China's Goldstone-BYD may lose orders for 130 e-buses over subsidy issues

Firm to scale down supply from 290 buses to 160, as Dept of Heavy Industries has not released subsidy for 130 buses to Karnataka and Telangana

Electric bus maker Goldstone Infratech, a partner of Chinese electric vehicle major BYD, hit headlines early this year after it bagged orders to supply 290 electric buses, leaving biggies like Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland behind. Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland bagged orders for 190 and 50 buses, respectively. But Goldstone will now only be supplying 160 buses, less than Tata Motors’ 190 buses. 

The Department of Heavy Industries has not released the subsidy for 130 buses to states of Karnataka and Telangana with the result that Goldstone is now preparing to supply only 160 buses as there is no