Electric scooter subsidy in Delhi: up to ₹30,000 back, who qualifies, and the 'no-licence' scooter catch

Searches for "subsidy on electric scooter in Delhi" are among the fastest-rising this week, and the timing makes sense: Dhanteras on 6 November is a big day for two-wheeler buying. Here's what the Delhi government actually pays, who qualifies, and where the "no-licence" scooters fit in.

How much does Delhi pay?

Under the Delhi EV Policy 2026, notified in the Delhi Gazette on 30 June 2026, the purchase incentive depends on your battery size and the year you register:

It applies to both plug-in and battery-swapping scooters. Some examples for Year 1:

• 2 kWh battery: ₹20,000 back. A scooter priced at ₹1.15 lakh works out to about ₹95,000.
• 3 kWh or more: you hit the ₹30,000 cap.

Subsidy is front-loaded. If you're planning to buy anyway, buying in Year 1 gets you the most money back. On a 3 kWh scooter, the difference between Year 1 and Year 2 is ₹10,000.

Who qualifies

All of these must be true (Delhi Gazette, sections 4.1–4.2):

• You're a Delhi resident, and the scooter is bought and registered in Delhi.
• The ex-showroom price is ₹2.25 lakh or less.
• The model is approved (empanelled) by the Transport Department's Model Approval Committee. Ask the dealer before you pay.
• You apply within 30 days of your registration certificate (RC) being generated.

The policy says the money is paid by DBT within 60 days of your application, subject to verification. One catch: a scooter that gets the incentive can't get an NOC to move its registration to another state for three years from the policy's notification.

Also free in Delhi: EVs registered in Delhi pay no road tax and no registration fee. Scrapping bonus: if you scrap a Delhi-registered BS-IV or older two-wheeler at an authorised facility, you get an extra ₹10,000.

How to claim

The government launched the Delhi EV Subsidy Portal on 3 July (India Today). You apply online, track the claim and get paid by DBT. By 21 September, 5,678 people had applied, and 1,648 two-wheeler buyers had received ₹4.61 crore. About 71% of claims were still being processed, according to The Tribune, which noted that this is within the policy's processing window. Apply soon after you get your RC. The 30-day window is strict.

And PM E-DRIVE, the central subsidy?

The Centre's PM E-DRIVE scheme was extended on 10 August 2026. For registered electric two-wheelers, it pays ₹2,500 per kWh, capped at ₹5,000, or 15% of the ex-factory price if that's lower. It covers only models with an ex-factory price up to ₹1.5 lakh, and runs until 31 March 2028 or until the money runs out (MHI notification S.O. 4424(E)).

PM E-DRIVE money goes through the manufacturer, so it's usually already built into the dealer's price. Ask whether your quote includes it, so you don't count it twice.

"No licence, no registration" scooters: the catch

Many of this week's searches are for very cheap scooters sold as "no licence needed". Under CMVR Rule 2(u), a battery scooter isn't treated as a motor vehicle if a testing agency certifies that its motor's 30-minute power is less than 0.25 kW (250 W) and its top speed is less than 25 km/h. Those scooters need no licence or registration. But that also means:

• No RC, so no Delhi subsidy. The subsidy is tied to registration.
• Both limits must be met, and certified. A scooter that's been "unlocked", or that goes faster than 25 km/h, is a motor vehicle and needs registration, insurance and a licence.

Work out your effective price

Our on-road price tool now has an electric scooter mode. Enter the ex-showroom price and battery size to see the Delhi incentive, the PM E-DRIVE amount and your effective price. It also handles low-speed scooters.

What's next: from 1 April 2028, Delhi plans to allow only electric two-wheelers for new registrations, according to the policy.

Timeline

1. 30 Jun 2026

   Delhi EV Policy 2026 notified in the Delhi Gazette.

2. 1 Jul 2026

   Policy in effect for purchases from this date (Indian Express, India Today).

3. 3 Jul 2026

   CM Rekha Gupta launches the evsubsidy.delhi.gov.in portal (India Today).

4. 10 Aug 2026

   Centre notifies the PM E-DRIVE extension: e-2W ₹2,500/kWh, max ₹5,000, to 31 Mar 2028.

5. 21 Sep 2026

   5,678 claims received and ₹4.8 crore paid, ₹4.61 crore of it to two-wheeler buyers (Tribune).

6. 1 Apr 2028

   Only electric two-wheelers can be newly registered in Delhi (policy).