THE ambitious electric bus mod programme of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is facing mounting uncertainty, with senior officials confirming that the delivery of the contracted electric buses has overshot the original deadline and now lacks a clearly defined end date. Under the contract awarded to Olectra Greentech Limited, MSRTC is to induct 5,150 electric buses across Maharashtra under a 12-year Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model, which includes supply, operation and maintenance. Of the total fleet, 228 buses were sanctioned for the Nagpur division, where electric services were expected to significantly upgrade long-distance and inter city connectivity.

 

However, officials disclosed that only 57 electric buses have been delivered statewide so far, a figure that highlights the widen ing gap between contractual commitments and on-ground progress. “The agreement provided for completion of deliveries within 24 months, but that timeline has already been breached,” a senior MSRTC official told TheHitavada. “Based on the current manufacturing and distribution schedule, it is evident that deliveries will not be completed before 2026.” Crucially, MSRTC officials clarified that no revised final delivery date has been officially notified after the contract ran into delays. As things stand, 2026 is only an indicative assessment rather than a confirmed dead line. “There is no formally declared end date for supply at present, which itself is a matter of concern,” the official added.

 

The delay has prompted questions within MSRTC over execution planning. “If a company is already burdened with multiple large contracts and lacks the capacity to fulfil them within stipulated timelines, then the logic behind awarding addition al projects needs scrutiny,” the official remarked, signalling unease over capacity assessment at the time of tendering. For Nagpur and other divisions, the slowdown means prolonged dependence on ageing diesel fleets, delaying expected gains in efficiency and passenger com fort. While MSRTC continues to review revised schedules and monitor monthly targets, the absence of a firm delivery dead line suggests that the State’s flag ship electric bus transition will stretch well beyond original projections, reshaping expectations across Maharashtra.