The Delhi Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, approved the Driving Upliftment and Rozgar for Women/Transgender Green E-Auto (DURGA) scheme on 23 September 2026. In its first phase, the DURGA scheme Delhi will place 1,300 pink electric autos with women and transgender owner drivers. The plan links dignified self employment with safer last mile travel and Delhi’s wider push for clean electric mobility.
What Is DURGA Yojana?
DURGA Yojana is Delhi’s Driving Upliftment and Rozgar for Women/Transgender Green E-Auto scheme. It was approved by the Delhi Cabinet in September 2026 to make women and transgender persons owners and drivers of pink electric autos for dignified self employment, safer transport and clean mobility.
The word Rozgar means employment or livelihood. Under the DURGA scheme, the Delhi Government will help selected women and transgender persons own and drive a green e-auto, which is a battery operated three wheeler for passenger transport. The autos will be painted pink and will carry DURGA branding with special identification marks so passengers can recognise them easily.
The Transport Department of Delhi is the nodal agency for implementation. The Delhi Cabinet decision states that applications will be invited only through a dedicated online portal and benefits will be given strictly as per the notified eligibility conditions. The government has also said the socio economic impact of the scheme will be reviewed from time to time.
Readers should not confuse the DURGA scheme Delhi with other schemes that carry similar names, such as Rani Durgavati Yojana linked to the Gond queen Rani Durgavati in Madhya Pradesh. The Delhi DURGA scheme is a new and separate self employment and green mobility programme for the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
First Phase Allocation and District Quota
The Delhi Government will register 1,300 pink electric autos in the first phase of the DURGA scheme. Of these, 1,170 autos are reserved for women and 130 autos are reserved for transgender persons. This works out to a 90 percent share for women and a 10 percent share for transgender beneficiaries.
Distribution will be equal across districts. The Delhi Cabinet has fixed a ceiling of 90 e-autos for women and 10 e-autos for transgender persons in each revenue district. The design ensures that every part of the city gets coverage and benefits are not cornered in a few areas.
| Category of beneficiary | Total autos in Phase 1 | Maximum autos per revenue district |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 1,170 | 90 |
| Transgender persons | 130 | 10 |
| Total | 1,300 | 100 |
The district quota matches Delhi’s present administrative map. Delhi had 11 revenue districts for many years. In December 2025 the Delhi Cabinet approved reorganisation into 13 revenue districts, effective from 1 January 2026, to align revenue boundaries with municipal zones. With 13 districts and 100 autos per district, the total comes to exactly 1,300 autos.
Every e-auto under the DURGA scheme will carry a mandatory three year lock in period. During this period the owner cannot sell, transfer or dispose of the vehicle in any other manner. The lock in is meant to prevent misuse and ensure that the vehicle is actually used for self employment by the selected beneficiary.
Who Can Apply for DURGA Scheme?
The DURGA scheme has strict eligibility conditions. The Delhi Government has said only applicants who meet every prescribed condition will receive benefits. The conditions relate to age, residence, driving documents, family income and vehicle ownership.
Eligibility Conditions for Women Applicants
A woman applicant must be aged 20 to 40 years and must be a resident of Delhi. She must hold a valid voter identity card, a valid Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) driving licence and a valid Public Service Vehicle (PSV) badge. An LMV licence permits a person to drive a light motor vehicle such as a car or an auto rickshaw. A PSV badge is an additional official permit that allows a driver to carry passengers in a commercial transport vehicle.
A woman with more than three children is not eligible. In addition, neither the applicant nor her family should own any registered transport vehicle or three wheeler. The combined family income for the financial year 2025-26 must not exceed ₹5 lakh. These income and ownership filters are meant to target support to households with greater economic need.
Eligibility Conditions for Transgender Applicants
Transgender applicants must meet the same core conditions of age, Delhi residence, voter identity card, LMV licence and PSV badge. The age band of 20 to 40 years applies to them in the same manner. The conditions on family income and on not owning a transport vehicle or three wheeler also apply.
In addition, a transgender applicant must submit a valid transgender certificate issued by the office of the District Magistrate in Delhi. Under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, a transgender person can apply to the District Magistrate for a certificate of identity. The District Magistrate issues this certificate on the basis of an affidavit on self perceived gender identity, and it serves as proof of recognition as a transgender person in all official documents.
| Eligibility requirement | Women applicants | Transgender applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 20 to 40 years | 20 to 40 years |
| Residence | Resident of Delhi | Resident of Delhi |
| Identity and driving documents | Voter ID, LMV licence and PSV badge | Voter ID, LMV licence and PSV badge |
| Special condition | Not more than three children | Transgender certificate from Delhi District Magistrate |
| Family vehicle ownership | No registered transport vehicle or three wheeler in family | Same condition applies |
| Family income in 2025-26 | Not more than ₹5 lakh | Not more than ₹5 lakh |
Electric Vehicle Subsidy and Delhi EV Policy Linkage
The DURGA scheme sits inside Delhi’s larger electric mobility push. While the Delhi Cabinet announcement focuses on ownership and self employment, the vehicles used are battery electric autos. This means beneficiaries can also benefit from the general electric vehicle subsidy Delhi framework, subject to the rules of the prevailing electric vehicle policy.
What Is Delhi EV Policy 2.0?
Delhi EV Policy 2.0 is Delhi’s Electric Vehicle Policy for 2026 to 2030. It was approved in June 2026 and took effect on 1 July 2026 to expand electric two wheelers, e-autos and goods vehicles through subsidies, tax waivers, charging support and phased limits on petrol and CNG registrations.
The policy is formally called the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy, 2026. It will remain in force from 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2030. The Delhi Government has announced an investment of about ₹15,000 crore over four years to promote electric mobility and reduce vehicular pollution. The policy covers only Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), which run fully on battery power and have no petrol or diesel engine.
For electric autos, which are classified as L5M three wheelers, the Delhi EV Policy 2026 provides a direct purchase incentive. The electric auto subsidy is ₹50,000 in Year 1, ₹40,000 in Year 2 and ₹30,000 in Year 3 from the date of notification. To qualify, an e-auto must have a battery capacity of at least 4 kWh. Both plug in and battery swapping models are covered. An additional scrapping incentive of ₹25,000 is available when a new e-auto purchase follows the scrapping of an old Delhi registered three wheeler at an authorised facility.
| Vehicle category | Year 1 incentive | Year 2 incentive | Year 3 incentive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric two wheeler priced up to ₹2.25 lakh | Up to ₹30,000 | Up to ₹20,000 | Up to ₹10,000 |
| Electric three wheeler auto (L5M) | ₹50,000 | ₹40,000 | ₹30,000 |
| N1 light goods vehicle | Up to ₹1,00,000 | Lower phased amount | Lower phased amount |
The policy also gives a full waiver of road tax and registration fee for electric cars priced up to ₹30 lakh. More importantly, it sets clear phase out dates for new fossil fuel registrations. Only electric three wheelers and N1 goods vehicles can be newly registered from 1 January 2027. No new petrol or CNG two wheelers can be registered from 1 April 2028. Existing petrol and CNG vehicles can complete their legal life, but fresh registrations after those dates must be electric.
Delhi EV Subsidy Portal and Application Process
All purchase incentives under the Delhi EV Policy 2026 are paid through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), which means the subsidy amount is sent directly to the buyer’s bank account. The eligible buyer must be a resident of Delhi and the vehicle must be registered in Delhi. A Model Approval Committee under the Delhi Transport Department approves the list of eligible vehicle models, and dealers must inform buyers at the time of booking whether a model qualifies.
The process has strict timelines. The buyer must apply for the subsidy within 30 days from the date of issue of the Registration Certificate (RC). The subsidy is then disbursed within 60 days from the date of application through the portal developed by the Transport Department, after verification. DURGA applicants should follow a similar discipline. They must keep their voter ID, LMV licence, PSV badge, income proof for 2025-26 and, where needed, the transgender certificate ready before the dedicated Delhi EV subsidy portal for DURGA opens, so they can apply without delay.
Pink E-Auto Model and Comparison With Maharashtra
The DURGA scheme uses the pink vehicle model. Pink is used as a visible marker for women driven public transport. The colour, along with DURGA branding and identification features, helps passengers spot the vehicle quickly and builds trust, especially during early morning and late evening trips. The Delhi Government has said this visibility will support women’s safety and encourage more women and transgender passengers to use the service.
Maharashtra already runs a similar idea through its Pink E-Rickshaw scheme. That scheme was announced in 2024 by the Maharashtra Women and Child Development Department to give self employment to women and make travel safer for women passengers. In the first phase it aims to support 10,000 women across cities including Mumbai suburbs, Thane, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Solapur, Kolhapur, Amravati and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Maharashtra provides a 20 percent subsidy, up to ₹80,000 on an e-rickshaw priced up to ₹4 lakh. The beneficiary pays 10 percent as down payment and repays a 70 percent bank loan over five years. The Maharashtra model includes free driving training, help with licences, GPS fitment, five year insurance and tie ups for charging and metro feeder service.
| Feature | Delhi DURGA scheme | Maharashtra Pink E-Rickshaw scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle type | Green e-auto, L5M auto rickshaw | E-rickshaw |
| Phase 1 size | 1,300 vehicles | 10,000 beneficiaries |
| Target group | Women and transgender persons | Women |
| Age band | 20 to 40 years | Largely 20 to 40 years after revision |
| Family income ceiling | ₹5 lakh in 2025-26 | ₹3 lakh per year |
| Government support design | District quota allocation with EV policy incentives as applicable | 20 percent subsidy up to ₹80,000 plus facilitated bank loan |
| Special safeguards | Three year lock in and DURGA branding | Training, GPS, insurance and charging support |
The two schemes differ in scale and vehicle class, but the core logic is common. Both treat women driven electric three wheelers as a double solution for livelihood and passenger safety. Delhi adds two distinct elements. First, it explicitly includes transgender persons with a fixed district quota. Second, it links the autos to the public transport network, with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) keeping space for charging facilities in the parking areas of 70 metro stations (as of September 2026).
The DURGA scheme is also different from the widely searched Delhi women 2,500 scheme. That proposal relates to monthly financial assistance of ₹2,500 for eligible women in Delhi. DURGA does not give monthly cash support. It gives an opportunity to own and drive an electric auto for regular earnings through self employment.
Significance for Safety, Employment and Clean Transport
The DURGA scheme brings together three goals that are usually handled separately. The first goal is dignified work. Ownership of the auto matters more than a driving job alone. When a woman or transgender person owns the vehicle, the income stays with the household and the worker has greater control over hours, routes and earnings. The income ceiling and vehicle ownership bar help ensure that this asset reaches first time owners rather than existing transport operators.
The second goal is passenger safety and last mile connectivity. Last mile connectivity means the short trip between a metro station or bus stop and the final destination, such as home or office. Many women passengers find this stretch unsafe in the early morning and late at night. Women driven pink autos with clear branding and traceable registration can increase confidence on these routes. Integration with the metro network strengthens this effect, because autos can wait at or near stations where footfall is high and charging is available.
The third goal is clean transport. Delhi faces severe air pollution, and a large share comes from vehicles. At the time of the EV Policy 2.0 approval, the Delhi Transport Department noted that two wheelers and three wheelers account for nearly 46 percent of vehicular pollution load, while commercial goods vehicles account for about 33 percent. Replacing even 1,300 petrol or CNG autos with battery electric autos will cut tailpipe emissions on busy local routes. Over time, the larger EV policy will multiply this gain by stopping new fossil fuel three wheeler registrations from January 2027.
The scheme is also expected to create indirect jobs. The daily running of 1,300 e-autos will need repair workshops, servicing staff, charging operators and battery recycling support. The Delhi Government has said the socio economic impact will be studied periodically, which will show whether incomes have risen, whether more women are joining transport work and whether passengers feel safer. The immediate next step is the launch of the dedicated portal and district wise selection, after which the first pink autos can be registered and put on the road.
Key Takeaways
- The DURGA scheme, or Driving Upliftment and Rozgar for Women/Transgender Green E-Auto, was approved by the Delhi Cabinet chaired by Rekha Gupta on 23 September 2026.
- Phase 1 will register 1,300 pink electric autos, with 1,170 for women and 130 for transgender persons at 90 plus 10 per revenue district.
- Applicants must be aged 20 to 40 years, be Delhi residents and hold a voter ID, LMV licence and PSV badge, with family income not more than ₹5 lakh in 2025-26.
- Transgender applicants must submit a transgender certificate from the Delhi District Magistrate under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
- Each e-auto carries a mandatory three year lock in period and distinct DURGA branding for easy identification.
- The linked Delhi EV Policy 2026 (1 July 2026 to 31 March 2030) gives an electric auto subsidy of ₹50,000, ₹40,000 and ₹30,000 in Years 1, 2 and 3, with charging space at 70 DMRC metro stations.
