NEW DELHI, Dec. 2 -- The union heavy industries ministry on Tuesday announced the allocation of 2,900 new electric buses in the second phase of the PM E-Drive scheme's tender, according to a disclosure in the Lok Sabha.

The ministry confirmed that Mumbai has been allocated 1,500 e-buses, and Pune 1,000 e-buses in this phase. The decision follows a request from the Maharashtra government for this allocation, which Mint reported on 9 November.

"Other than Mumbai and Pune, in the second phase, 200 e-buses each have been allocated to Hyderabad and Ahmedabad under the PM E-DRIVE scheme," said the minister of state for heavy industries, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, in a written response.

The focus on electric buses is strategic, as they acc...