Bengaluru Young entrepreneurs in the mobility and electric vehicle sectors stressed the importance of aligning innovation with societal needs to shape India's future mobility landscape, during a panel discussion, at the Bengaluru Tech Summit on Wednesday. Aravind Sanka, co-founder of Rapido, highlighted the significance of complementing public transportation with last-mile connectivity. Reflecting on the company's nine-year journey, he explained that Rapido has leveraged existing vehicle infrastructure to provide affordable and convenient transportation.

Looking ahead, Sanka shared plans to expand the service with "smarter vehicles that will support shared ownership and usage models."

Shan M S, Chief Operating Officer of Namma Yatri, underscored the need for digital public infrastructure (DPI) and interoperability among players in the electric vehicle ecosystem.

With electrification accelerating, Shan emphasised the need for "collective innovation" in building a robust infrastructure, including electrified buses and smart mobility solutions, while keeping a people-centric approach.

Sameer Aggarwal, founder of Revfin, shared insights on building a sustainable EV financing ecosystem.

He outlined Revfin's strategy, which focuses on partnerships with manufacturers, fleet operators, dealerships, and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition to electric mobility.

Aggarwal also spoke about the importance of fostering collaborations to scale EV adoption sustainably.

Anant Badjyata, CEO of IndoFast Energy, discussed the introduction of battery swapping as a "transformative solution" to address issues of cost, range anxiety, and charging time.

Badjyata revealed that IndoFast Energy has deployed over 650 battery-swapping stations across the country, facilitating quick and efficient energy replenishment.

He pointed out the potential of battery swapping in urban areas, where space constraints limit traditional charging infrastructure, noting that a single station can serve up to 200 vehicles daily. JR SSK SSK KH