New Delhi, March 13: Underlining its commitment to support start-ups and further build the EV ecosystem, MG Motor India today announced that it has shortlisted Driftly Electric, a smart EV charging solutions provider, under its Developer Program & Grant.
As part of its business model, Driftly helps EV owners to find nearby charging points through a multiplatform app. It connects EV users to charging points set up by private individuals. The owners of the charging point can earn revenue as users come to charge their EVs. This helps in easier monetisation for owners of EV charging points, thus bridging a major need-gap in the Indian EV market.
Speaking on the partnership, Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India, said, “The aim behind the MG Developer Program & Grant is to support and accelerate the evolution of the ecosystem of smart mobility in Indian automotive landscape by bringing innovative ideas and solutions to the fore. We are delighted to shortlist and support Driftly, which will help further expand the EV infrastructure in India. Through this grant, we are looking forward to supporting its growth, as it is in sync with our long-term vision of catalysing India’s nascent EV market by creating an end-to-end and well-integrated charging ecosystem.”
Launched in January 2020, Driftly will receive the grant to further expand its services through a peer-based ecosystem approach. Conceptualised by Sneha Roy and Ankur Edkie, Driftly Electric was launched to address the most prominent hurdle to faster EV adoption in India: the lack of a reliable and versatile charging network.
Driftly was shortlisted after thorough evaluation by the jury of the MG Developer Program & Grant. The carmaker received over 300 applications on its website, following which 60 start-ups were chosen for the first round of mentoring by a mentor panel from across all participating members. The company aims to further shortlist more start-ups depending upon the offering for further Grant amounts.
Speaking on the occasion, Sneha Roy, Co-Founder, Driftly Electric, added, “The lack of a reliable and versatile charging network is the most prominent hurdle to faster EV adoption in India. Driftly aims to address this need-gap by adopting a peer-based approach that helps hosts monetise their existing charging points while allowing EV owners to seamlessly discover charging locations close to them. We are delighted that a leading automotive player such as MG Motor India, which has been working towards strengthening the EV ecosystem in the country, has seen potential in our concept.”
Launched in association with Adobe, Cognizant, SAP, Airtel, TomTom, and Unlimit, with TiE Delhi-NCR as the ecosystem partner, the MG Developer Program & Grant is aimed at providing support to innovative concepts in the automotive space.
About MG Motor India
Founded in the UK in 1924, Morris Garages vehicles were world-famous for their sports cars, roadsters, and cabriolet series. MG vehicles were much sought after by many celebrities, including the British Prime Ministers and even the British Royal Family, for their styling, elegance, and spirited performance. The MG Car Club, set up in 1930 at Abingdon in the UK, has thousands of loyal fans, making it one of the world’s largest clubs for a car brand. MG has evolved into a modern, futuristic and innovative brand over the last 95 years. MG Motor India has its car manufacturing plant at Halol in Gujarat.
About Driftly Electric:
As part of its business model, Driftly helps EV owners to find nearby charging points through a multiplatform app. It connects EV users to charging points set up by commercial establishments, charging station operators as well as private individuals. The owners of the charging point can earn revenue as users come to charge their EVs. This helps in easier monetisation for owners of EV charging points, thus bridging a major need-gap in the Indian EV market.
