BASF and AM Green B.V. have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaboratively explore and develop commercial prospects in India for low-carbon chemicals manufactured entirely from renewable energy, as well as the accompanying value chains. The agreement was inked at the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business 2024 in New Delhi, India.

As part of the MoU, both the companies intend to conduct feasibility studies on low-carbon chemicals production in India, including a joint evaluation of potential technologies. The collaboration also includes a non-binding letter of intent to purchase 100,000 tonnes of ammonia per year generated entirely using renewable energy, including electricity from pumped storage projects at AM Green's plants in various parts of India. This ammonia will comply with EU criteria for non-biological renewable fuels (RFNBO) outlined in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III).

Dr Markus Kamieth, Chairman – Board of Executive Directors, BASF SE, said, “We are committed to the sustainable transformation of the industries we serve. We are convinced that India is the right place to explore low-carbon chemical production together with our partner AM Green.”

Mahesh Kolli, Group President, AM Green said, “We are delighted to partner with a global chemical leader like BASF to propel the green transformation in the industry. AM Green’s vision of deepening capabilities in downstream value chains of green molecules is core to this partnership with BASF. AM Green and BASF partnership envisages to cater to multiple chemical downstream and associated consumer industries by providing key green molecule feedstocks to produce chemicals, materials and products in the markets served by BASF.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

RoadGrid has raised INR 120 million in a Pre-series A funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures, which also saw participation from Venture Catalysts, FAAD Network, LetsVenture and several angel investors.

The funding will be used to support the company’s objective of expanding its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across India.

Currently, RoadGrid operates in two segments of the EV market: the manufacture and sale of EV chargers to original equipment manufacturers and operating public and commercial charging stations. The company provides charging equipment for two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers. At present, India has approximately 8,000 charging stations, with a projected requirement of nearly 3 million stations by 2030.

The company's business model integrates Charging as a Service (CaaS) with direct sales to OEMs. RoadGrid is executing charging station deployments in locations such as Indore and Navi Mumbai, and holds orders with utilities including BSES and NPCL. The company reports a pipeline exceeding 1,000 chargers.

RoadGrid has partnered with Vgreen, a subsidiary of VinFast, to develop a charging network at HPCL retail outlets and to support the VinFast Aftersales Network in India. To date, the company has completed over 100 installations for clients including IOCL and Amazon. The Indian EV charging market is estimated to grow from INR 50 billion to INR 500 billion over the next six years.

The EV company has been founded by Deepesh Shrinath (CEO), who has experience at Emerson and Eaton. Shashank Narayan (CTO) previously worked at Delta Electronics and authored an EV charger handbook for NITI Aayog. The leadership also includes Chandraprakash Akotkar (COO), an electrical design specialist and Bharat Joshi (CMO), who has a background in advertising infrastructure.

Mitesh Shah, Co-founder IPV, said, “One of the biggest gaps in India’s EV journey today is not intent, but infrastructure. Consumers are ready to adopt electric mobility, but the lack of reliable, accessible charging continues to slow scale. What stood out to us about RoadGrid is their clear understanding of this gap and their ability to address it across multiple layers, from charger manufacturing to on-ground charging operations. Their focus on both OEM partnerships and public charging networks positions them well to build infrastructure that is not just expansive, but practical and sustainable.”

Deepesh Shrinath, Founder, RoadGrid, said, “RoadGrid is on a mission to enable seamless, sustainable and accessible electric mobility across India. We are focused on building reliable, universal charging infrastructure that works across vehicle categories and real-world use cases. With our VC partners, we will be scaling EV charging infrastructure that can become foundational to India’s EV ecosystem and support adoption at a national level.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Bajaj Auto, one of the leading two-wheeler manufacturers, has launched the Chetak C25 at INR 91,399, a new model joining its electric scooter range. The C25 is designed for urban mobility, focusing on a lighter frame and manoeuvrability to navigate city traffic. It retains the metal body and mono-body construction characteristic of the Chetak brand.

The e-scooter is powered by a 2.5 kWh battery, providing a claimed range of 113 km and a top speed of 55 kmph. The system supports fast charging, reaching 80 percent capacity in 2.25 hours. Practical features include a 25-litre boot for storage, alongside safety technologies such as hill hold assist, disc brakes and a ‘guide me home’ light function.

The C25 adopts a design language featuring a signature DRL headlamp and a jointless body. It is available in six colours with graphics inspired by street art. The model sits alongside the existing 30 and 35 Series in the Chetak portfolio, aiming to capture demand from first-time electric vehicle buyers and households requiring a secondary scooter for short-distance travel.

Eric Vas, President – Urbanite Business, Bajaj Auto, said, “The Chetak C25 reflects a clear shift in how urban mobility is being used today – shorter trips, tighter streets and a growing need for independent movement. While its form is compact and contemporary, the fundamentals remain unmistakably Chetak: solidity, sturdiness and reliability. The C25 allows us to extend the Chetak portfolio to a younger, more agile use case, while continuing to deliver the trust and confidence that the brand has stood for over generations.”

The introduction of the C25 follows a trend of increasing multi-scooter ownership within Indian households. Bajaj aims to leverage its service network to support the rollout of this model across urban markets.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Ather Energy has announced the addition of Tamil language support to the dashboard of its Rizta Z electric scooter. The update allows owners to switch the interface to Tamil, with the rollout scheduled as an over-the-air (OTA) update starting in February 2026.

The initiative is part of Ather’s plan to offer a multi-language interface supporting eight regional languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.

The Tamil release follows the previous introduction of Hindi and Kannada. The company indicates that this move supports the preference for technology interaction in regional languages.

The Rizta series consists of two models, the Rizta S and Rizta Z, which provide ranges of 123 km and 159 km. The vehicle features a 56-litre storage capacity, comprising a 34-litre under-seat compartment and an optional 22-litre front accessory. Safety systems integrated into the scooter include SkidControl, Fall Safe, Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) and Live Location Sharing.

Ravneet Singh Phokela, CBO, Ather Energy, said, “Tamil Nadu has been an important market for Ather from the beginning, both in terms of our manufacturing presence and our growing rider base. As Rizta continues to see strong adoption and has recently crossed the 2 lakh sales milestone, it becomes important for the product to feel familiar and easy to use for riders across regions. Building local language support into the Rizta experience has been a deliberate part of how we think about creating a seamless ownership experience. After the Kannada dashboard rollout, bringing Tamil to the Rizta Z dashboard on the occasion of Pongal felt like a natural next step.”

The company recently reached a sales milestone of 200,000 units for the Rizta. Additionally, a touchscreen upgrade for the Rizta Z was confirmed during Ather Community Day 2025 to further enhance the user interface.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Montra Electric, the clean mobility division of the Murugappa Group, has opened two new dealerships in the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion includes an electric small commercial vehicle (e-SCV) outlet in Libaspur, North Delhi and an electric three-wheeler (e-3W) facility in Surajpur, Greater Noida.

The Greater Noida dealership, operated by Vigsons Automobiles, will retail the Super Auto and Super Cargo models. This facility is equipped with service infrastructure and technicians to support owner-operators and fleet customers in the passenger and cargo segments. The North Delhi site, operated by Action Volt Wheels, is intended for businesses involved in e-commerce distribution and FMCG logistics, providing workshop and after-sales support for mid-mile operations.

Arun Murugappan, Chairman, Montra Electric, said, “The transition to electric commercial mobility is an institutional shift, not merely a product change. As adoption expands across India, its success will depend on the strength and reliability of the supporting ecosystem. Building this foundation, anchored in quality, service, and long-term ownership confidence, is essential for clean mobility to scale in a sustainable manner.”

Jalaj Gupta, Managing Director, Montra Electric, added, “Delhi-NCR is one of the most structurally important markets for electric commercial vehicles, where scale is being driven by real operating use-cases rather than experimentation. Our focus is to build a network that is capable of supporting this scale, through dependable retail partners, strong service infrastructure, and consistent customer engagement. The new dealerships in Greater Noida and North Delhi are a step towards ensuring that customers experience electric mobility as a reliable business solution, not just a sustainable alternative.”

The company stated that the NCR is a primary market due to the demand for urban logistics and shared mobility. The new facilities are designed to transition electric vehicles from pilot projects to regular commercial use by focusing on vehicle uptime and service responsiveness.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!