Our electric vehicles have been demonstrating the scalability of sustainable transportation solutions across various landforms
The need for electric vehicles is greater now than ever before. What's your take on this?
The growing urgency to adopt electric vehicles (EVs) is driven by the pressing need to address climate change, air pollution, and energy security. EVs bring significant advantages, starting with zero emissions, which help reduce greenhouse gases and improve air quality; most importantly, e-buses are more comfortable. They also offer improved energy efficiency, converting 60-70 percent of electrical energy into vehicle movement, which is more efficient than traditional engines. In addition, EVs provide lower operating costs, as they require less fuel and maintenance, leading to long-term savings and in comparison, e-buses are more comfortable because they have silent operation, provide a smoother ride, and produce less vibration, creating a more pleasant environment for passengers. At PMI Electro, we have taken significant strides in this direction by deploying over 1,500 electric buses across 31 cities in India. This initiative has not only enhanced the passenger experience but also contributed to environmental sustainability by promoting cleaner transportation solutions. Our vision is focused on providing eco-friendly mobility, with a strong commitment to sustainability. We firmly believe that every step we take, no matter how small, moves us closer to achieving net-zero emissions, and we are dedicated to continuing this journey toward a greener future.
How is India's green mobility sector transforming, and what factors are influencing its trajectory?
India's green mobility sector is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by the government's vision to exceed 30 percent of new vehicles sales by 2030. For a nation as vast and diverse as India, it is indeed a big and decisive action plan. At PMI Electro, we're witnessing this growth firsthand. Key factors influencing this trajectory in eBus segment include Government initiatives, such as PM eDrive, PM eBus Sewa, offering incentives for EV adoption and manufacturing. Investments in charging infrastructure, with over 72,300 charging stations planned of these 1,800 charging stations are for ebuses. Besides, rising consumer awareness about environmental benefits, lower operating costs, convenience, noise free, availability and comfort are factors that are making ebuses as preferred mode of transport. Advancements in technology, improvement battery life and efficiency are helping in bringing customer confidence and we are seeing increased adoption across segments: e-two-wheelers, e-three-wheelers, e-buses, and e-cars.
What initiatives are you implementing to enhance your market footprint and accelerate growth?
At PMI Electro, we're driving growth through strategic initiatives. As an organisation, we have one of the largest footprints with over 30 cities that are majorly tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Our focus has been to strengthen our presence in similar cities and also to create inroads in tier 4 and tier 5 towns. We are investing in research and development on various mobility solutions in addition to advanced battery technology, integrating more safety features and fostering strategic partnerships. We aim to further strengthen PMI Electro's position as a leader in India's green mobility sector.
How effective have your green mobility launches been in curbing CO2 emissions over the past two years?
We have been on the mission to reduce CO2 right from 2017 and over the past few years, PMI Electro's green mobility launches have significantly contributed to nature conservation. Our electric buses have reduced 5.4 lakh-ton CO2 emissions with 226.5 million kms of green routes covered over 30 cities across India. Additionally, our electric vehicles have been demonstrating the scalability of sustainable transportation solutions across various landforms, plains and treacherous hilly roads with extreme weather conditions, (temperatures soaring to 48 degrees to sub-zero temperatures in the upper reaches of Himalayas in Leh & Kargil and coastal regions. We are proud to contribute to India's climate goals and look forward to continued innovation and growth in the green mobility sector.
What are the primary hurdles for green mobility in India, and how are current innovations working to address these challenges?
Green Mobility is gradually finding its roots in India, however, it’s still in its nascent stage. The numbers are showing adoption rates are gradually increasing which reflects market acceptance. Any new technology when introduced has to pass through the customer litmus test. As mentioned earlier, eBuses have found affinity in public e-mobility domain. Certain challenges like charging infrastructure, high upfront costs, range anxiety, and battery technology limitations, etc, are being worked out and continuous research and collaborations with best practice adoptions are happening across various levels to solve the aforementioned challenges. We are developing cost-effective electric buses, partnering for charging infrastructure expansion and investing in advanced battery research. Our goal is to make green mobility accessible and sustainable for all.
What interventions can the government make to accelerate the growth of the green mobility sector in India?
The government has been continually bringing in policies and schemes that have catalysed the growth of green mobility sector. Today, one can easily locate electric mobility solution in semi urban and urban locations which indicates that interventions are working. Some of the vital mechanisms that have been working and may need more impetus are incentivizing adoption through subsidies and loans, Developing and deploying interoperable charging infrastructure, electrifying public transport, funding R&D for better battery tech, continue to create a supportive policy framework. We’re committed to driving sustainable transportation growth in India.
How do your financial and technological partnerships contribute to strengthening green mobility in India?
We have been continually engaged with adopting advanced global tech learning and best practices replication go accelerate our commitment to green public mobility. Incidentally, PMI Electro was the first player in the toughest terrains of Himalayas to prove the mettle to our strong R&D and it’s been almost 18 moths of successful green public e-mobility operations. We have had the support of banks and financial institutions, like Piramal Alternatives, who duly understands the sustainable transformations, which has empowered us to navigate the growing market needs for public e-mobility solutions. Infact, our current order book of over 3000 eBuses stands as a reflection of our future commitment to green mobility sector. We remain committed to making sustainable transportation accessible and affordable for all through continued innovation and partnership expansion.
How do you leverage your after-sales services and dealer network to address customer needs and drive success in the green mobility sector?
We operate with STUs and certain private operators. We have established a strong network where on ground support is needed, our strategically placed support team ensures that the uptime is maintained for STUs to be able to have max run time for productive hours.
How are you addressing the potential for localizing production or establishing a manufacturing base?
We take pride to be on the forefront of public e-mobility space with our ‘Make in India ‘initiative. Both of our plants for eBuses, as well as all women battery plant, our team works with a greater sense of purpose to be the change agent for the larger vision of Viksit Bharat. The technological research and development is a continued process for which our team of experts believes that besides the efforts, best practices adoption and collaborations will be the key differentiator in addressing our nation’s net zero goals, thus, making electric public mobility accessible and affordable for all, while supporting sustainable transportation nationwide.
What are the major growth targets, expansion plans, and strategies your organization is aiming for over the next three years?
We aim to grow faster than the market and lead the numbers in a collaborative way that benefits all stakeholders. This growth shall be from strengthening the existing revenue models and creating new ones with private players. Also, we shall be developing both intracity and intercity public mobility solutions. Besides, we have plans to make electric vehicles/e-mobility more cost effective. Further, diversification to other e-mobility domains along with both backward and forward integration shall help the business to have stable foundation.
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