Yulu hopes to break new ground with Bajaj Auto
Autocar Professional|15th March 2022
Amit Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based mobility startup, recalls how the partnership with Bajaj Auto came about and why he is bullish going forward. He tells Murali Gopalan that Yuluis also exploring an ownership model while expanding its presence to other cities.
Murali Gopalan
Yulu hopes to break new ground with Bajaj Auto

Amit Gupta breaks into a huge smile when the topic veers around to his company's partnership with LBajaj Auto. “This is a subject close to my heart," admits the Co-Founder and CEO of Yulu.

Beyond the fact that Bajaj Auto is an investor in his company, Gupta is more than pleased with the human touch in this alliance. The story began a little around three years ago when a "dear friend and an investor" in Yulu offered to connect Gupta with Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto. An invitation to visit Pune quickly followed and the Yulu chief made all the preparations for a meeting.

This was important since the company was keen on a partnership for electric two-wheelers. There were attempts made with "folks in Japan" who said they had their own roadmap for five years and asked Yulu to come back later. Clearly, this was a pointless exercise which was just not worth anyone's while.

Gupta was naturally keen on this meeting with Bajaj Auto where he waited in a large boardroom at the corporate office in Akurdi with his laptop ready to be swamped by “10-15 people" as is generally the case with investment discussions. To his surprise, only Rajiv Bajaj walked in and invited him to his room.

'This convergence of old and new companies is critical because someone from China, Japan and Korea will otherwise eat our lunch.'

"For three hours, not a single person disturbed us while we talked," reminisces Gupta. There was no reason for the laptop either since the Bajaj Auto MD had a little notebook while tea and poha kept coming in along with the "famous cookies Pune is known for".

It was clear that Rajiv Bajaj "just wanted to hear me out" and was curious to know what Gupta's plans were all about. "I then told him about my desire for mobility transformation in the country led by electric as the answer."

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 15th March 2022 من Autocar Professional.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 15th March 2022 من Autocar Professional.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من AUTOCAR PROFESSIONAL مشاهدة الكل
Spain's Fersa Group invests in India-based Delux Bearings
Autocar Professional

Spain's Fersa Group invests in India-based Delux Bearings

Besides theRs100 croreinvestment, the Indian company gets access toadvanced technologies and bearings with arange of applications that willhelpinits global growth strategy, writes Manobhava Baruah.

time-read
2 mins  |
15th January 2023
Tata Autocomp to open compact dual-clutch transmission plant
Autocar Professional

Tata Autocomp to open compact dual-clutch transmission plant

Amidthe country’s growing need for personal mobility with easy manoeuvrability, comes the demand for vehicles with automatic transmission. Tata AutoCompisready tomovein writes Shruti Mishra.

time-read
3 mins  |
15th January 2023
Pankaj Munjal-backed Hero Motors raises equity from GEF Cap
Autocar Professional

Pankaj Munjal-backed Hero Motors raises equity from GEF Cap

The company willinvest Rs1,500 crore over thenextthree years andit expects 60 percent ofits turnover to come fromelectric vehicle parts. Itaims to becomea Global EV Solutions Company from India

time-read
2 mins  |
15th January 2023
New age thermoplastics for next-generation EV batteries
Autocar Professional

New age thermoplastics for next-generation EV batteries

Saudi-based global materials major SABIChas developed cutting edgein fire-resistant polymers and flame-retardant materials that comply with various EV battery safety standards across the world.

time-read
4 mins  |
15th January 2023
Switch Mobility to meet growing e-bus demand with fresh capex
Autocar Professional

Switch Mobility to meet growing e-bus demand with fresh capex

Oncourse for abillion-dollar business, the company is exploringa possibility of operating satellite factories across the country to serve different geographies, write ShahkarAbidi and Ketan Thakkar.

time-read
4 mins  |
15th January 2023
Kia India to invest Rs 2,000 crore in EVS, to introduce new e-RV in 2025
Autocar Professional

Kia India to invest Rs 2,000 crore in EVS, to introduce new e-RV in 2025

New investmentto drive R&D, infrastructure development and manufacturing capabilities. The company willlocally produce EVsin India with possibility of exports as well, writes Mayank Dhingra.

time-read
2 mins  |
15th January 2023
"The government has given enough time for indigenisation but the industry has not taken it seriously"
Autocar Professional

"The government has given enough time for indigenisation but the industry has not taken it seriously"

Amitabh Saran, Founder and CEO, Altigreen, shares his views on problems inthe EV industry and battery localisation solutions with Amit Vijay M.

time-read
3 mins  |
15th January 2023
TATA MOTORS SEES ONE INTWO CARS SOLDAS EVS BY 2030
Autocar Professional

TATA MOTORS SEES ONE INTWO CARS SOLDAS EVS BY 2030

The company aims to offer wider choices withnew EVs that may straddle a pricebracket of Rs20to 40lakhinthe coming years, writes Ketan Thakkar.

time-read
2 mins  |
15th January 2023
MG Motor India in expansion drive, to invest $100 million
Autocar Professional

MG Motor India in expansion drive, to invest $100 million

The investment willbe usedtoramp up existing production capacity from1.2to1.4-15lakh units per annum atthe automaker's Halol plantin Gujarat, writes Ketan Thakkar.

time-read
2 mins  |
15th January 2023
"Technology and its multiplier effect are driving business transformations and customer experiences"
Autocar Professional

"Technology and its multiplier effect are driving business transformations and customer experiences"

Technical Centre India is one of Continental’s largest research and development centres in the world, andasa Centre of Competence’ it also develops customised products for the BRIC countries.

time-read
9 mins  |
15th January 2023