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.”

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Kinetic Watts & Volts, the electric mobility division of the Kinetic Group, has formed a retail finance ecosystem through partnerships with Hero FinCorp, Bajaj Finserv and CleverPe.

The collaborations provide financing solutions for the Kinetic DX and DX+ electric scooter range, utilising traditional lending and digital payment technologies across the company’s dealership network in India.

The partnership combines the reach of established financial institutions with a fintech platform to offer EMI-based lending and digital credit options. This framework is designed to reduce upfront costs and simplify documentation for consumers. The move supports Kinetic’s strategy of market-by-market expansion as the company scales production and registration volumes.

The Kinetic DX range features the Range-X LFP battery architecture, which is engineered for safety and reliability. The scooters are designed to reference the brand's previous petrol models while functioning as modern electric vehicles. By integrating finance options directly at the point of sale, the company aims to address the requirements of urban consumers and first-time buyers.

Kinetic Watts & Volts is currently building its dealership footprint and after-sales infrastructure to support its long-term vision in the electric vehicle sector.

Ajinkya Firodia, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director, Kinetic Watts & Volts, said, “Access to convenient and trusted financing is fundamental to accelerating electric mobility adoption in India. By partnering with Hero FinCorp, Bajaj Finserv and CleverPe, we have built a comprehensive retail finance ecosystem that offers customers flexibility, choice and confidence. These collaborations support our strategy of opening markets one by one, while reinforcing the growing belief of leading financial institutions in Kinetic’s EV products and long-term vision.”

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NPCI Bharat BillPay (NBBL), a subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has introduced the ‘EV Recharge’ category on its Bharat Connect platform. The service allows electric vehicle (EV) owners to top up their charging wallets through a unified framework, addressing the fragmentation caused by multiple operator applications.

The integration follows a significant increase in EV sales, which grew from 50,000 in 2016 to 2.08 million in 2024, according to NITI Aayog. As India targets a 30 percent share of electric vehicles in total sales by 2030, the demand for accessible charging infrastructure has risen. As of August 2025, the Ministry of Power reported 29,277 public charging stations across the country.

The new category enables users to manage balances for networks such as Tata EZ Charge and Zeon Charging through Bharat Connect-enabled applications and websites. The platform supports various payment modes, including UPI, cards, net banking and digital wallets. The API-driven infrastructure provides instant transaction confirmations and digital records for all users.

The initiative is designed to improve the discoverability of charging services and provide ecosystem participants with access to a broad digital network. By centralising wallet recharges, NBBL seeks to remove the need for customers to navigate different platforms for different charging providers.

Noopur Chaturvedi, MD & CEO, NBBL, said, “As electric mobility becomes central to India’s transport landscape, offering a dependable solution for EV wallet recharges is essential. To meet this need, we have integrated the service into Bharat Connect’s robust and expansive biller network, leveraging its reach and interoperability to ensure a unified experience for EV users across the country. The ‘EV Recharge’ category is built for scalability, and convenience and will continue to evolve alongside India’s growing EV adoption.”

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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.”

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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.

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