Hyderabad, 05 July 2023: BLive, India’s fastest-growing multi-brand electric vehicle platform, and Zomato have established a strategic partnership to introduce their EVs in 20 cities across India. The initiative will commence in Hyderabad, with an initial fleet.
Each city will witness the deployment of 100 to 200 electric vehicles (EVs) exclusively for Zomato riders. This ambitious plan aims to reach a total of 10,000 EVs deployed for Zomato riders across India over the next two years.
To address the scarcity of electric vehicles in the market, BLive aims to assist last-mile delivery companies like Zomato with end-to-end EV solutions. Blive is primarily targeting Tier II cities, to bridge the supply gap and meet the demands of last-mile delivery organizations.
To accomplish this goal, BLive has introduced the innovative Rent-to-Own model – a first-of-its-kind in India, allowing delivery riders to become owners of electric vehicles without any upfront payment. This initiative addresses the challenges faced by these riders, such as limited access to finance due to low credit scores and high down payment requirements. At the launch of the program, a delivery rider shared his experience of visiting multiple EV showrooms but facing difficulties in obtaining finance due to high down payment demands ranging from INR 25,000 to INR 30,000. Given that their monthly earnings are around INR 20,000 to INR 25,000, arranging such a substantial amount for down payment becomes a significant hurdle. Fortunately, With the introduction of the unique Rent-to-Own model, BLive is making it possible for delivery riders to own EVs, providing a much-needed solution.
Speaking about the collaboration, Samarth Kholkar, CEO & Co-Founder, of BLive, said “It gives me immense joy to see our partnership with Zomato take shape. This collaboration is aimed at furthering our cause for greater adoption of EVs in the country, being the one stop EV solution for the growing delivery segment. With a focus on electric vehicles for their delivery fleet, Zomato have been a major accelerator of India’s electric mobility revolution. In addition to being green, the use of electric vehicles will significantly reduce the cost of operation for Zomato riders, making EVs a winning proposition for the last-mile delivery service providers.”
Sharing his thoughts, Shikhar Agarwal, Program Manager – Electric Vehicles Lead, Zomato, said, “It brings us great joy to partner with BLive and we see this as a milestone in our journey of growth. Zomato’s delivery riders are the backbone of the business; I’m extremely happy that this partnership is going to ease their access to owning an electric vehicle thanks to the novel Rent-to-Own model. This partnership is also a reflection of Zomato’s commitment to green mobility and sustainable operations, and we hope we are able to set an example for other last-mile delivery companies to follow suit.”