From Demonstration to Deployment at Scale: A Strategic Framework for Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Development

Scaling up zero-emission freight requires more than vehicle adoption; it calls for coordinated action across the ecosystem that includes shippers, carriers (or transport operators), charging providers, power utilities, energy regulators, and renewable energy (RE) providers.

To address this challenge, Smart Freight Centre (SFC), in collaboration with the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), has launched a strategic corridor electrification initiative focused on the Bengaluru–Mumbai corridor. The initiative aims to develop a scalable framework for zero-emission freight deployment by integrating demand aggregation, charging infrastructure planning, RE integration, and ecosystem coordination. It positions corridor electrification not merely as a transport intervention, but as the foundational step towards an integrated freight and energy transition strategy for India.

This technical note is the first in a series examining how India can scale zeroemission freight through corridor-based ecosystem development. It focuses on demand aggregation as the starting point for scaling up and presents a framework to identify and prioritise freight corridors for large-scale electric truck deployment, using the Bengaluru-Mumbai corridor as a case study.

The subsequent notes will build on this foundation to examine charging infrastructure readiness, grid integration, RE opportunities, and deployment pathways for corridorlevel freight electrification.

Deepali Thakur (Smart Freight Centre) also co-authored the paper.