OCPP and India's EV charging rules for charge point operators

Many charge point operators (CPOs) and charger makers ask the same question: does India require OCPP? The short answer from the Ministry of Power's 2024 guidelines is no, not in so many words. OCPP is named and encouraged. What the guidelines do require of every charger is compliance with BIS standards and CEA safety rules. This page sets out the exact wording, what else a CPO must do, and how to pick an OCPP version when the rules do not say.

1. What the guidelines say about protocols

The Ministry of Power issued "Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure-2024" on 17 September 2024. They replace all earlier versions and took effect on issue. The letter is addressed to Union ministries and to the Chief Secretaries of states and Union Territories, and it applies to manufacturers, owners and operators of charging infrastructure.

The guidelines define four protocols in their glossary:

• OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol): "an open protocol used for communication between EVSE and the Charger Management system".
• OCPI (Open Charge Point Interface): a protocol for information exchange between network service providers and charge point operators, to enable roaming between public charging networks.
• UEI (Unified Energy Interface): an interoperable network based on the open-source Beckn Protocol.
• Open ADR: a two-way information exchange model for demand response.

The rule for public charging stations is in the section on general requirements, under "Communication Protocols": "Open Standards are recommended." Public CPOs "may adopt" UEI, OCPP, OCPI or Open ADR for communication with distribution companies (DISCOMs) about demand response, and the protocols must comply with the cyber security provisions in force. A second clause, on the national database of charging stations, says CPOs "are advised to adopt" the same open protocols for data sharing.

So the wording is "recommended", "may adopt" and "advised". It is not "shall". A state, a DISCOM or a charging network can still ask for OCPP in its own contract or tender.

2. What chargers must meet

The mandatory part is about equipment. The guidelines say all electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) "shall comply with BIS standards" listed in Annexure I, and that safety and connectivity must follow the CEA's 2023 safety regulations and its 2013 technical standards for connecting distributed generation.

Annexure II adds that each EVSE model, with its power rating and communication protocol, must be type tested by the manufacturer in line with those BIS standards, at a lab accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), with a valid type test certificate. Annexure I also lists the vehicle-to-charger communication for each level, such as Bluetooth Low Energy, CAN and IS 15118 power-line communication. That link between car and charger is separate from OCPP, which links the charger and the back end.

Two sizing rules also apply to public stations. CPOs will preferably provide chargers of at least 7.4 kW. A station set up for fast charging of long-range and heavy-duty vehicles must have at least two chargers of at least 240 kW each.

3. Registration, data and money

• Licence: setting up and running EV charging stations is a de-licensed activity, so "any entity is free to establish" them by following the guidelines.
• National database: the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) keeps a database of public charging stations. Public CPOs register their stations on it using minimal fields and share annual data on energy sold per charger. BEE will offer open APIs to third-party developers for non-confidential information.
• Payment: public stations must offer flexible payment methods, prepaid or postpaid.
• Subsidy: a PIB release of 9 December 2025 says PM E-DRIVE has an allocation of Rs.2,000 crore for public charging stations. The entities that can submit proposals are central ministries, central public sector enterprises and autonomous bodies, states and Union Territories, and their public sector undertakings. A private CPO therefore reaches that money through one of them, not directly. Our page on the PM E-DRIVE scheme covers the two-wheeler side.

4. Choosing an OCPP version

The guidelines name no version. The Open Charge Alliance, which owns the protocol, says OCPP 1.6 was released in 2015 and remains widely used, OCPP 2.0.1 came in 2020, OCPP 2.0.1 edition 3 was approved as IEC 63584 in 2024, and OCPP 2.1 was released in 2025. It adds that OCPP 1.6 and OCPP 2.0.1 are not compatible. OCPP 2.0.1 adds device management, security and smart charging over 1.6.

Because there is no mandate, base the choice on who you must connect to. Ask the DISCOM, the state nodal agency and the networks you want to roam with which version they support. If you build a new charger or back end, supporting 2.0.1 gives you the security and smart charging features the Open Charge Alliance lists, but you may still need 1.6 for older networks. Our page on OCPP latency in EV chargers covers the performance side.

5. Checklist for a CPO or charger maker

• [ ] Confirm each charger model matches a power level and BIS standard in Annexure I.
• [ ] Hold a valid type test certificate from an NABL-accredited lab for each model.
• [ ] Check CEA safety and connectivity rules for your site.
• [ ] Register public stations on the BEE national database and plan the annual energy report.
• [ ] Ask each DISCOM, state nodal agency and partner network which OCPP version and extras (OCPI, UEI) they need.
• [ ] Build to the cyber security provisions that apply to your protocols.
• [ ] Re-read the guidelines when the Ministry or your state issues an amendment.

State rules and tender terms differ, so check them with a lawyer or your state nodal agency before you commit hardware.

Questions people ask

Is OCPP mandatory for EV chargers in India?

Not under the Ministry of Power's September 2024 guidelines, which say open standards are recommended and CPOs may adopt OCPP, OCPI, UEI or Open ADR. BIS standards and CEA safety rules are the binding equipment requirements. A tender or state policy may add OCPP.

Which OCPP version should an Indian CPO use?

The guidelines do not say. OCPP 1.6 is widely used and OCPP 2.0.1 is the newer, IEC-approved version, and the two are not compatible. Ask your DISCOM and partner networks.

Do I need a licence to run a charging station?

No. The guidelines call charging a de-licensed activity. You still need to meet the equipment standards and, for public stations, register on the BEE database.

Can a private CPO apply for PM E-DRIVE charging subsidy directly?

The PIB release lists central ministries, CPSEs, states and Union Territories and their PSUs as the entities that submit proposals. Private operators work through them.

Sources

1. Ministry of Power, Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure-2024, 17 September 2024 (copy hosted by BEE)
2. PIB, Installation of EV charging stations, 9 December 2025
3. Open Charge Alliance, Open Charge Point Protocol