Yulu hopes to break new ground with Bajaj Auto

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

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."