-Multiple gaps choke EV momentum in Nagaland
Moa Jamir
Nagaland’s latest score on the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) is more than a poor ranking. It is a snapshot of how little the State has progressed towards a transport transition already underway elsewhere.
With a score of 14 out of 100, Nagaland ranks 35th among 36 States and Union Territories and last among the 12 Hilly and Northeastern States. The second edition of the IEMI, developed by NITI Aayog with the World Resources Institute India, assesses progress during January-December 2025 across transport electrification, charging infrastructure, and EV research and innovation.
The details are more revealing. Nagaland scored only 4 in transport electrification and zero in EV research and innovation. Within transport electrification, Nagaland scored just 2 for private EV registration and zero for commercial EV registration, government purchases, purchase incentives, transition initiatives and operational support. It was also among four States and UTs without an EV policy by December 2025.
The score for charging infrastructure was relatively better at 39 but even this figure needs contextualisation . For instance, The 60 points for the charger-to-vehicle ratio and 100 for power availability are obviously influenced by the limited number of EVs in the State. In contrast, capital subsidies, charging-infrastructure development initiatives and EV-related building bye-laws all scored zero, exposing significant gaps behind the seemingly better performance.
Elsewhere, the limited consumer uptake is equally striking. VAHAN data as of September 27, 2026 shows that of 5,12,434 vehicle registrations in Nagaland, only 128 or 0.025% are explicitly classified as electric: 77 ‘Electric (BOV)’ and 51 ‘Pure EV’. A further 161 are classified as ‘Strong Hybrid EV’. The numbers suggest that the problem is not simply a shortage of government initiatives; consumers themselves have shown little appetite for EVs.
However, consumer reluctance cannot be viewed separately from the ecosystem. An EV buyer considers more than the purchase price: charging availability, electricity reliability, servicing, spare parts, battery replacement and resale value all matter. In a State where power supply remains, at best, erratic, concerns over charging and reliability can reasonably influence purchasing decisions.
It must be noted here that the State has seen experiments before. Commercial E-rickshaws began operating in Dimapur in 2018, with designated routes, fares and charging arrangements. Yet the initiative did not develop into a sustained urban mobility option. Earlier reporting has similarly documented the exceptionally low EV uptake in Nagaland and most other Northeastern States.
This points to a classic vicious circle: consumers hesitate because the ecosystem is weak, while businesses have little incentive to invest because the market is small.
The IEMI recommendations to framing and notification of an EV policy as well as appropriate incentives and initiatives to promote electric vehicle adoption, charging infrastructure development and support research and innovation are timely. Nagaland needs to address charging networks, reliable electricity, public and commercial transport, parking and building regulations, servicing and technical skills, consumer awareness, and support for local research and enterprise.
However, beyond policy and incentives, Nagaland need not pursue electric mobility merely to improve its position in an index, but to establish a reliable and sustainable transport alternative. The IEMI exposes a significant policy vacuum, while the ground reality points to a vicious cycle of weak demand, limited infrastructure and inadequate support. Government intervention is needed to break this cycle.
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