In the narrow lanes of Bengaluru’s tech hub and across the congested streets of Delhi, a quiet revolution is taking place on two wheels. Electric bicycles, once considered a niche product, are rapidly transforming urban mobility in India, led by a new generation of entrepreneurs who are as passionate about sustainability as they are about innovation.
The Perfect Storm: Why E-Bikes Are Having Their Moment in India
The timing couldn’t be better for electric bicycles in India. With air pollution reaching crisis levels in major cities, traffic congestion worsening by the day, and a growing environmentally-conscious middle class, the stage was set for alternative transportation solutions. Yet, it took the vision and determination of several key entrepreneurs to transform these challenges into opportunities.
“When we first started pitching e-bikes to investors in 2018, people thought we were crazy,” recalls Aditya Sharma, founder of GreenPedal. “They’d ask why anyone would pay for an expensive bicycle when scooters were cheap and plentiful. But we saw what others didn’t – that the future of urban transportation needed to be clean, efficient, and accessible.”
That future has arrived sooner than even the most optimistic predictions suggested. The Indian electric bicycle market, valued at approximately ₹3.2 billion in 2020, is projected to exceed ₹10 billion by 2026, representing a compound annual growth rate of over 25%. Behind these impressive numbers are the stories of innovators who refused to accept the status quo.
The Innovators Changing the Game
Nisha Patel – Founder of ElectroVelocity
Growing up in a small town in Gujarat, Nisha Patel never imagined she would one day be at the forefront of India’s mobility revolution. After completing her engineering degree at IIT Bombay and working for a multinational automotive company, Patel became increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of electric vehicle adoption in India.
“I kept hearing that India wasn’t ready for electric vehicles because of infrastructure challenges,” Patel says, sitting in her company’s modest office in Mumbai’s industrial district. “But I thought: what if we started with something simpler than cars? Something that didn’t need charging stations on every corner?”
That something was electric bicycles. In 2019, Patel quit her corporate job and founded ElectroVelocity with a unique approach – creating e-bikes specifically designed for Indian conditions and use cases.
ElectroVelocity’s flagship model, the Urban Glide, features removable batteries that can be charged at home, puncture-resistant tires to handle India’s varied road conditions, and an affordable price point that makes it accessible to middle-class consumers. But Patel’s most innovative contribution might be the company’s distribution strategy.
“Traditional bicycle shops weren’t equipped to sell or service e-bikes, so we created a network of mini experience centers where people could test ride our products and learn about the technology,” she explains. This approach has helped ElectroVelocity establish a presence in 12 cities across India, with plans to expand to 30 by the end of 2025.
Vikram Desai and Arjun Mehta – Co-founders of SunCycle
While most e-bike manufacturers focus solely on the end product, Vikram Desai and Arjun Mehta took a different approach with their company, SunCycle. College friends who reconnected at a renewable energy conference in 2017, they became obsessed with solving the charging infrastructure problem that plagued electric vehicles in India.
“Everyone was talking about building more charging stations, but that requires enormous investment and time,” says Desai. “We asked ourselves: what if the charging infrastructure already existed? What if it was all around us?”
The answer they arrived at was solar power. SunCycle’s flagship product is not just an electric bicycle but an entire ecosystem built around solar charging. Their bikes feature small solar panels integrated into the frame, which supplement battery power and extend range. More importantly, they’ve established solar charging stations at strategic locations across urban centers, powered by rooftop solar installations.
“We approached small business owners – tea shops, local restaurants, convenience stores – and offered to install solar panels on their roofs at no cost,” explains Mehta. “They get free electricity, and our customers get a place to charge their bikes while patronizing these establishments. It’s a win-win.”
This creative approach earned SunCycle numerous accolades, including being named one of the most innovative startups by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in 2023. But for Desai and Mehta, the real success lies in their growing impact.
“Every morning, I see dozens of office-goers stopping at our partner chai shop in Gurugram, plugging in their bikes for a quick 15-minute charge while they have breakfast,” Desai says with evident pride. “That’s real change happening right before our eyes.”
Rohan Kapoor – Founder of PedalAssist
While ElectroVelocity and SunCycle focus on selling e-bikes, Rohan Kapoor took a completely different approach with PedalAssist. A former operations manager for a ride-sharing company, Kapoor recognized that ownership wasn’t always the best model for transportation.
“E-bikes are still relatively expensive for many Indians,” Kapoor points out. “Why not apply the shared mobility concept to electric bicycles?”
Launched in late 2021, PedalAssist operates a dockless e-bike sharing service that allows users to locate, unlock, and pay for bikes through a smartphone app. The company started with 200 bikes in select neighborhoods of Bengaluru and has since expanded to over 3,000 bikes across five cities.
What sets PedalAssist apart from similar services in other countries is its hyperlocal approach. Rather than distributing bikes randomly throughout the city, Kapoor’s team analyzes transportation patterns and identifies specific “mobility deserts” – areas underserved by public transit but with high demand for last-mile connectivity.
“We’re not trying to replace public transportation; we’re enhancing it,” Kapoor insists. “Our data shows that over 60% of our rides start or end near a metro station or bus stop.”
This strategy has earned PedalAssist partnerships with municipal corporations in several cities, which see the service as a valuable extension of public transit networks. In Delhi, the company has even integrated its payment system with the city’s metro card, allowing seamless transfers between modes of transport.
PedalAssist’s most innovative feature might be its gamified approach to ensuring proper bike distribution. Users earn extra ride credits for returning bikes to high-demand locations during peak hours, effectively turning customers into distribution partners.
“Traditional bike-sharing services spend enormous amounts on ‘rebalancing’ – moving bikes from low-demand to high-demand areas,” explains Kapoor. “We’ve reduced those costs by about 40% through user incentives, which allows us to keep prices affordable.”
Overcoming Unique Challenges
Despite their success, these entrepreneurs face challenges specific to the Indian market. One major hurdle is the lack of cycling infrastructure in most Indian cities, where even basic bicycle lanes are rare.
Ananya Mukherjee, who founded advocacy group Cyclists for Cities in 2018, has been working closely with e-bike companies to push for policy changes. “Electric bicycles occupy a gray area in our transport regulations. They’re not quite bicycles and not quite motor vehicles, which creates confusion about where they can operate safely.”
Mukherjee’s organization has successfully lobbied for dedicated cycling lanes in select corridors of Bengaluru and Mumbai, often partnering with e-bike companies to demonstrate demand. “The private sector has been crucial to our advocacy efforts,” she admits. “When city officials see hundreds of e-bike users on the roads every day, it becomes harder to ignore the need for proper infrastructure.”
Another uniquely Indian challenge is the climate itself. With summer temperatures regularly exceeding 40°C (104°F) in many cities, cycling can be physically demanding.
“This is actually where e-bikes have an advantage over regular bicycles,” points out Aditya Sharma of GreenPedal. “The electric assist means you don’t have to exert yourself as much, so you don’t arrive at your destination drenched in sweat.”
To address this further, GreenPedal has developed models with enhanced cooling systems for the battery and motor, ensuring optimal performance even in extreme heat. They’ve also incorporated UV-resistant materials and ergonomic designs that minimize direct sun exposure for riders.
Innovations Tailored to Indian Needs
What truly sets these companies apart is their commitment to developing solutions specifically for Indian conditions rather than importing foreign concepts.
ElectroVelocity’s latest model features an “auto-rickshaw mode” – a lower power setting that extends battery life in stop-and-go traffic conditions typical of Indian cities. SunCycle has developed dust-resistant solar panels and motors that can withstand monsoon flooding. PedalAssist has created special parking zones in partnership with local shopkeepers who serve as informal guardians of the bikes.
“You can’t just copy what works in Amsterdam or San Francisco,” insists Nisha Patel. “India has its own transportation culture, its own weather patterns, its own economic realities. Our solutions have to reflect that.”
This focus on local adaptation extends to pricing models as well. Most of these companies offer flexible payment options, including monthly installments and subscription services. SunCycle even provides a “battery-as-a-service” option, where customers can purchase the bike at a lower price point and pay a monthly fee for battery usage and replacement.
Creating a Supply Chain Ecosystem
Perhaps the most significant long-term impact of these e-bike innovators is their contribution to building a domestic supply chain for electric mobility components.
When Vikram Desai and Arjun Mehta started SunCycle, they had to import almost all electrical components from China. Today, they source nearly 60% of their parts from Indian manufacturers, many of whom they helped develop the necessary capabilities.
“We spent almost a year working with a traditional bicycle parts manufacturer in Ludhiana to help them transition to producing e-bike components,” recalls Mehta. “It was challenging, but now they’re supplying not just to us but to other e-mobility companies as well.”
This ripple effect is creating jobs and expertise throughout the value chain. A 2023 report by NITI Aayog, the government’s policy think tank, estimated that the electric bicycle sector could create over 80,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2026 if current growth trends continue.
The Road Ahead
As these entrepreneurs continue to innovate and expand, the future of electric bicycles in India looks increasingly promising. Government initiatives such as the FAME II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) scheme now include subsidies for electric bicycles, recognizing their potential contribution to sustainable urban mobility.
Cities like Chandigarh and Pune have announced plans for comprehensive cycling infrastructure, partly motivated by the growing e-bike movement. And traditional automobile manufacturers are starting to take notice, with at least three major Indian two-wheeler companies planning to enter the e-bike market by 2026.
For pioneers like Nisha Patel, this mainstream attention validates what they’ve believed all along. “Five years ago, people laughed at us. Now, the same corporations that dismissed electric bicycles are rushing to catch up. But we have something they don’t – years of understanding what Indian e-bike users actually need and want.”
That deep understanding of the local market, combined with a passion for sustainable transportation, positions these entrepreneurs to lead India’s e-mobility revolution for years to come. As Rohan Kapoor puts it, “We’re not just selling a product or a service. We’re creating a new transportation culture for India – one that’s cleaner, more efficient, and more accessible for everyone.”
In the narrow lanes and congested boulevards of urban India, that culture is already taking shape, two wheels at a time.
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