase subsidies are aimed at providing a parity in the acquisition costs for electric two -wheelers amongst men and women. In Delhi, t he TCO 47 for E2Ws is 29% to 58% higher for women as compared to men, largely due to differences in vehicle utilization. Men travel 1.3 to 1.7 times more than their female counterparts, depending on whether the use is commercial 48 or personal 49 purposes ( Table 34 ). The difference in per kilometre costs becomes significant as compared to the acquisition cost of the E2W when considered on annual and life time basis ( Annex Table 35 ). Similarly, due to the distance travelled the TCO of E2Ws is 58% to 71% higher for women in Tamil Nadu (Chennai) as compared to men. The gendered difference in the distance travelled indicated that men travel 1.6 -1.7 times of women in Chennai and other cities across Tamil Nadu 50. Our analysis reveals that with an additional purchase subsidy for women in Delhi and Tamil Nadu (with a focus on Chennai), the TCO reduces by 15% to 39% (Refer to Annex ure 4). This, along with institutional support in driving training and licensing processes, financing and charging infrastructure could result in higher use of E2Ws. Box 2: Case examples of financing options adopted by states Amma Two -Wheeler Scheme for Working Women - Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu’s Department of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment implemented the "Amma Two - Wheeler Scheme for Working Women" in 2018 to support 100,000 women in purchasing two -wheelers 51 by offering a 50% subsidy, up to INR 25,000. To be eligible, applicants must be residents of Tamil Nadu, aged 18 to 40, possess a valid two -wheeler driving licence or learner’s permit, have an annual income not exceeding INR 2.5 lakhs, and have completed at least the 8th grade (126) . This scheme was designed to support working women in their commute to the workplace. The subsidy was provided to beneficiaries after the purchase of the vehicle, upon submission of required documentation, including a valid driving license, proof of employm ent issued by the employer, the vehicle invoice, or loan 45 The EV adoption rate in Tamil Nadu in March 2023: E2Ws - 9.0% (EV Ready India Dashboard) . 46 As per the Annual Industries Survey 2018 -2019, a 40% of total workers directly employed in manufacturing in Tamil Nadu are women (85) . 47 TCO is calculated over a 10 -year ownership period and includes the cost of battery replacement. Additionally, it factors in the Delhi state subsidy of INR 5,000 per kWh and an INR 10,000 subsidy for Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024. 48 Users who are involved in commercial activities, requiring multiple daily trips, are either registered on delivery platforms or employed by organizations for parcel and order distribution. 49 Users who use their E2W to commute to a fixed employment location without the need for multiple daily trips. 50 The data from the Census of India (2011) on travel to the workplace was used and extrapolated for 2024. The findings indicate similar results for urban areas in Tamil Nadu. Men travel approximately 1.6 times more than women to their fixed places of employm ent, as observed in Chennai. 51 Maximum engine capacity of 125cc. 77 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India details if financed. Women employed in informal sectors, such as those working in shops or establishments, NGOs, banking correspondents, and ASHA workers, were also eligible for this scheme (126) . Mission Shakti Scooter Yojna - Odisha In 2023, the Government of Odisha launched the " Mission Shakti Scooter Yojna " for a duration of one year. The scheme, implemented by the Department of Mission Shakti, offers an interest -free loan of up to INR 1 lakh to women working as Mission Shakti Federation Leaders 52 and Community Support Staff (123) . To eliminate financial barriers, the scheme allows women to access loans without a down payment for the total amount of the two -wheelers at a zero interest rate for a duration of four years. All banks that have previously collaborated with the Odisha government on other Mission Shakti financi al schemes are eligible to participate. These banks will receive the interest portion of the loan from the state government upon submission of the required documentation. To further assist women in accessing loans, the government has established implementation modalities that include handholding support for eligible beneficiaries in the loan application documentation process. Additionally, the scheme aims to conduct orienta tion programs for beneficiaries, bankers, and other stakeholders to disseminate information about the scheme. Provide a training -to-job subsidy for women EV technicians in private empanelled skilling institutes The primary survey with users underlined the need for local mechanics for EV repairs and maintenance (Section 3.3.9) . Courses for EV technicians offered by private institutes 53 in Delhi have a duration of 1 to 2 months and have a training fee of INR 20,000 and 25,000 per participant. The curriculum covers key topics such as the fundamentals of electric vehicle systems, servicing and maintenance of E2Ws and E3Ws, including fault diagnosis and troubleshooting, battery management systems, EV wiring, lithium -ion battery testing, battery fitting, and replacement procedures. Typically, these short -term courses do not offer placement guarantee but instead provide information on job vacancies. Based on secondary information, few women typically participate in these courses and these institutions do not specifically target women as students for this program. The proposed subsidy 54 aims to encourage skilling institutes to forge partnerships with OEMs to offer learning to earning courses for EV technicians and attract women to these roles. Box 3: Case examples of skilling for the EV value chain Government initiative - Tamil Nadu Under its EV policy, Tamil Nadu offers an upskilling allowance to automotive manufacturing companies transitioning from ICE to EV production, aimed at engaging their existing workforce in EV manufacturing. The policy provides transition support in the form of a training subsidy of ₹ ,000 per worker per month for six months. For women, transgender employees, individuals with benchmarked disabilities, and persons from SC/ST communities, the training subsidy increases to ₹ ,000 per worker per month for the sam e duration. Private Initiatives - Don Bosco Training Centre , Pune Don Bosco Training Centre collaborated with Schaeffler India through its CSR initiativ e to provide a 6 -month EV s- including 2Ws, 3Ws and 4Ws - maintenance course for 180 underprivileged individuals (of aged 18 - 24) in Pune, Maharashtra (127) . The National Skill Development Corporation accredit the program. Female students receive free training, uniforms, and essential accessories. Private Initiatives - Tata Indian Institute of Skills , Ahmedabad 52 A Federation is a network of SHGs consisting of representatives from different geographical setting & levels - block & district levels. Its functions include providing support through need -based products and services, facilitating training and capacity buil ding, conducting regular evaluations of SHG activities, and engaging in lobbying and advocacy (148) . All SHGs are required to register or affiliate with a local federation in accordance with the Society Registration Act, 1860. 53 DG Institute of E -Mobility (accredited by Automotive Skill Development Council), Care Skill Academy 54 The amount of which would need to be finalized. 78 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Tata Indian Institute of Skills (TIIS) has partnered with Ather Energy to provide a course for E2Ws technicians (128) . Under this collaboration, Ather Energy will develop detailed training modules focused on technical areas, including battery systems, electric motors, power electronics, charging infrastructure, and vehicle safety protocols. The curriculum will incorporat e practical training on EV maintenance, repair, diagnostics, and include soft skills development in communication, teamwork, and problem -solving. As part of the initiative, Ather Energy will provide vehicles, motors, batteries, and other key hardware to EV laboratories at Tata IIS facilities. Furthermore, Ather Energy will conduct training sessions for Tata IIS instructors at its own manufacturing p lants and R&D centres. Include E2Ws technician courses in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and collaborate with OEMs for placement support There are 20 government ITIs in Delhi (129) . The courses offered at ITIs have a duration of 1 -2 years, a comparatively lower fee structure than private institutions ; and f emale students are required to pay only half of the admission fee, with no subsequent fees charged thereafter (130) . However, ITIs do not offer courses 55 for E2W technicians. It is recommended that such a course be introduced by the Directorate of Training and Technical Education (DTTE) in collaboration with OEMs. The DTTE can further explore existing industrial collaborations (131) with companies like Hero MotoCorp Ltd. and TVS Motors Ltd. which have previously supported ITIs in Delhi by facilitating training programs in two -wheeler trades. In Chennai, two ITIs — Guindy and North Chennai ITIs — offer a two -year course on EV mechanics (132) . This course includes both practical and theoretical classes, along with a mandatory 150 days of on -the -job training. The curriculum covers key areas such as the tools required for EV maintenance, vehicle specifications, components of EVs and ICE vehicles , electronic systems, diagnosis, repair, and performance evaluation of EVs. It also focuses on troubleshooting electrical components, understanding battery pack components and monitoring, as well as testing and troubleshooting accessory and auxiliary compo nents, including those for E2Ws, E3Ws, and E4Ws. The course fee information is not available online. Ensure CPOs self -certify that their charging stations comply with safety, location, amenities, and network connectivity standards provided by BEE at the time of obtaining an electricity connection (for stations on private land) or as part of the revenue -sh aring agreement with the land -owning agency. The Transport Department in Delhi and Guidance in Tamil Nadu - as nodal agencies - should ensure the implementation of the self -certification process in coordination with DISCOMs and land -owning agencies . These include the urban local bodies, metro -rail agencies, universities in both the cities. Include gender expert s in the state EV cell The role of the gender expert s (with expertise in mobility, finance and community engagement) will be to support the state nodal agencies such as Transport Department in Delhi and the EV Task Force within Guidance in Tamil Nadu in increasing women’s uptake of EV in the state , and increase women’s employment in the EV value chain. 4.3 Institutional support for commercial workers by EV industry Institutional support is a central component among the five entry points to increase the adoption and usage of E2Ws by women. Several challenges and gaps have been identified based on gender -disaggregated primary surveys conducted with E2W users, as well as women -oriented organizations. The existing institutional support framework is structured into two stages focusing on women commercial workers: (i) mobil ization, driving training, and licensing; and (ii) asset ownership. 55 List of all the courses provided by ITIs in Delhi. 79 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Mobilization, Driving Training, and Licensing : Organizations report difficulties in mobilizing and onboarding women as delivery partners due to a number of reasons. These include households’ concerns around women’s mobility and the perception of delivery work. There are high dropout rates during or a fter training, primarily due to limited family support. Additionally, the shortage of female driving instructors is a barrier, as some women are reluctant to train with male two -wheeler instructors. There is als o a lack of clear information regarding the online licensing process, including the required documentation, and limited access to computers and/or internet for completing online applications. Asset Ownership: This stage includes making informed decisions regarding an appropriate E2W and access to credit. Surveys indicate that women require support in several areas: understanding the available E2W models and their functionalities, the TCO difference between ICE and E2Ws, and the availability of financing options, financial products and processes. Women face challenges in accessing credit due to limited financial literacy, zero or low credit scores, requirement of male co -signatories, and extende d loan approval times. Additionally, women may be hesitant to engage with male business correspondents, which limits their access to necessary banking information. In 2022, there were less than 10% female business correspondents in India (133) . Female and male E2W users highlighted the need for post -sales support, including the availability of spare parts, access to local mechanics, and timely resolution of technical issues to minimize vehicle downtime. They also expressed the need to connect with others to share experiences and learn from each other. 4.3.1 Proposed recommendations for institutional support Institutional support to women is provided by women -oriented organizations and platform companies for employment such as cab drivers , delivery personnel and in wellness and beauty services. Mobilization, Driving Training and Licensing Gender -responsive mobilization strategies can be used to enrol women in driving training and the potential use of E2Ws. These strategies include deploying female mobilizers for outreach, communication and serve as a point of contact for women and their household members. They can provide informati on on the benefits of participating as platform partners, asset ownership, available support services and existing grievance redress mechanisms. Women’s membership -based organizations may serve as a channel to seek out potential participants. Male commercial workers can be encouraged to refer their female relatives, friends and family members. Women commercial workers can be celebrated as Sheroes a nd community champions. Simultaneously, their household members need to be recognized and felicitated as allies and supporters. New participants can be twinned with experienced women workers in the initial period. A network could be created with regular community meetings between Sheroes, women and their household members to share experiences. This will enable peer learning and cre ate role models who exemplify success (especially in non -traditional livelihoods). Engaging household members can also facilitate discussions around the benefits of E2Ws and the importance of women’s economic empowerment. Driving training Currently, organizations engaged in providing driving training to women include the following: driving 2Ws 56, self -defence, soft skills along with any additional training required for employment such as digital literacy to use online platforms and for online transactions . Furthermore, some organizations emphasize gender rights 57 and legal rights, and English language proficiency. The driving training could also include E2Ws, understand and operating their digital tools 58, information on various financing options with their respective pros and cons, and repair and maintenance of E 2W s. 56 In some cases, an E2W in partnership with an OEM. 57 Gender roles, rights and empower women to assert their positions within the household and advocate for themselves. 58 Even Cargo trains women on E2Ws. 80 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India License for 2Ws The primary surveys with women two -wheeler drivers and key informant interviews with supporting organizations revealed several challenges in obtaining a driver's license. These include understanding the required documents, accessing RTOs, and navigating th e RTO processes. However, all surveyed respondents had obtained their licenses 6 -9 years prior. The application process for driving licenses has transitioned online in all states in India since 2023 (97) , but primary survey indicates a lack of information regarding this change amongst the participants, including women. Women with lower education and limited access to devices such as smartphones or laptops may require support in accessing the online portal and completing the online test for the learner's license. According to the National Family Health Survey 2019 -21, only 33 % of women 59 in India have ever used internet as compared to 51 % of men. Women require support on multiple fronts, including assistance with applying for a licence, passing the online learner’s licence test, and accessing E2Ws for the driving test. Furthermore, women from resource - constrained backgrounds may require targeted as sistance to navigate the digital application processes effectively. Box 4: Institutional support provided in E2W and E3W driving training and licenses for women Even Cargo Even Cargo, established in 2016, is a social enterprise that employs resource -poor women as last -mile logistics personnel. Even Cargo collaborates with organisations who mobilise and train women in 2 -wheeler driving and OEMs to provide rental 2 -wheelers for women who do not own their own vehicles. To address high drop -out rates among women, Even Cargo is trying to build a community among women working with their logistics platform by organizing regular meetings, professional development sessions, and seminars on stress management and work -life balance (134) . These initiatives aim to improve retention rates among participants. Even Cargo also provides a minimum wage to delivery personnel for the first two months to support them during the initial days of their work as logistics delivery personnel (135) . Even Cargo places newly trained women with their existing workforce during the initial period to provide on -the -job training and help them build confidence (135) . A pilot test for Empowering Women and Enhancing their Business through E -Mobility (EWEE ) scheme - SIDBI Before implementing the EWEE 60 scheme, SIDBI conducted a pilot study with rural women of Rajasthan and Gujarat . For this pilot, the existing pool of women affiliated with SEWA was targeted. The participants were women who owned ICE 2W s, travelled long distances (200 -350 km per week), and spent 20 -40% of their family income to fuel and maintenance costs (136) . The objective was to reduce these expenses by transitioning to E2Ws. The pilot was a collaborative effort involving various stakeholders, including the National Resources Défense Council, SIDBI, OEMs, and NBFCs. As part of the pilot, women were given an extended demo of E2Ws for 6 -7 months, allowing them to make an informed decision about purchasing an E 2W . They were also provided with loans at affordable rates, reducing the acquisition cost of an E 2W by 6%. Namma Yatri - Bengaluru Namma Yatri, an auto service aggregator, launched the Mahila Shakti program in collaboration with the Bengaluru City Police and the Dr. B R Ambedkar Health and Education Foundation (BRAHEF) to onboard 1,000 female auto drivers (137) . The initiative seeks to promote economic independence for women aged 25 -45 by providing opportunities for higher income and flexible working hours. The program offers one year of free training covering practical driving, traffic laws, safety, vehicle maintenance , smartphone usage, and customer service skills. BRAHEF assists participants in obtaining a learner's license. To facilitate access to vehicles, Namma Yatri provides electric autos on a daily rental basis and supports vehicle ownership 59 Delhi: 64% (W), 85%(M); Tamil Nadu: 47% (W), 70% (M). 60 In 2024, SIDBI launched the EWEE scheme with the aim of increasing EV adoption in rural areas and improving women's access to finance. The scheme provides a blended finance facility, supported by NBFCs, to help women transition to EVs and reduce operational costs. 81 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India through low -interest financing options. Currently, around 100 female electric auto drivers are onboarded on the Namma Yatri platform and are actively working in the city (138) . Asset Ownership In the context of asset ownership, the institutional support required includes: (i) providing information to female users on available E2Ws and their functionalities; (ii) detailed information on various financial products, including eligibility criteria , required documentation and the process ; and (iii) assisting users throughout the loan or lease application process. The key recommendation to provide support to women are outlined below. Provid e targeted information to female users on E2Ws and their functionalities OEMs should create targeted campaigns that address the specific concerns of female users. These include the weight of the E2W, the ease of parking, seat width, storage capacity and how their digital tools ease the process of navigation in plains, driving o n hilly terrain and slopes. The information on the number of charging points or battery swapping stations, interoperability and availability on a travel navigation application may address range anxiety. Finally, clearly outlining a responsive grievance red ress mechanism may be beneficial and ease concerns around emergency situations. This will enable women to make informed decisions regarding E2W ownership and use . Gender -inclusive advertising can include marketing campaigns that highlight women riders and emphasize key benefits of E2Ws for women, such as ease of use, safety, and environmental impact. Hero otoCorp’s “Ab Jaana Ho Jahan ” campaign highlights its SOS button 61. Further, OEM s can c ollaborate with women - oriented organizations to raise awareness about E2Ws. These partnerships can help build trust and encourage more women to explore E2W options. Additionally, facilitated w omen -only E2W user groups can create a safe environment to share experiences and serve as valuable networks for peer learning and support. Finally, programs that offer higher incentives (either in money or service) to existing users to refer E2Ws to women can be explored. Increase women’s financial literacy on credit access for purchasing electric two -wheelers The primary survey and key informant interviews highlight a significant gap in women's financial literacy , particularly in areas such as credit assessment, customized financial products, loan and lease schemes, required documentation, and repayment terms. This knowledge gap limits their ability to make financial decisions regarding the purchase of an asset. This information could be disseminated by bank business correspondents at E2W showrooms. Additionally, banks could deploy female representatives at the showrooms/retail shops of OEMs who are trained to understand and address the unique needs of women consu mers. Create w omen oriented financial products and support women throughout the loan application process The primary lenders for E2Ws in India are NBFCs, which have funded approximately 64% of the E2W market, in contrast to the 30% provided by private commercial banks (139) . Commercial banks primarily focus on lending to salaried borrowers, perceiving them as lower risk compared to gig workers. This distinction was highlighted by respondents in the primary survey as well, who noted the challenges they face as gig workers in securing financing. Women receive credit for only 27% of the deposits they make, compared to 52% for men (133) . Generally, the down payment required for E2Ws is higher (25%) than ICE two -wheelers (10%) (139) . However, primary surveys conducted with E2W users in Delhi and Chennai reveal that women are making higher down payments (LTV: 32%) as compared to men (LTV: 26%). Co -applicants are requested and higher interest rates are charged when applicants have a zero or low CIBIL score. These can be reviewed if a woman has a letter of employment or engagement and the E2W can serve as a collateral. Financial institutions could consider recruiting more female business correspondents to provide essential information and support throughout the process. 61 It does not provide information on the support process. 82 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Box 5: Institutional support in increasing access to credit for purchasing E2W amongst women Mufin 62 Mufin, a NBFC providing loans for E2Ws and E3Ws since 2016, currently has around 12% female borrowers. In an effort to promote financial inclusivity and expand the number of women borrowers in its portfolio, Mufin has developed a tailored financial product specifically for women seeking to finance E2Ws for commercial purposes. In collaboration with NGO, Mufin identifies women interested in utilising E2Ws for commercial activities, such as delivery services for companies like Netmeds and Apollo. The NGO provides support to women by providing driving training and assisting in the licensing process. Mufin extends loans at a reduced interest rate of 9.9%, compared to its standard electric vehicle loan rates of 14 -18%. Additional advantages include a waiver of processing fees, and borrowers without a CIBIL score also get a loan. The loan approval process takes 1 -2 days, with repayment terms ranging from 18 to 24 months. The vehicle itself serves as collateral, and it is required that either the borrower or the guarantor owns a home. The income -to-obligation 63 ratio is generally not assessed, as the vehicle is considered an income -generating asset. Post -sales support Post -sales support is a major area of improvement. Respondents mentioned waiting for 2 -3 days to submit their vehicles for service with turnaround times ranging from 3 to 6 months. There is a shortage of skilled EV technicians for the repair and maintenance of E2Ws . To further support users during the early months of ownership, OEMs should offer pickup services for E2Ws that fail to start due to battery drainage or any other issues. Although such services are typically chargeable, OEMs should consider offering them at a nominal fee to improve customer experience . OEMs can also think of creating an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to assist users during vehicle breakdowns, offering guidance on resolving common issues. The IVR could provide troubleshooting guidance for common issues and offer escalation options for on -site repairs, towing, or battery replacement services when necessary. These services may be offered on a chargeable basis, depending on the nature of the i ssue and the customer’s location. Several E2W brands have incorporated SOS buttons into their mobile applications. However, integrating an SOS button directly on the E2W can enhance user safety. Some E2W models already include this feature in the vehicle itself, allowing users to send a pr e-programmed SOS message to designated emergency contacts with a single press. This eliminates the need for users to download an additional application for emergency situations, streamlining the response process and ensuring quicker access to help when nee ded. The SOS button could be configured to send the vehicle’s location to the OE or aggregator with the option of including the user’s emergency contacts to ensure prompt assistance in case of an emergency. 62 This information is obtained during the Key Informant Interview with the Mufin officials . 63 The income -to-obligation ratio is a metric used by lenders to assess a borrower's loan repayment capacity by comparing their income to fixed financial obligations. This ratio helps assess the borrower's financial capacity and risk level before approving a loan. 83 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 56: SOS button in the Hero Vida V1 E2W Source: (140) (141) 84 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 57: Summary of proposed institutional support framework Source: The Urban Catalysts 85 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 4.4 Strengthen the driving licensing process Our primary surveys in Chennai and Delhi revealed that applicants paid 2.7 times the standard fee (Figure 16 ) to obtain a license via driving schools or agents. The process for obtaining a license was perceived to be a major barrier. Our recommendations aim to address multiple broken links in the process of obtaining a two -wheeler license. Raise awareness on the online process of obtaining a licence An online application process to apply for a driving licence has been created in multiple Indian states, including Delhi and Tamil Nadu. Applicants can submit the relevant documents , take the learner's test, and book a slot for the practical test through the online portal. However, there was limited awareness amongst our respondents on this process. The Transport Department s in Tamil Nadu and Delhi could launch an awareness campaign through multimedia channels and targeted outreach in colleges through partnerships with industry such as platform aggregators, delivery companies, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association and SIAM. The messages include step -by -step instructions on required documents, copies, expe cted time frames for obtaining and renewing a two -wheeler license and any measure to ease the process. These can be uploaded on the RTO web site, at the offices and shared through community channels such as YouTube, as advertisements on television and at movie theatres. Implement an automated video proctoring 64 during the online learner's license test When applying for a learner’s license, a photo verification is conducted prior to the online test to confirm the individual's identity. However, there is no video monitoring during the test, which could create opportunities for others to take the test on t he applicant’s behalf. Implementing video proctoring would enable real -time monitoring of applicants and reduce the instances of impersonation. This measure is also important for road safety, as two -wheelers were involved in 40% of vehicle collision accide nts in Delhi and 62% in Tamil Nadu in 2022 (142) . Update the tutorial for learner’s license The current tutorial video for the learner’s license in Delhi lacks information on road signage and traffic rules. It should be modified to include information on road crash deaths and their impact on households, traffic rules and signage in English and local languages. A prompt ca n be provided for learners to confirm having watched the video before taking the learner’s license test. Provide option to apply for and take the learner’s licence test at the RTO As per the National Family Health Survey 2019 -21, only 19% of urban and 4% of rural households owned a computer. Selected RTOs in cities can provide computer systems and time slots at the office where an individual may apply for the learner’s license and/ or take the online learner’s licence tes t for a nominal fee. Pilot -test women priority services Women priority services maybe pilot tested to ease the process of obtaining licenses by women and to encourage them to handle the process (rather than their male family members, friends or relatives). This may include but is not limited to having a resource list of (legitimate driving schools with) female two -wheeler driving instructors, waiving the two -wheeler license fee for women and introducing women priority services. This includes addressing queries by women and men alternatively, irrespective of wher e a woman is in the queue, priority time slots for women to take the online learner’s test at the RTO and the physical driving test. 64 Video proctoring is a use of technology to monitor and supervise online exams. It involves using cameras and software to record and analyse a test -takers ’ behaviour during an exam . 86 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India 5. Conclusion The government of India aims to transition 30% of its vehicles to electric vehicles by 2030. This research has created a framework through which the gendered barriers to E2Ws and EVs more broadly can be understood. This can be adopted by Niti Aayog along w ith Ministry of Heavy Industries, Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to formulate a road map for a gender -equitable transition. Simultaneously, the data gap in the registration of vehicles needs to be addressed by including g ender - disaggregated data during vehicle registration. At the state level, EV policies can provide the impetus through purchase subsidies, improving the quality of charging infrastructure and forging partnerships with industry and financial institutions to increase women commercial users’ ownership and access to electric two -wheelers. Incentives can be created to increase the number of women EV technicians and driving instructors. OEMs can undertake targeted efforts to increase awareness amongst women on the benefit of electric two -wheelers for women, the total cost of ownership, and how to operate and maintain an E2W. The call -to-action brief – WE2: Path Forward to Increase Women’s Use and Uptake of Electric Two - Wheelers derived from this research outlines recommendations for action at each level of governance and for EV industry. Concerted and intentional action will be required by all stakeholders towards a gender - equitable electric mobility transition. 87 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Annexure 1 : Detailed city -wise findings of primary surveys and infrastructure audits Demographics of the sample A total of 496 surveys were conducted in both cities with at least 30 samples for each category -personal and commercial - in both cities . The average age of the sample is 29 years in Delhi and 34 years in Chennai. On average, commercial workers in both Chennai and Delhi have a higher level of education compared to the general urban population 65. Education Levels Commercial workers In Delhi, 46% of commercial users and in Chennai, 51% have attained an education level up to senior secondary (12th standard). Among commercial users in Delhi, 68% of women hold a diploma or higher qualification, a proportion that exceeds that of their male counterparts (Figure 58 ). This variation in education levels between genders is not observed in Chennai. Personal workers 89% of personal users in Delhi and 76% in Chennai have education level higher than Diploma (Figure 59 ). Figure 58: Education level of commercial users, by city N: Chennai: W- 60, M - 61; Delhi: W- 65, M - 62; Total: W-125; M -123 65 The median education level for individuals in urban areas of India is secondary education. In both Chennai and Delhi, the median education level for commercial workers is a diploma (151) . 3.1% 29.0% 16% 6.7% 4.9% 5.8% 29.2% 30.6% 30% 26.7% 26.2% 26.4% 30.8% 12.9% 22% 16.7% 21.3% 19.0% 36.9% 17.7% 28% 40.0% 37.7% 38.8% 0.0% 3.2% 2% 10.0% 9.8% 9.9% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Women Men Total Women Men Total Delhi Chennai <4th 4th-10th 10th-12th Diploma Undergrad Post grad PhD 88 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 59: Education level of personal users, by city N: Delhi - M:64; W:63; T:127; Chennai - M:61; W: 60; T: 121 A nalysis of type of work Commercial users Women in Chennai are more involved in the food delivery (53%) and home service (23%) categories as compared to their counterparts in Delhi (food delivery: 28%; home services: 18%) (Figure 60 ). In Delhi, women are more involved in ancillary non -platform services (29%) as compared to those in Chennai (3%). This observed variation in the type of work among women in the two cities is statistically significant according to the chi -squared test (χ ² (6) = 29.9, p < .001). No substantive difference is observed in the type of work among men in both the cities. Figure 60: Commercial users : Type of work by gender N: Chennai: F - 60, M - 61; Delhi: F - 65, M - 62; Total: F -125; M -123 3.2% 3.1% 3% 4.9% 13.3% 9.1% 12.7% 3.1% 8% 9.8% 13.3% 11.6% 65.1% 70.3% 68% 57.4% 25.0% 41.3% 19.0% 23.4% 21% 24.6% 35.0% 29.8% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Women Men Total Women Men Total Delhi Chennai <4th 4th-10th 10th-12th Diploma Undergrad Post grad PhD 52% 52% 28% 50% 39% 51% 7% 18% 15% 23% 11% 20% 2% 8% 6% 15% 4% 11% 23% 10% 18% 3% 21% 7% 13% 13% 5% 10% 9% 11% 3% 29% 17% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Women Men Women Men Women Men Chennai Delhi Total % of respondents Food delivery Grocery delivery E-commerce (Non-perishable) Service Courier services Other 89 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Personal users In both Chennai and Delhi, the majority of personal workers are employed in the service sector, accounting for 90% and 94%, respectively. Working times for commercial users In Chennai, men start their work day nearly two hours (08:27 am) earlier than women (10:2 2 am) and work nearly one hour longer into the evening . In Delhi, men start about 3 4 minutes earlier than women but work until 8:20 pm, which is one hour and 15 minutes later than when women finish their day (Table 27 ). Table 27: Work start and end time for commercial workers Chennai Delhi Women Men Women Men Mean Mean Mean Mean Average Start Time 10.22 08.27 09.40 09.06 Average End time 18:19 19:06 19:05 20:20 Workers in Delhi reported working longer hours (550 minutes) than in Chennai (503 minutes) . Men work longer hours than wome n with t he gender difference in working hours being 167 minutes in Chennai and 95 minutes in Delhi (Figure 61 ). These differences are statistically significant at a significance level of <0.05 in both cities based on independent t -tests conducted for each city. The results correspond with the 2019 Time Use Survey, which reported a gender difference of 116 minutes in time spent on employment -related activities in urban areas of Tamil Nadu and 118 minutes in Delhi (urban area) (90) . Figure 61: Average working hours of commercial users by city and gender N: Chennai -121; Delhi -127; Total - 248 A nalysis of travel behaviour Travel distances Commercial users Commercial users in Delhi travel twice as much as their counterparts in Chennai. Commercial users in Delhi travel 82.4 kilometres on a daily basis, which is close to twice the average daily distance of 41.6 kilometres travelled by workers in Chennai (Figure 62 ). The difference in travel distances between the two cities is statistically significant and demonstrated by a two -tailed t -test, t (248) = 8.664, p < 0.001. 419 504 586 599 503 550 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 Chennai Delhi Working time (in minutes) Women Men Total 90 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Further, t he gender -based analysis indicate that men travel 1.7 times more than women, both in Chennai (M: 53 km; W: 30 km) and Delhi (M: 1 05 km; W: 61 km). The observed gender differences in travel distances are statistically significant at p<0.05 in both Chennai (t(121)= -4.769, p <0.01) and Delhi (t(127)= -6.516, p <0.01), as determined by a two -tailed t -test. Figure 62: Average daily d istance travelled by commercial workers : by city and gender N: Chennai: W- 60, M - 61; Delhi: W- 65, M - 62; Total: W-125; M -123 The differences in travel distances between ICE and EV commercial users are not statistically significant . Gender -based analysis indicates that men and women in Delhi using EVs travel longer distances compared to those using ICE vehicles. Conversely, women in Chennai using EVs travel 1.7 km less than those using ICE vehicles. These gender -based differences in travel distances between ICE and EV users are not statistically significant. Travel distances by personal users Personal users in Delhi travel 1.4 times of their counterparts in Chennai. Personal users make an average of two trips per day for work purposes. There is no significant difference observed in the number of trips either by city or gender. The average distance travelled by personal users in a day in Delhi is around 27 km which is 1.4 times higher than the average distance travelled in Chennai (20 km) (Figure 63 ). The difference observed in the travel distance between the two cities is statistically significant (t (248) = 3.821, p=<0.001) as determined by a two -tailed t -test. The gender -based analysis indicates that men travel 1.6 times farther away than women in Chennai and 1.3 times in Delhi. These observed gender differences in both Chennai (t(121)= -3.532, p=<0.001) and Delhi (t(127)= -2.218, p=0.028) are statistically significant as determined by a two -tailed t -test. 30 61 53 105 42 82 0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0 Chennai Delhi Distance travelled in a day (in km) Total Men Women 91 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 63: Average daily d istance travelled by personal users, by city and gender N: Delhi - M:64; W:63; T:127; Chennai - M:61; W: 60; T: 121 Analysis of reported incomes Commercial users The average income of commercial users is higher in Delhi (₹2 , 85) as compared to Chennai (₹22, 5) (Figure 64 ). However, the observed income difference between the two cities is not statistically significant. This disparity may be due to shorter working hours in Chennai relative to Delhi. The positive Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient (rs = 0.232) indicates a weak yet significant positive association between the number of working hours and individual income. In both Chennai and Delhi, the gender -based analysis reveals that men earn 1.1 times more than women, with an average gender income difference of INR 3,073. The observed gender difference in income in both cities - Delhi (t (127) = -3.130, p=0.002) and Chennai (t (121) = -2.851, p=0.005) - is statistically significant on the two -tailed t -test. It was observed that in both Chennai and Delhi, women earn a higher hourly income — INR 122 and INR 110, respectively — compared to men, who earn INR 104 and INR 103, respectively (Figure 65 ). This disparity is primarily because women tend to complete more orders by accepting shorter -distance deliveries. The average distance traveled per order is 1.8 km and 5.8 km for women in Chennai and Delhi, respectively, compared to 5.6 km and 6.0 km for men. Figure 64: Average Individual monthly income of commercial workers N: Chennai: W- 60, M - 61; Delhi: W- 65, M - 62; Total: W-125; M -123 15 24 24 31 20 28 Chennai Delhi Distance travelled in a day (in km) Total Men Women 23,115 21,167 26,331 24,098 24,685 22,645 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 Delhi Chennai Monthyl income (INR) Women Men Total 92 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 65: Per hour income of commercial users, by gender and city N: Chennai: W- 60, M - 61; Delhi: W- 65, M - 62; Total: W-125; M -123 Driving licence process and regulations Female respondents in both - Chennai and Delhi - primarily hold driving licenses for only two -wheelers, whereas male respondents have licenses for both two -wheelers and four -wheelers. In Delhi, 64.6% of users have combined licence s for both two - and four -wheelers , whereas in Chennai, users primarily hold licence s for two -wheelers (36.4%). 17% of users in Chennai operate their two -wheelers without a valid driving licence as compared to 0.8% in Delhi. The respondents in both cities primarily learned to drive a two -wheeler by informal methods such as from their family members, friends or self -learning. Around 14% of women in Chennai took driving classes and 50% of those had a female instructor (Figure 67 ). Figure 66: Driving licences by city and gender N= Delhi: M:126; W: 128; Chennai: M:121; W: 151 110 122 103 104 106 113 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 Delhi Chennai Income per hour (INR) Women Men Total 18.3% 50.8% 40.5% 52.9% 80.2% 49.2% 44.6% 28.1% 1.6% 0.0% 14.9% 19.0% Men Women Men Women Delhi Chennai % of respondents 2W 2W_4W None 93 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 67: Driving training by city and gender N= Delhi: W:128; Men: 126; Chennai: W: 121; M: 121 Obstacles faced in obtaining a driving licence In Delhi, both men and women expressed concerns about the rude behaviour of RTO officials. While major obstacles are generally similar at the level of individual cities , more women in Chennai find driving licence fees expensive compared to those in Delhi. The survey findings shows that women often pay higher fees due to the involvement of agents acting as intermediaries. These agent fees are observed to be higher in Chennai than in Delhi. In Chennai, major concerns raised by focus group participants include unclear documentation requirements for driving licence s and necessitating multiple visits to the RTOs. There is also confusion about the documents required to obtain a licence. Respondents indicated that the complete list of required documents is often discovered only upon arriving at the RTO, despite the availability of online application processes. This issue is largely attributed to a lack of awareness about the online application system. During FGDs, women, especially those with children reported that they face challenges due to long wait times and inadequate facilities at the RTO. In Delhi, both men and women expressed concerns about the rude behaviour of RTO officials. Figure 68: Obstacles faced in obtaining a driving licence - Chennai N = 201, M=103, W=108 22% 31% 17% 52% 24% 36% 17% 34% 52% 33% 53% 10% 7% 4% 7% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Women Men Women Men Delhi Chennai Self Friends Family Driving class with male instructor Driving class with female instructor 18% 18% 18% 17% 4% 9% 7% 6% 2% 22% 19% 17% 17% 8% 7% 4% 5% 1% Administrative obstacles at the RTO Difficulty in passing the learner's test Difficulty in passing the practical test Limited access to transportation to the RTO Safety concerns, such as harassment at RTO Long queues and waiting times at RTO Rude behaviour of the officials at the RTO Affordability of driving lessons and license fees Gender of driving instructor Women Men 94 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 69: Obstacles faced in obtaining a driving licence - Delhi N = 252, M=124, W=128 Priorities to improve the licensing process In both cities, w omen prioritised polite behaviour of RTO officials while conversing with them and need for women -priority services at the RTO . A higher proportion of respondents in Delhi highlighted the importance of assistance with paperwork formalities and women -priority services to improve the process of obtaining a licence. Figure 70: Factors prioritised to improve the licence process - Chennai N = 301, M=103, W=108 19% 15% 23% 10% 10% 11% 6% 2% 2% 24% 15% 19% 7% 8% 10% 7% 6% 0% Administrative obstacles at the RTO Difficulty in passing the learner's test Difficulty in passing the practical test Limited access to transportation to the RTO Safety concerns, such as harassment at RTO Long queues and waiting times at RTO Rude behaviour of the officials at the RTO Affordability of driving lessons and license fees Gender of driving instructor Women Men 16% 21% 20% 13% 10% 10% 6% 22% 22% 20% 10% 11% 10% 2% Assistance with paperwork formalities Reduced waiting times to undertake driving test Reduced waiting time at the RTO Polite behaviour of the officials at the RTO Support in passing the written test to get learner’s license Guidance through the RTO processes Women-priority service at RTO Women Men 95 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 71: Factors prioritised to improve the licence process - Delhi N = 252, M=124, W=128 Design of electric two -wheelers The use of EVs in Chennai and Delhi appears to be relatively new, with respondents having used an EV for 1 to 2 years. There is a greater diversity of electric two -wheeler models among respondents in Delhi (32 unique models) whereas respondents in Chennai reported using 15 different models. The top five E2W models in both cities are similar , which are (i) Ola Electric S1 Pro , (ii) Ather 450 , (iii) Hero Electric Optima, (iv) TVS iQube, and (v) Honda Activa Electric . Ather shows a stronger presence in Chennai whereas Ola S1 Pro in Delhi. Preferences amongst users In Chennai, users prioritize vehicle range and battery safety, while in Delhi, users focus on range and the vehicle's aesthetics. In both cities, women place greater emphasis on the weight of the vehicle compared to men. Conversely, men prioritize the width and height of the seat more than women. Figure 72: Parameters prioritised in the design of a two -wheeler - Chennai Figure 73: Parameters prioritised in the design of a two - wheeler - Delhi N = 242, M= 121, W=121 N = 254, M= 126, W=128 24% 19% 21% 12% 11% 5% 9% 28% 19% 16% 9% 15% 11% 2% Assistance with paperwork formalities Reduced waiting times to undertake driving test Reduced waiting time at the RTO Polite behaviour of the officials at the RTO Support in passing the written test to get learner’s … Guidance through the RTO processes Women-priority service at RTO Women Men 15% 17% 9% 4% 14% 13% 12% 6% 7% 2% 14% 9% 12% 9% 17% 18% 8% 5% 5% 3% Aesthetics of the vehicle Weight Height of the seat Width of the seat Range of the vehicle Battery safety Charging safety Storage space Availability of spare parts Affordability of spare parts Women Men 17% 19% 11% 5% 20% 9% 7% 9% 2% 1% 21% 10% 14% 6% 20% 8% 8% 4% 4% 2% Women Men 96 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Financing of electric two - wheelers The proportion of respondents who financed their two -wheelers through loans is comparable in Chennai and Delhi, with approximately 14% in both cities opting for this mode of financing. However, a notable difference is observed in the registration loans among women. In Chennai, a higher proportion of women took loans registered under the name of a male relative compared to Delhi. Specifically , 80% of women E2W users in Delhi secured loans in their own names, compared to 92% of women ICE two -wheeler. In contrast, this figure drops significantly in Chennai, where only 33% of women EV users obtained loans in their own names Table 28: Mode of financing two -wheeler by fuel type and city Chennai Delhi Total EV 50% 50% 50% Lease/Rent 1% 3% 2% Owned (Loan) 14% 14% 14% Owned (One -time payment) 35% 33% 34% ICE 50% 50% 50% Lease/Rent 0% 0% 0% Owned (Loan) 16% 13% 14% Owned (One -time payment) 34% 37% 35% Grand Total 100% 100% 100% Figure 74:Loan registration name by fuel, gender in Delhi N=68, M=40, W=28; ICE: N=32, M=19, W=13; EV: N=36, M=21, W=15 10% 20% 15% 11% 8% 10% 90% 80% 85% 89% 92% 91% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% Men Women Total Men Women Total EV ICE % of respondents in each category Female relative Male relative Self Others 97 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 75: Loan registration name by fuel, gender in Chennai N=74, M=30, W=44; ICE: N=39, M=19, W=20; EV: N=35, M=11, W=24 Downpayment, loan tenure and rate of interest It is observed that the down payment for E2Ws is higher in Chennai (31%) than in Delhi (27%). A gendered analysis indicates that women pay higher down payments in both cities compared to men. For ICE vehicles, the down payment is observed to be lower in Chennai. The loan tenure in Chennai is relatively shorter (25 months) as compared to Delhi (30 months). The rate of interest is found to be higher in Chennai for EVs (especially for women) but in Delhi the rate of interest is similar for EVs and ICE vehicles across gender. The primary survey revealed that users are not receiving the purchase subsidy offered under the Tamil Nadu EV policy. This is because the policy applies exclusively to commercial E2Ws, and currently, vehicles are not being registered under the com mercial category. Table 29: Down payment as a percentage of vehicle value Loan registered in the name of EV ICE Chennai Delhi Total Chennai Delhi Total Men 26% 25% 26% 23% 29% 26% Women 33% 31% 32% 23% 32% 26% Grand Total 31% 27% 29% 23% 30% 26% Table 30: Loan tenure and rate of Interest Chennai Delhi Average loan tenure (months) Average interest rate (%) Average loan tenure (months) Average interest rate (%) EVs Men 27 11.4 35 9.8 Women 25 13.1 26 9.5 Grand Total 25 12.6 32 9.7 ICE Men 27 9.0 31 10.0 Women 24 9.5 28 9.7 Total 25 9.2 30 9.9 N=140 (Women:70) for loan tenure and N=117 (Women:57) for interest rate 0% 4% 2% 6% 0% 3% 0% 63% 32% 28% 28% 28% 91% 33% 62% 67% 72% 70% 9% 0% 5% 0% 0% 0% Men Women Total Men Women Total EV ICE % of respondents in each category Female relative Male relative Self Others 98 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Loan approval time The reported loan approval time is shorter for E2Ws in comparison of Ice two -wheeler. The city -wise analysis indicates that loan approval time is comparative shorted in Delhi than in Chennai. Also loan approval time for women in lower in both Chennai and Delhi Table 31: Average loan approval time (in days) Gender User Chennai Delhi Men Overall 6.7 2.4 EV 6.5 2.7 ICE 6.9 2.1 Women Overall 5.7 1.6 EV 4.0 1.3 ICE 7.8 2.1 N= 141 (women:71) Barriers to access finance In Chennai, the key barriers to accessing finance include a limited network for obtaining information and learning from the experiences of other borrowers, low or no CIBIL scores, and limited collateral options. Similarly, Delhi faces comparable challenges, including a limited network and low CIBIL scores, and lack of financial literacy. Women have reported the issue of limited network for information exchange from the existing borrowers and low or no CIBIL score. Figure 76: Barriers to access finance – Chennai Figure 77: Barriers to access finance - Delhi N = 242, M= 121, W=121 N = 254, M= 126, W=128 Priorities to improve loan process In both cities, respondents prioritized reduced document requirements, increased access to information, and the sharing of experiences by other borrowers. Additionally, respondents in Chennai expressed a preference for tailored financial products, while th ose in Delhi recommended the introduction of different eligibility criteria based on gender for the loan process. 10% 20% 31% 14% 14% 9% 10% 18% 28% 13% 19% 13% Lack of financial literacy Low or no CIBIL score Limited network to understand the real- world experience of loan process and repayment Behaviour of relationship manager Limited collateral options Social norms discouraging you from taking loans Women Men 28% 29% 27% 3% 5% 5% 21% 24% 22% 9% 13% 9% 99 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 78: Parameters prioritised in the design of a two -wheeler – Chennai Figure 79: Parameters prioritised in the design of a two -wheeler – Delhi N = 242, M= 121, W=121 N = 254, M= 126, W=128 Charging infrastructure The primary location for charging EVs in both cities is at home, regardless of time of the day . Even so , a higher p roportion of EV users in Delhi (18%) utili se PCS compared to those in Chennai (14%) (Figure 80 ). The observed difference in the utili sation of public charging stations between the two cities is not statistically significant as per the chi-square test. Figure 80: Location of charging during the day, by city N: C: 121; D:127 27% 29% 23% 6% 11% 2% 1% 26% 27% 24% 6% 13% 4% Access to information Learn from experience of existing lessees or loan recipients Reduced documents requirements Gender-sensitive customer service Tailored financial schemes for your gender Different eligibility criteria Female relationship manager Women Men 27% 19% 31% 5% 5% 9% 3% 28% 15% 32% 4% 3% 16% 2% 56% 3% 1% 12% 18% 11% 24% 1% 79% 11% 7% 9% 14% 11% 17% 1% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Home Parking in the building premises Housing society charging station Office Public charging station Battery swapping station None Not Applicable % of respondents Delhi Chennai 100 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 81: Location of charging during the night , by city N: C: 121; D:127 Furthermore, commercial users in Delhi prioriti se a network of battery swapping stations. In Chennai, commercial users also emphasize the need for fast and affordable chargers, in addition to the shared priorities related to battery swapping stations. A gender -disaggregated analysis showed that both men and women have similar priorities ( Figure 83 , Figure 84 ). However, women prefer to have assistants of same gender at charging stations. Figure 82: Priorities to improve charging infrastructure N: C: 121; D:127 85% 6% 2% 4% 5% 4% 2% 1% 88% 11% 9% 5% 6% 1% 3% 3% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Home Parking in the building premises Housing society charging station Office Public charging station Battery swapping station None Not Applicable % of respondents Delhi Chennai 21% 17% 20% 12% 13% 9% 6% 2% 19% 16% 9% 10% 21% 8% 8% 9% Charging stations are located in active areas Information on the location of charging stations Assistants of same gender at the charging station Well-lit charging stations Fast, affordable chargers Wide network of battery swapping stations Sitting space at charging stations during waiting time Information on the availability of 2W charging sockets at charging % of respondents Chennai Delhi 101 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 83: Priorities to improve charging infrastructure - Delhi, by gender N: F - 65, M - 62 Figure 84: Priorities to improve charging infrastructure - Chennai, by gender N: F - 60, M - 61; Figure 85: Priorities to improve charging infrastructure - Delhi, by type of work N: W- 65, M - 62 18% 16% 10% 10% 22% 8% 7% 20% 16% 8% 10% 19% 9% 10% Charging stations are located in active areas Information on the location of charging stations Assistants of same gender at the charging station Well-lit charging stations Fast, affordable chargers Wide network of battery swapping stations Sitting space at charging stations during waiting time Men Women 18% 16% 10% 10% 22% 8% 6% 22% 17% 18% 11% 14% 9% 6% 2% Charging stations are located in active areas Information on the location of charging stations Assistants of same gender at the charging station Well-lit charging stations Fast, affordable chargers Wide network of battery swapping stations Sitting space at charging stations during waiting time Information on the availability of 2W charging sockets at… Men Women 19% 17% 10% 13% 20% 5% 8% 6% 19% 15% 8% 7% 21% 12% 7% 12% Charging stations are located in active areas Information on the location of charging stations Assistants of same gender at the charging station Well-lit charging stations Fast, affordable chargers Wide network of battery swapping stations Sitting space at charging stations during waiting time Information on the availability of 2W charging sockets at… Commercial Personal 102 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 86: Priorities to improve charging infrastructure - Chennai, by type of work and gender N: W- 60, M - 61 Analysis of charging infrastructure audits: Delhi Indicator 1: Ease of locating the charging point This indicator includes four attributes: a ccuracy of location (as displayed on portals or applications), s ignage , visibility and r eal -time information on availability , The locations of charging stations are not a ccurately available on online platforms. Each operator maintains their own platform or mobile application , making it difficult for users to identify all available charging stations nearby. Though the Transport Department of Delhi provides the location of charging stations in their application One Delhi, still there is limited awareness among users about th is application. Moreover, it appears that these charging stations were marked at the time of installation but the details have not been updated on the applications such as if the charger is malfunctioning or been removed. Charging points at several locations are difficult to locate with no signage. Indicator 2: Security This indicator includes the following attributes : location in a ctive area , lighting, h eight of charging point, presence of f ire extinguisher , CCTV camera , h elpline number and safety instructions , accessibility to the nearest exit , trained personnel at or near the charging point . On an average, charging points in Delhi were rated as ‘poor’ on this indicator. The majority of charging stations did not have any attendant or security personnel. CCTV cameras were installed only at a handful of stations , particularly on those located at petrol pumps and along roadsides . CCTV surveillance is essential for ensuring the safety of users but also for protecting the infrastructure, as few stations in central Delhi experienced vandalism. Fire extinguishers are a critical safety feature due to the risk of electrical fluctuations and fire incidents. These were provided at all audited battery swapping stations and petrol pumps but were absent at CPs on roads, in commercial areas and in market areas. Given the high foot traffic in these locations, prioriti sing safety measures like fire extinguishers is crucial to protect users and the surrounding infrastructure. Indicator 3: Charging infrastructure and network connectivity This indicator includes four attributes: interoperability, availability of fast -charging points, availability of instructions on using the charging point and waiting time. In Delhi, the audit of charging stations resulted in a ‘satisfactory’ score for this indicator. Vandalism and theft are significant issues faced by CPOs in Delhi. As a result, some CPOs have adopted various strategies to prevent vandalism (Figure 40 ) or are not operational. 23% 16% 19% 16% 12% 7% 6% 2% 18% 19% 21% 9% 15% 11% 5% 2% Charging stations are located in active areas Information on the location of charging stations Assistants of same gender at the charging station Well-lit charging stations Fast, affordable chargers Wide network of battery swapping stations Sitting space at charging stations during waiting time Information on the availability of 2W charging sockets at charging Commercial Personal 103 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India The lack of clear and adequate instructions at charging stations particularly at battery swapping stations poses a challenge for users. Informal conversations with individuals near the charging infrastructure revealed instances where users struggled for around 15 minutes to swap a battery because of insufficient instructional information at the station. This significantly impacts user experience and underscores the need for availability of instructional information, along with the presence of an attendant a t the charging stations especially during the initial phase of the electric mobility transition. Indicator 4: Amenities In Delhi t he charging stations audited lacked amenities such as seating areas, shaded waiting areas, drinking water and toilets. As a result, the average score of stations audited was ‘very poor’ for this indicator . A critical observation during the audits was the lack of availability of space to park the vehicle during charging ( Figure 89 ). Many charging points are located in areas where it is difficult for an electric two - wheeler to be parked while charging. Further, the absence of shaded waiting areas is a crucial aspect that needs consideration due to the high temperatures observed in b oth the cities which is exacerbated by climate change. Figure 87: Battery swapping station at petrol station (Vinod Nagar) Figure 88: Fast charging station at a petrol station (Pitampura) Figure 89 Lack of space to park an E2W to charge (Chandni Chowk) Figure 90 Lack of space to park an E2W to charge Figure 91 Lack of s hade at charging point (Hauz Khas) Source: The Urban Catalysts 104 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Analysis of charging infrastructure audit s – Chennai Indicator 1: Ease of locating the charging station Chennai faces similar issues as Delhi regarding the mapping of charging stations. These issues include the need for multiple applications to identify or locate nearby charging points, and outdated information regarding their availability. The lack of adequate signage at charging stations makes it difficult for users to locate them. In both the cities charging points are often obstructed by parked vehicles and advertisement boards. These issues are primarily observed at location where individual charging points are located . Charging stations situated in public spaces such as petrol pumps are easier to locate and identify due to separate structures or signage built nearby. Indicator 2: Safety and security The placement and maintenance of charging points for E2Ws appear poorly planned. They are often located in inaccessible, deserted areas or at lower heights (<4 feet) making it accessible to children and increasing personal safety risks for them. Charging stations in Chennai performed better on this indicator but fire extinguishers necessary for safety from electrical fluctuations and fire incidents, were available only at audited charging stations which are located at petrol pumps. And t hey were absent at c harging points on roads, in commercial areas, market areas and residential areas. Indicator 3: Charging infrastructure and network connectivity In Chennai, another important issue is the lack of instructional information regarding the use of charging points. Some stations feature complex interfaces that are not user -friendly especially for first -time users. For example, EESL charging stations have touchscreen panels that may appear inactive, leading to uncertainty among users about the station's operational status ( Figure 92 ). Furthermore, Ather has installed fast chargers for their own manufactured vehicles and provide a three - point socket for E2W of other manufacturers. These sockets by design are hidden and remain invisible unless people know there is a socket located there. The information regarding this is not provided at all stations and when it is available, it is only provided in English, which is not comprehensible by all users . Thus, the available interoperability is of no use if a user is unaware of the socket, potenti ally leading to the mistaken assumption that the station is exclusive to Ather vehicles. Indicator 4: Amenities Similar to Delhi, t he charging stations audited in Chennai lacked amenities such as : seating areas, shaded waiting areas, drinking water and toilets. As a result, the average score of stations audited was ‘poor’ for this indicator . Main observations during the audits were the lack of availability of space to park the vehicle at the time of charging. As many charging points are located in areas where it is difficult for an electric two - wheeler to be parked. 105 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Figure 92: Touch screen CP at Anna Nagar Metro station, operated by EESL Figure 93: Ather charging station with three -point plug Source: The Urban Catalysts Figure 94: Ather charging station with instructional information at Kotturpuram MRTS Station . Source: The Urban Catalysts 106 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Institutional support Women have lower level of awareness of the existing financial benefits such as upfront subsidies In Delhi, 59% of female respondents report awareness of the EV purchase subsidy, compared to 69% of male respondents. In Chennai, awareness levels drop, with only 33% of female respondents and 53% of male respondents aware of the subsidy. Awareness of the road tax waiver for EVs is comparatively low, with only about 40% of respondents aware of this benefit. Respondents reported that the primary sources of information and support for purchasing vehicles -in both cities - are predominantly friends and family, followed by agents and showrooms. Figure 95: Type of support EV users received in Delhi N = 2 54 Figure 96: Types of support EV users received in Chennai N = 242 1 Support in obtaining driving licence 6 Information on charging infrastructure in the city 2 Information on TCO 7 Information on special deals or discounts on the purchase of E2Ws 3 Information on financial products 8 Convince household members on the model and type of the vehicle 4 Connect with other E2W/ ICE 2W users 9 Training on digital services 5 Connect with 2W users of the same gender 74% 65% 64% 63% 71% 60% 52% 58% 53% 42% 45% 37% 27% 29% 27% 29% 23% 25% 29% 48% 51% 38% 36% 41% 60% 44% 50% 6% 12% 15% 14% 13% 18% 17% 15% 19% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 % of respondents who received support Category under which support was received Family/friends Agent CSO/NGO (Name) Advertisements Showroom Online research None Other 74% 65% 64% 63% 71% 60% 52% 58% 53% 42% 45% 37% 27% 29% 27% 29% 23% 25% 29% 48% 51% 38% 36% 41% 60% 44% 50% 6% 12% 15% 14% 13% 18% 17% 15% 19% 10% 10% 7% 19% 16% 14% 7% 17% 12% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 % of respondents who received support Category under which support was received 107 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Annexure 2 : Gender -responsive Charging Infrastructure Guidelines The Urban Catalysts developed guidelines for the placement and quality of charging stations based on their on -ground assessments, surveys and focus group discussions with male and female E2W users and key informant interviews with CPOs. Parameter Guidelines The recommendations highlighted in the green box are discretionary, while the others are mandatory. The guidelines are designed to improve the use of E2W charging points in urban environments, with a focus on addressing the needs of all users, especially women. Ease of finding the charging point Location, details and availability ● The CP should be within 5m walking distance of the location shown on an application; ● All CPOs should be mandated by SNA, to provide accurate status of the charging points; and update any change in status within 24 hours; ● The mobile phone application such as One Delhi 66 should have the following information along with the existing features 67: - Real -time update on the availability of the CP; - Location details of the CP - Surface parking, basement or the roadside; - Option for users to rate the CP on a 5 -star scale. Signage ● Install signage at charging points with a visibility of 50 meters, both in the day and night, as per IRC:067; ● Place signage at the entrance of surface or basement parking areas including information on the type of charging point, its compatibility, and directions to the CP. Visibility ● Place the CPs to ensure clear line of sight from 5 -10 metres and without being obstructed by parking or advertisements. Safety and Security Active area ● Charging points should be located in areas with regular pedestrian traffic such as near metro stations, bus stops, ground floor retail uses; ● Charging points located in parking areas must be situated within 15 meters of entrances, or exits or access ramps. Standalone liquor store ● A minimum distance of 50 meters should be maintained between a charging point and standalone liquor stores. Lighting ● CPs located at surface parking/roadside should have lighting at night with the minimum lux level of 30 (143) ; ● CPs located in the basement should have a clear lighting of minimum 40 lux at all times of the day. CCTV camera ● All charging points may be monitored by CCTV 68 cameras, either by installing dedicated cameras or ensuring coverage by existing surveillance systems. 66 In 2022, the Transport Department of Delhi upgraded the One Delhi application to include a new feature for locating electric vehicle charging stations. 67 Number of connectors, directions to reach the CP, information on the type of charging point and interoperability details; 68 The cameras should be capable of recording in both day and night conditions, with a minimum resolution of 1080p. The footage should be stored for at least 7 days, with backup options for enhanced security. Regular maintenance checks should be performed to ensure the cameras are functional and recording correctly. 108 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Height of CP ● Charging point connectors should be located at a minimum height of 1.2m (4 feet) from the ground to protect it from water logging or floods ● The EVSE should be sheltered from the rain and sun. Fire ● A fire extinguisher (of Class C 69) should be available at the charging point (144) . Operational instructions for the fire extinguisher should be prominently displayed on the cylinder in both English and the local language, accompanied by visual aids. Helpline number ● As recommended by BEE guidelines 70, helpline numbers should be prominently displayed at/near charging points; Ease of access and egress ● Provide a clear 2m wide pathway to facilitate unobstructed access and egress for vehicles using the charging point. This pathway should be demarcated with paint or signage to prevent parking or other obstructions; ● Do not install CPs on footpaths/cycle tracks where they would interfere with pedestrian/cyclists or make it difficult for vehicles to access the charging point; Charging infrastructure and network connectivity Detailed user instructions ● All CPs, except 3 -point plug should have step -by -step information on how to use charging infrastructure, displayed in English and the local language, accompanied by visual aids; Interoperability information ● Brand -specific charging points should include information on the type of charger and its interoperability with other systems; Amenities Dedicated space for charging an E2W • Provide designated parking space of 2m x 1m per E2W, corresponding to the number of available CPs. These spaces should be clearly marked or painted to indicate that they are reserved exclusively for charging vehicles; • Measures should be in place to prevent non -charging vehicles from occupying charging spaces. In parking areas, this responsibility can be assigned to parking attendants. Shaded areas for rest • Locate the CP in a sheltered area; • If there is no shaded seating space available near the CP, provide at least two seats per charging point. Additional Amenities • For charging stations with at least 3 CPs, locate the CS within 5 -minute walking distance of amenities such as toilet s and drinking water 71; • Provide clear directional signage near the charging point to indicate the location of amenities. 69 Recommended for fires caused by electrical equipment. 70 BEE guidelines recommend to display Customer Care Number of CPO; National Emergency Number 112 and Women Helpline 1091 . 71 BEE guidelines recommend amenities at public charging stations having EVSE catering to more than 10 numbers of e -four -wheelers. CPOs are encouraged to implement an IVR system to address frequently observed issues, with an option to direct users to an emergency helpline if the issue (specific to emergency) remains unresolved; CPOs can also provide this information by providing a QR code at CP; CPOs are encouraged to install multiple types of chargers at each station (e.g., fast, and slow,) to cater to different user needs and reduce dependency on a single charging method. This increases resilience and reduces the impact of any single charger bei ng out of service; 109 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Annexure 3 : Charging Infrastructure Assessment Framework The Urban Catalysts developed an assessment framework to evaluate the existing charging points 72 aiming to make them more responsive to all users, including women, and to increase their utilization. The framework is structured around four indicators with 23 associated attributes (Table 33 ). The attributes were identified and weighted through focus group discussions with E2W users, and modified with feedback from industry and experts and audits at various charging stations. A charging station/point will be evaluated on a scale of 99 , with each indicator assigned a specific weightage. The performance rating scale is as follows: Table 32 : Rating score of a charging station/point Total score Rating 0-33 Very poor 33.01 - 66 Poor 66.01 - 99 Satisfactory Table 33 : Charging infrastructure assessment framework 1. Ease of finding charging stations (CS) Rate the overall ease of locating the charging station Very difficult or does not exist Difficult Easy Very Easy Scores Score 0 Score 1 Score 2 Score 3 Accuracy of the location of the CS Not located on Google Maps or it does not exist Located on Google Maps, but it is located beyond 50 m Located on Google Maps, but it is within 50 m Precisely located on Google map Real -time information on the availability of the CP Not Operational Information is not available Information is available but not accurate Information is available and accurate Signage Does not exist Legible from a distance of up to 25 m Legible from a distance of 25 -50 m Legible from a distance of over 50 m Visibility Present, but not clearly visible at the location Visible from a distance of up to 25 m Visible from a distance of 25 -50 m Visible from a distance of over 50 m 2.Safety and Security Rate the overall perception of safety and security Very unsafe Unsafe Safe Very safe Scores Score 0 Score 1 Score 2 Score 3 Active area No people nor ground -level active use Very few people (<2) or limited ground - level active use Some people (3 - 5) or some ground -level active use More people (6 or more) or more ground -level active use Stand -alone liquor store There is a liquor store within 50 m There is/ is not a liquor store beyond 50 m Lighting Dark or dimly lit Charging point is well -lit Charging point and surrounding area of 50 m is well -lit Charging point and surrounding area of 100 m is well -lit 72 With a focus on electric two -wheelers. 110 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India CCTV camera No Yes Height of the CP The charging point is below a height of less than 4 feet Charging point is at a height of 4 feet or above Fire extinguisher No fire extinguishers present Fire extinguishers are available without any instructions Fire extinguishers are available with instruction in English or regional language Fire extinguishers available with instructions in English and regional language Helpline number and safety instructions No safety instructions or helpline number Either helpline or safety instructions are displayed in English or regional language Helpline number and safety instructions are in English or the regional language Helpline number and safety instructions are provided in English and the regional language Ease of access and egress There is no clear space for access and egress There is limited clear space for access and egress There is some clear space for access or egress There is clear space for access or egress. Information on the gender of the users No Yes Trained personnel at the charging station No Yes 3. Charging infrastructure and network connectivity Rate the overall charging infrastructure and network connectivity Deteriorated and not connected Poor condition and not connected Well -maintained with patchy network Well maintained and consistent connectivity Scores Score 0 Score 1 Score 2 Score 3 Interoperability No Yes Availability of fast charging points 0 0-25% 25 -50% > 50% Information on how to use the CP No information is available Basic instructions are provided in English or regional language Clear instructions are provided in English or regional language Clear instructions are provided in English and the regional language Waiting time to use the charging point >15 minutes 10 -15 minutes 5-10 minutes < 5 minutes 4. Amenities Rate the overall amenities No amenities are available Amenities are available, but insufficient Sufficient amenities are available as per the CPs Sufficient amenities cater to users and those waiting Scores Score 0 Score 1 Score 2 Score 3 Shaded waiting area No waiting area A waiting area is provided but not shaded The shaded waiting area is sufficient for users The shaded waiting area is sufficient for existing and potential users. 111 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Seating No seating area A seating area is provided, but not sufficient for all users. (less than the number of CP) Seating area sufficient for all users (equal to the number of CP) Seating area sufficient for existing and potential users (At least 10% more than the number of CP) Drinking water within 100m No drinking water is available Drinking water is available within 100 m of the CP Drinking water is available within 50m of CP Drinking water available at the CP Gender disaggregated clean toilets within 100 m No gender disaggregated; clean toilets are available within 100m Gender disaggregated; clean toilets are available within a 100 m distance of the CP Gender disaggregated; clean toilets are available within a 50 m distance from the CP Gender disaggregated; clean toilets (including those for gender minorities) are available within a 50 m distance from the CP dedicated space for charging E2Ws No dedicated space for charging E2Ws Dedicated space for charging E2Ws is available, but less than the number of CPs Dedicated space for charging E2Ws is same as the number of CPs Dedicated space for charging E2Ws is 10% more than the number of CPs 112 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India A nnex ure 4 : Rationale for the women -focused purchased subsid ies The subsidy is aimed at providing a parity in the acquisition costs for electric two -wheelers amongst men and women. The following could be eligibility criteria for women to obtain the additional subsidy: • A resident of the state; • Between the age group of 18 -45 years at the time of registration of the EV; • The purchased vehicle should be registered on the name of women applying for the subsidy; • A valid driving license issued in the female applicant’s name; • The applicant must not have availed an electric vehicle subsidy; • A certificate from a registered employer, delivery platform (e.g., Urban Company, Zomato), or a registered non -profit women's support organization (e.g., SEWA), verifying that the individual has been actively engaged with the platform for a duration of 3 m onths; • The vehicle must not be transferred to a male for a period of five years from purchase date. Delhi The total cost of ownership 73 for E2Ws is 29% to 58% higher for women in Delhi as compared to men, largely due to differences in vehicle utilization. Men travel 1.3 to 1.7 times more than their female counterparts, depending on whether the use is commercial 74 or personal 75 purposes ( Table 34 ). The difference in per kilometre costs becomes significant as compared to the acquisition cost of the E2W when considered on annual and life time basis ( Table 35 ). A subsidy of around INR 3,000/kWh, up to INR 10,000/vehicles could to reduce the TCO for women by 15% to 29% (Table 35 ). Table 34 : Average distance travelled in Delhi, by gender (in km) Table 35 : Gender difference in the cost of an E2W in an ownership period of 10 years Personal Commercial Usage (km/yr) Gendered TCO Diff. (INR/km) TCO Diff. (INR/year) NPV (INR) Usage (km/yr) Gendered TCO Diff. (INR/km) TCO Diff. (INR/year) NPV (INR) Without recommended subsidy 7,245 0.64 4,638 34 ,525 18 ,315 0.49 8,950 66,628 With recommended subsidy of INR 3,000/kWh 7,245 0.45 3,294 24,525 18 ,315 0.42 7,607 56,628 Table 36 : Total cost of ownership of E2W for selected models (for an ownership period of 10 years) Personal Commercial Men Women Difference Men Women Difference Without recommended subsidy 2.47 3.11 0.64 0.84 1.33 0.49 With recommended subsidy of INR 3,000/kWh 2.47 2.92 0.45 0.84 1.26 0.42 Note: TCO is calculated considering Electric two -wheeler (Ola S1 Pro) 73 TCO is calculated over a 10 -year ownership period and includes the cost of battery replacement. Additionally, it factors in the Delhi state subsidy of INR 5,000 per kWh and an INR 10,000 subsidy for Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024. 74 Users who are involved in commercial activities, requiring multiple daily trips, are either registered on delivery platforms or employed by organizations for parcel and order distribution. 75 Users who use their E2W to commute to a fixed employment location without the need for multiple daily trips. Personal Commercial Men Women Difference Men Women Difference Delhi 31 24 22% 105 61 42% 113 WE2: Understanding gaps and opportunities for uptake of electric two -wheelers by women in India Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu currently has a scheme for subsidising commercial EVs at the rate of Rs. 10,000/kWh up to Rs. 30,000/vehicle. However, since two -wheelers are currently not registered in commercial category, this subsidy is not being disbursed. It is proposed that the same subsidy could be disbursed to women users. The proposed of subsidy is expected to create parity in the acquisition cost of E2Ws and reduce the TCO for women by 16 -39%. Table 37 : Average distance travelled in Chennai , by gender (in km) Table 38 : Gender difference in the cost of an E2W in an ownership period of 10 years Personal Commercial Diff in u sage km/year TCO diff. per/km TCO diff. per/year NPV Diff in u sage km/year TCO diff. per/km TCO diff. per/year NPV Chennai 4,650 1.87 8,678 64,603 9,045 1.15 10,368 63,707 Tamil Nadu (U) 4,650 2.49 11,579 86,196 - - - - Note: The 2011 Census does not include any travel -related information for individuals employed as delivery personnel. 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