Delhi Cabinet Approves DURGA Scheme: 1,300 Pink E-Autos for Women & Transgender Drivers
The Delhi Cabinet has approved the DURGA e-auto scheme, opening the way for 1,300 pink electric autos to be allocated in the first phase to women and transgender persons. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on September 23, 2026. The scheme is aimed at creating self-employment opportunities while also strengthening last-mile connectivity and expanding cleaner public transport options in the capital.
The initiative is formally called the Driving Upliftment and Rozgar for Women/Transgender Green E-Auto (DURGA) scheme. Under the first phase, 1,170 e-autos will be reserved for women and 130 for transgender beneficiaries. The vehicles will be distributed across Delhi’s 13 revenue districts.
What Is the DURGA Scheme?
The ‘DURGA’ project is a Delhi government scheme aimed at offering women and transgender individuals a chance to become proprietors and drivers of electric autos. The government claims that this project is meant to offer respectable self-employment opportunities while involving women and transgender individuals more in the transport sector.
This project has an additional public transport objective. The government believes that these pink e-autos will enhance the connectivity up to the last mile while offering commuters another means of transport especially during early mornings and evenings when there are safety issues with transport.
How Many Pink E-Autos Will Be Given?
The first phase would see around 1,300 electric cars. From these 1,300 e-cars, 1,170 would be given to the women, while the remaining 130 would go to the transgender category. These allocations would be made to all 13 revenue districts in Delhi with 90 cars each for women and 10 for transgender groups.
These cars would come with a unique identity under the DURGA branding. The government claims that it would help people easily recognize the cars.
Who Can Apply for the DURGA Scheme?
Female candidates shall be in the age group of 20 to 40 years and should be permanent residents of Delhi. Female applicants will require a valid voter identity card, a Light Motor Vehicle licence, and a Public Service Vehicle licence.
There are some financial and possession criteria. The income of the family of the candidate during the fiscal year 2025-26 shall be under ₹5 lakh, and the applicant along with his/her family cannot possess any registered vehicle for transport or auto rickshaw. Candidates who have more than three children are also not eligible according to the given criteria.
The eligibility criteria for the transgender category are the same as those for female candidates. Transgender applicants will require a valid transgender certificate issued from the District Magistrate’s office of Delhi.
How Can Applicants Apply?
Applications will be sought via an online portal that the Delhi government intends to set up for the DURGA project. But up to September 24, 2026, no information has been released by the government about the date of opening of the portal or when the first e-autos would start running.
This implies that those who are qualified should wait for the formal notice of application instead of relying on any unauthorized sites or social media posts or registration websites. Information regarding the procedure of application, document submission and allocation will become clear after the launch of the dedicated portal.
What is Three-Year Lock-In Period?
Those who are receiving the e-autos under this project are bound to follow the three-year lock-in period. This means that the vehicle can neither be sold nor transferred or disposed off during this time frame.
Why Are These E-Autos Being Called “Pink” E-Autos?
DURGA will have unique branding and identity features so that the passengers can recognize these vehicles easily. Colour and the branding will form an identity of their own for this initiative, as well as help the cars stand out in the overall transport system of Delhi.
Moreover, the government has connected this initiative with safe and clean transport in cities, especially in the sense that the number of women and transgender drivers will be increased in the public transport system.
How Would the Charging Infrastructure Work?
Another thing that is being thought of in connection with the initiative is the charging infrastructure. It is claimed that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has provided space for charging of EVs at 70 Delhi Metro stations.
Why the Scheme Matters for Employment
Notably, the DURGA Scheme goes beyond the simple introduction of electric vehicles on the roads of Delhi. The aim of the scheme is to provide direct self-employment opportunities to the under-represented groups in the field of commercial passenger transport.
Through offering an ownership of and drive of the vehicles, the scheme will be providing the income generation avenue and ensuring increased involvement in the transport system of Delhi. There will also be additional employment in areas of servicing and repairing the vehicles, EV charging, and battery recycling.
How Will the Scheme Impact the Transport System in Delhi?
The scheme of DURGA e-autos will assist in ensuring last mile connectivity especially for the areas where the people will require transport service after availing the public transport service like Metro or any other mode.
Being based on electric vehicles, the scheme can easily fit into the sustainable transport system of the city of Delhi.
What Happens Next?
The very next step would be to create and open the online application portal. Till then, all that can be known to the possible applicants are the eligibility criteria and the Cabinet’s approval.
Another point worth noting is that the government will also evaluate the socio-economic impact of this scheme from time to time. It could prove to be useful in knowing how successful the scheme is in providing employment, better connectivity through improved transportation and integrating women and transgender drivers in the Delhi transport system.
Conclusion
The DURGA scheme in Delhi is the latest addition to the city’s initiatives on electric mobility, employment and transport integration. The first phase of this scheme will include the deployment of 1,300 pink e-autos that would also provide job opportunities and last mile connectivity.
For eligible women and transgender drivers, the most important point about this scheme is that although it has been approved, the application portal is not yet opened.
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