Even as the Union government is talking about the need for eco-friendly alternatives for transport, a startup that offers electric bikes in five cities across the country is struggling to survive due to lack of funds.
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources Nitin Gadkari emphasised the need for alternative sources of energy in transport at the India Chem 2018, the 10th Biennial International Exhibition and Conference held in October.
According to a survey by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufactures, over 48,000 units per day were sold in India in 2016, with the country overtaking China to emerge as the world’s biggest market for two-wheelers, resulting in a rise in pollution levels.
E-bike, India’s first ever electric bike rental service, was launched in January by Dr. Irfan Khan in Amritsar and the initiative spread to Jalandhar, Jaipur, Lucknow and Delhi by December. E-bike, apart from letting users rent bikes for personal transport, also operates a bike-taxi service and provides bikes to food delivery platforms.
“I always wanted to start an eco-friendly venture and this answers the major yet untouched concerns of growing India. We aim to strike a balance between the fast-paced, competitive life of young Indians while being responsible for our environment,” Mr. Khan said.
A single E-bike runs for around 200 km after being charged for two hours, with a maximum speed of 75 km/hr.
In the taxi services offered by Ebike, rides are offered on the spot, and efforts are on to launch a cell phone-based app for better service. “We have our riders at spots like airports, bus and railway stations in Amritsar. We are planning to make it available on cell phones but don’t have enough bikes or funds for the venture,” Mr. Khan said.
E-bike has also tied up with online food delivery chain Swiggy and is in talks with Uber Eats and Zomato. “In Delhi alone, Swiggy operates close to 12,000 bikes, out of which 50 are ours. Bikes used by food delivery operators add considerably to pollution levels and if we can replace these with e-bikes, it will make a significant difference,” he said.
The problem, however, is funding. E-bikes are not manufactured in India. Parts are procured in China and the bikes are assembled there before being shipped to India. Further, faulty parts have to be replaced as they can not be repaired in India. The entire process has caused the cost of operation to skyrocket, and with 467 bikes currently on the roads, E-bike is unable to expand further, despite being in operation for nearly a year.
“We are scouting for venture capital funding to raise ₹2.5 to 3 billion in the next three to four months. We are also in talks with the Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, where we aim to offer the bikes on rent to the students for daily commute for as low as ₹150 per day, which is cheaper than a petro-fuelled bike,” Mr. Khan said.
