Swiggy hosted the EV Mobility Conclave, themed “Powering the last mile”, in the presence of Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari. The event brought together EV manufacturers, charging and battery-swapping providers, rental and fleet partners, financiers and delivery partners to discuss how electric two-wheelers can become a practical and affordable choice for last-mile delivery.
At the event Swiggy launched battery swapping stations at its Instamart pods across 25 locations, developed together with ecosystem partners. Swiggy is also bringing EV rentals to its Instamart pods, so that delivery partners can pick up a vehicle at the same place where they collect their orders.
Sriharsha Majety, Co-founder and Group CEO, Swiggy, said, “Every order has a person behind it, and the last mile is that person. Our delivery partners are at the heart of everything we do, and our vision is to make their work easier and more rewarding. For those who choose electric, that means taking away the everyday hurdles, so that the transition fits naturally into the way they already work. When a solution is built around the partner’s day rather than around the technology, adoption becomes a natural choice. That is the future we want to help build for the people who power India’s last mile.”
On a busy day, a delivery partner visits a pod about 20 times. Swiggy has therefore placed battery swapping and EV rentals at the pods, within the partner’s own work space. This saves partners the time they would otherwise spend travelling to charge or collect a vehicle. They can use that time for more deliveries or for themselves.
Neha Singhvi, Head of Corporate Affairs, Swiggy, said, “EV adoption in last-mile delivery depends on enablers that sit beyond any one platform. Affordable financing, reliable charging and swapping, and supportive policy. Many of the partners honoured today have worked on exactly these challenges, and their experience is valuable to the wider ecosystem. We value the government’s continued engagement, and we look forward to working with industry and policymakers on solutions that help partners who choose EVs.”
The event also honoured delivery partners for their EV journeys and ecosystem partners for their role in building the supporting infrastructure. Ecosystem enablers honored at the event included Indofast Energy, Yulu, Bounce Daily, RIDEV, Baaz Bikes, Motovolt, Shadowfax, BGauss Auto, Veelo Mobility, Hala Mobility and Yuma Energy. In addition to this, delivery partners were recognized at the event. These included Sajan Lal, Kamal Kumar, Avanish, Sandeep Gupta, Vijay, Ritik, and Khurshid.
Speaking at the event, Varun Agni, Co-founder & CTO, Bounce said, “Access to a vehicle is one of the biggest barriers for anyone who wants to do delivery work. A large number of our riders had no vehicle of their own before they started with us. With this partnership, a rider has access to an affordable EV the moment they need one for work, and the battery-swapping infrastructure is already in place. The time, effort and money that saves contributes directly to a riders daily earnings and can help in meeting customer demand more efficiently. This is a big win for the ecosystem – for riders and customers both.”
Added Umesh, an EV delivery partner, “I rented an EV using the Swiggy app at affordable charges which were deducted from my payouts as per my preference. The battery swapping can also be easily done at the Instamart pods when I go to pick an order, ensuring I can make the most of my day and earn more.”
Addressing the gathering, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, shared ” India’s growth depends on clean, efficient and affordable transport. Delivery partners are the backbone of the new economy, and when they choose electric vehicles, it benefits their incomes, our cities and our environment. I appreciate Swiggy and its partners for working together to bring practical solutions closer to those who need them. Government and industry must continue to collaborate so that every delivery partner who wants to choose an EV finds it easy to do so.
