By: Mr Vaibhav Kaushik, co-founder & CEO of Nawgati
India’s mobility transition is picking up speed. Electric vehicles are becoming more common, alternative fuels are spreading, and highways are being built faster than ever. But despite this progress, there is a less obvious problem: mobility infrastructure still works in isolation. Fuel stations, EV charging networks, and alternative energy points often operate separately, each with its own apps, access systems, and data.
For India’s mobility transition to be truly efficient, the next step is not just building more infrastructure. It is about making sure all parts of the system can work together.
Interoperability is the difference between infrastructure that merely exists and infrastructure that actually works as a seamless network.
The expansion of infrastructure is only the first step.
India has made strong progress in building physical mobility infrastructure. There are now over 30,000 public EV charging stations, with more planned as electric vehicles become more popular. Highways are growing quickly, changing how goods and people move across the country. CNG and LNG networks are also reaching tier 2 and 3 cities beyond the big metros.
However, having infrastructure alone does not guarantee accessibility. Because when a driver is travelling across cities, they may worry about charger compatibility, whether they will find the listed station as operable or not, what if there is a queue, or they’ll need to download another app just to access the charging facility.
These small problems might not seem important on their own, but together they make the system less efficient. They lead to lower use of infrastructure, longer wait times, and less trust from users. Studies show that many public charging stations in India are used only 5% to 25% of the time. This is not always because there is no demand, but because it is still hard for people to find and use them easily.
Today, the mobility networks must function like digital networks.
India has already demonstrated how interoperability can unlock massive adoption in other sectors.
Digital payments are a clear example. The Unified Payments Interface turned a scattered payment system into a single network where banks, wallets, and merchants all work together. Now, billions of transactions occur every month because users no longer have to worry about whether systems are compatible. And, so the mobility infrastructure must evolve in the same direction.
Fuel stations, EV chargers, fleet hubs, and highway services should not work as separate points. Instead, they need to be part of a connected network where vehicles, infrastructure, and digital platforms share real-time information.
When this happens, infrastructure becomes smart instead of just being there. Moreover, with it, the drivers can plan their route, fleet operators can recharge based on real-time capacity, station operators can optimise throughput and reduce idle assets, and cities can monitor mobility demand and manage congestion more effectively.
If there is no interoperability, each provider tries to fix these problems on their own. With interoperability, everyone in the system can solve them together.
What’s the cost of fragmentation?
The absence of interoperable systems has real economic implications.
If drivers cannot easily find or use infrastructure, it stays underused even if there is enough capacity. This means operators will have to wait longer to see returns on their investments and will be slower to build more. For fleets, not knowing if they can access stations leads to more downtime and higher costs.
At a national level, fragmentation undermines the very infrastructure expansion that policymakers are investing in.
India is spending more than ever on highways, logistics, and energy infrastructure. But without a single digital system to connect these assets, they remain under-realised.
What could access to real-time data do?
Interoperability is fundamentally about data exchange. Real-time visibility into station availability, wait times, pricing, and operational status transforms the user experience. Instead of discovering infrastructure only upon arrival, drivers can plan ahead with confidence.
This becomes even more important as more vehicles go electric. Charging takes longer than refuelling, so managing queues and capacity is a key part of planning routes. For commercial fleets, the implications are even larger. Logistics companies and ride-hailing fleets operate on tight schedules. Predictable access to energy infrastructure can significantly improve asset utilisation, reduce idle time, and increase trip efficiency.
When systems are interoperable in real time, mobility infrastructure can operate as precisely as a digital platform, rather than being unpredictable like traditional physical systems.
Opting for a network-based approach to mobility could address interoperability issues.
India’s future mobility system will probably use a range of fuels, such as electricity, CNG, LNG, hydrogen, and traditional fuels, all at the same time for years to come. The real challenge is not just growing each network on its own, but bringing them together into one connected system.
Drivers should not need to think about which company operates a station or which platform manages it. From the user’s perspective, the experience should feel as seamless as navigating a map or making a digital payment.
The infrastructure provider may change, but the experience should remain consistent.
To make this happen, we need open standards, interoperable APIs, and ways for different networks to share data. It also means policymakers, infrastructure operators, and technology platforms must work together.
Countries that succeed in building interoperable infrastructure will move faster toward efficient, scalable mobility systems.
Road Ahead: We need to realign our focus from just infrastructure to intelligence.
India has already proven its ability to build infrastructure at scale. Now, the next step is to make it smart, connected, and able to work together.
The future of mobility will not just depend on the number of chargers, pumps, or stations. It will depend on how well they all work together.
When infrastructure is interoperable, drivers feel more confident, operators work more efficiently, and the whole mobility system becomes stronger.
(Disclaimer- The author is Mr Vaibhav Kaushik co-founder & CEO of Nawgati. Views expressed are personal)
