Project Title: A Decision Support Framework for Infrastructure and Operational Planning of Electric Freight considering Disaster Vulnerability and Topography in an Indo-Himalayan Region
1. Project Details
Sanction Date: 20.03.2025
Project Category MG
Year 2024-2025
Project Duration 3 Years
BTA : ID
Project Site/ State/ Districts/ Villages Covered:

Dehradun

Organization/ Implementation Agency: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi
Project Partners: S.No. Name
1. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar
Lead Proponent:

Dr. Manoj M.
Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-D) New Delhi

Project Brief Description: Transport is one of the contributors to global climate change and energy consumption. The dependence on fossil-fuel powered vehicles have not only affected the general environment, but also affected annual budget outlays of governments and quality of life of the general populace. Although much has been discussed about low carbon mobility in passenger transport, limited attention has been attributed to the road freight sector in India. The freight sector contributes to nearly 5% of India’s gross domestic product and the at the same time, the road freight operations effects approximately 15% greenhouse gas emission in India. To adhere to India’s commitments to CoP28 agreement (“transition away from fossil fuels”), there is need to emphasis on alternative fuels for the transportation sector. The Department of Heavy Industries has outlined the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan for electrification of surface transport and various policies have been implemented at the national and state levels. While passenger mobility has seen uptake of battery electric vehicles, the growth of the technology in the freight sector has been comparatively low. This might perhaps be due to the contextual differences in the passenger transport and freight, and the requirement for heavy, powerful, and specific power trains for freight (e.g., cold transport). However, it is high time that electrification of urban freight be prioritized to meet India’s agenda for sustainable development and commitments to CoP agreements. The Indo-Himalayan Region (IHR) relies on road freight transport to sustain livelihood and economic productivity. Due to the unique topography of the IHR, the freight movement are mainly using diesel powered vehicles, which are contributes of greenhouse gases and particulate matters. Unlike other Indian regions, the IHR is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its unique weather systems, climatic conditions, ecology and economic conditions. Therefore, transitioning to electric freight can contribute to sustainable development in the region. However, there is a lack of data on freight movement in the region, the distribution by vehicle types, and plans for freight electrification, including infrastructure design and operational aspects. This project aims to develop a decision support tool to help plan electric freight transportation in the Indo-Himalayan Region, with Dehradun city as a case study.
Beneficiaries/ Stakeholders:

• Chamber of commerce
• Logistics and E-commerce companies
• City transportation Planning Agencies
• Smart cities mission

Activity Chart
2. Financial Details
Total Grants (in Rs.) Rs. 7,453,848/- (Rupees Seventy-Four Lakh Fifty-Three Thousand Eight Hundred Forty Eight Only)
3. Project Objectives, Deliverables and Monitoring Indicators
Project Objectives Quantifiable Deliverables Monitoring Indicators
• To design and conduct a comprehensive survey collecting information about freight demand and commodity flows, including origin-destination (O-D) patterns, goods details, and carrier types.
• To develop a GIS-based database and a decision support tool for planning electric freight transportation in the IHR.
• To conduct a life cycle analysis of electric freight operations in the IHR, assessing environmental and economic feasibility.
• To develop a decision support framework for strategic planning of electric freight transportation.
• A survey framework to capture freight demand and commodity flows in the Indo-Himalayan Region (IHR).
• A database of freight depots, terminals, O-D patterns, goods details, and carrier types generated through primary and secondary surveys.
• A GIS-based freight transportation database by integrating primary and secondary data.
• A decision support tool for optimizing charging infrastructure locations, fleet planning for mixed electric and conventional freight vehicles, and routing strategies in hilly terrain.
• A comprehensive life cycle analysis (LCA) report on electric freight operations in the region.
• Develop the knowledge products: 01 Policy, 01 manual document and 2-3 publications in well-reputed journals.
• No. of surveyed stakeholders (freight operators, logistics companies, policymakers).
• No. of GIS layers and spatial datasets created.
• Environmental impact metrics (carbon footprint reduction, energy savings).
• No. of policy discussions/workshops conducted.
• No. of research papers, technical reports, and policy documents published.
S.No. Name (Sanctioned) Salary (Sanctioned)
1. 01 SRF @ Rs.42,000/- + 20% HRA
2. 01 JRF @ Rs.37,000/- + 20% HRA
S.No. Name of Equipment (Sanctioned) Cost (in INR)
1. Trans CAD network planning software @1500000.00, Workstation Compute@ 600000.00 ,01 Display Monitor @35000/- 2,13,5000
Website Hits:
Unique Visitor:
Last Update: 25.08.2025
Contact Us |   Designed, Developed & hosted by NMHS-PMU