Ola Electric Pivots to Dealer-led Retail After Five Years
Ola Electric, the EV manufacturer, has launched its sales and service network for dealer partners throughout India, transitioning to a dealership model after five years of running company-owned outlets.
The firm stated that its owned outlets contributed to raising awareness about electric vehicles, strengthening the Ola brand, and establishing India’s biggest electric two-wheeler customer base with over one million riders.
The action comes after a month of discussions with potential dealers nationwide. Ola Electric stated it garnered a robust reaction, with dealers showing trust in the brand and the potential.
Bhavish Aggarwal, the Chairman and Managing Director of Ola Electric, stated that the shift illustrates the advancement of India’s EV market.
“This is a big shift in how we go to market, and one that reflects where the EV industry in India is headed. We built our own stores first because trust in EVs had to be earned store by store, city by city”.
“Now, as the category matures, our job is to bring EVs to every corner of the country, and dealer partners understand their local markets in ways no company-owned network can replicate at that scale,” he says.
Aggarwal mentioned that the company’s own outlets would keep functioning as experience centres, while dealer partners would aid in extending its presence into smaller towns and local areas.
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Ola Electric provides dealer partners access to a brand established over five years, a continuous service opportunity from its installed base exceeding one million electric two-wheelers, and a range that includes scooters and motorcycles.
The organization anticipates the dealership program will reach significant operational scale by Diwali 2026.
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In the course of the transition, BVR Subbu, the previous President of Hyundai Motor India, has returned to Ola Electric as Senior Advisor to assist with implementation. Subbu, a former member of the company's board, has been a mentor to Aggarwal as well.
The transition also aligns Ola Electric with competitors like Ather Energy, which manages a combination of company-owned and dealer-operated stores, in addition to TVS Motor, which depends on dealership networks.
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Ola, on the other hand, has exclusively managed a wholly owned retail and service network, which has faced criticism in recent years for delays in service, lengthy waiting times, and problems with after-sales support.