She drives Bharat

India is working to replace 800.000 diesel buses with electric buses by 2030, including those used in public, private, and institutional fleet. At least 50.000 e-buses are expected to be on the road for urban public transport operations by then, requiring an estimated 1.15-1.25 lakh skilled e-bus drivers. However, women currently account for only 0.1% of public bus drivers. The shift in technology to electric buses, which makes driving easier in an otherwise demanding job, along with the Government of India’s vision for Viksit Bharat, provides a timely opportunity to scale women’s participation in intra-city urban bus operations. However, efforts to do so have been constrained in the past by a weak pipeline of licenced, employment-ready women candidates, reflected in women’s 1.4% share of public service vehicle (PSV) driving licences.