Will The Indian Innovation Gene Redefine Mobility?

India is a fascinating geography, and I say this in reference to not just the ethnicity and diversity of the country; but also in reference to the zeal that India has to grow, to do better, to innovate and to prosper! India is known as the country of innovation, and has given to the world the concept of zero, chess, Vedic mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, yoga and more. Innovation thrives in every nook & corner of our country, be it big or small.

I have always been amazed at the micro innovations that keep bubbling in all the small corners of our country and as an active follower of the automotive segment, the ones in the mobility space specially catch my eye. When the planned development for mobility inside cities moved towards building metros, I was astonished to see the quick identification of opportunity and requirement for last mile connectivity, which resulted into basic motor and battery combination vehicles cropping up on the roads. These locally made electric three-wheelers address requirements, which weren’t planned for earlier. Sure, these contraptions might break down frequently and have no standardisation from piece to piece, but they keep the economy of our cities moving. What’s worth appreciating is the innovation that went behind it – simple yet inexpensive. Such is the ingenuity of India.

Coming to the bigger picture, while the world is moving to shared mobility systems, it is interesting to know where India has reached, even after being one of the late adopters of modern shared mobility. Morgan Stanley predicts that by 2030, nearly 35 % of all miles travelled in India will be shared. This is just an example of the trend. With one of the largest population, fastest growing economies and approximate penetration of only 25 vehicles per 1,000 people in India, we still have one of lowest per capita emission count.