Interview: Sunil Maddala, Chief Executive Officer, FuelBuddy

Scaling an on-demand fuel delivery model presents challenges such as navigating varying regulatory requirements across states, maintaining consistent service quality, and ensuring availability in high-demand locations

FuelBuddy is redefining fuel procurement through doorstep delivery. What core customer pain points does this model address compared to traditional refuelling methods?
FuelBuddy’s doorstep fuel delivery model addresses several critical challenges associated with traditional refuelling. It eliminates operational downtime caused by delayed or inconsistent fuel availability and removes dependence on nearby fuel stations and manual refuelling runs. By ensuring accurate quantity delivery and maintaining fuel quality at the site, it resolves long-standing issues of mismatch and contamination. The model also prevents pilferage and unauthorised handling of fuel while bringing predictability and continuity to fuel supply for uninterrupted operations. Additionally, FuelBuddy simplifies procurement by acting as a single, managed vendor and enables accurate, auditable billing through digital records.

Which customer segments are driving maximum adoption of FuelBuddy’s services?
FuelBuddy has seen strong adoption across customer segments that rely heavily on continuous fuel supply. These include infrastructure and large project sites with high equipment usage, construction and real estate projects dependent on DG power, and industrial and manufacturing units with significant diesel consumption. Telecom tower operations in remote and semi-urban areas, warehousing and logistics hubs requiring backup power, and mining or other remote operations facing access challenges are also key adopters. Multi-location enterprises seeking centralised control and visibility over fuel procurement further drive demand for FuelBuddy’s services.

Fuel transportation and delivery are highly regulated. How does FuelBuddy ensure safety, compliance, and quality?
FuelBuddy ensures safety, compliance, and quality through strict adherence to PESO and other statutory fuel transportation regulations. Its specialised mobile refuellers are designed specifically for safe on-site dispensing and are equipped with calibrated dispensing systems to ensure quantity accuracy. Deliveries are carried out by trained personnel who follow well-defined SOPs, while fuel sourcing is tightly controlled to maintain quality standards. Every delivery is supported by digital documentation, creating audit-ready records and ensuring both quality and quantity checks are conducted for each order.

How does technology enable scheduling, tracking, and transparency in FuelBuddy’s operations?Technology is central to FuelBuddy’s operations, enabling seamless scheduling, tracking, and transparency. Customers can place and schedule fuel orders through an app-based, platform-driven system. Delivered quantities are automatically captured at the site, ensuring accuracy and transparency. Digital invoicing and reconciliation reduce manual errors, while a centralised dashboard provides real-time, multi-site visibility for enterprises. System-led workflows minimise manual intervention, making fuel procurement and management more efficient and reliable.

How does FuelBuddy’s model contribute to sustainability and efficiency at project sites?
FuelBuddy’s model contributes to sustainability by significantly reducing indirect emissions through fewer vehicle movements for refuelling. Controlled and monitored delivery minimises fuel pilferage, leakage, and wastage, while accurate fuelling improves the performance and efficiency of DG sets and equipment. Optimised delivery routes further reduce logistics-related fuel consumption. Improved monitoring and better fuel control help prevent over-ordering and support cleaner, more efficient site operations overall.

What operational challenges come with scaling an on-demand fuel delivery model, and how are they addressed?
Scaling an on-demand fuel delivery model presents challenges such as navigating varying regulatory requirements across states, maintaining consistent service quality, and ensuring availability in high-demand locations. FuelBuddy addresses these by standardising training and operating procedures across geographies, coordinating last-mile deliveries even for remote sites, and continuously upgrading its technology to handle increasing transaction volumes. Local operations are built carefully while retaining strong central oversight to ensure consistency and compliance.

With operations spanning more than 180 cities, what has been your strategy for scaling in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities?
FuelBuddy’s expansion into Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities has been driven by infrastructure development and industrial growth clusters, especially in areas with limited fuel access reliability. These markets often see faster adoption due to fewer legacy procurement systems. FuelBuddy deploys local operations teams supported by central technology, follows a phased city-launch approach to maintain service consistency, and prioritises reliability over discount-led expansion. Faster onboarding is enabled through 24-hour pincode activation, reducing delays for customers.

As India’s infrastructure and logistics sectors expand rapidly, what role do you see doorstep fuel delivery playing in the next 3–5 years?
Over the next 3–5 years, doorstep fuel delivery is expected to become a standard practice for large infrastructure and logistics projects. Fuel is increasingly viewed as a controlled operational input rather than a variable risk, driving demand for managed fuel services over ad-hoc procurement. There will be a stronger focus on uptime, cost control, and compliance, with deeper integration of fuel planning into overall project operations. Adoption is expected to grow rapidly in decentralised and remote project locations.

How do you see FuelBuddy evolving in the future?
Looking ahead, FuelBuddy aims to evolve from a fuel delivery service into a comprehensive fuel management solutions provider. This includes offering advanced analytics and reporting for enterprise customers, deeper integration with customer operations and finance teams, and expanding its footprint across India’s and international infrastructure corridors. FuelBuddy will continue to support the digital transformation of fuel procurement, play a critical role in large-scale project execution, and position itself as a long-term fuel operations partner through robust fuel management systems.