A group of six UK-based small and medium enterprises working towards development in electric vehicle technology have come to the city to explore business opportunities.

The cohort includes companies such as Aegis Energy, Allye, Dock-Y, Hodos Media, Hypermotive and PowerUp. The companies work in the areas of decentralised generators, battery energy storage to solve grid constraints, AI, Internet of Things and telematics among others.

The delegation is visiting India as part of a project called ‘Unlocking the Value Chain of Electric Vehicles and Micromobility’ facilitated by Connected Places Catapult and supported by Global Business Inroads in association with the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The British Deputy High Commission said that the objective of the project is to support bilateral trade and drive investment between the UK and India, with an aim to facilitate long-term collaborative partnerships between Indian and UK stakeholders in the two-wheeler and three-wheeler EV market.

“The UK and Bengal share a vision for a sustainable future and this EV delegation from the UK marks a major step in advancing EV innovation and forging new partnerships,” said Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to East and NorthEast India.

“The bilateral exchange of ideas in EV and micromobility has been invaluable and we appreciate the collaboration and look forward to the continued development of partnerships,” said Elena Williams, director, government and global engagement, Connected Places Catapult.

Connected Places Catapult is a UK-based innovation accelerator for cities and transport.

Vineet Sikka, MD (distribution) of CESC, said that electricity being a regulated industry in India, it could initially explore collaboration for proof of concepts.

Uber partnership

Uber on Tuesday teamed up with Refex Green Mobility to deploy 1,000 electric vehicles (EVs) across key cities in India by 2026 to cater to the growing preference for sustainable mobility choices in cities.

This collaboration is in line with the US-based mobility company’s vision of 100 per cent emission-free rides by 2040.

Uber has Uber Green in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Calcutta, which allows passengers to request an all-electric on-demand car. Uber Green is available in over 100 cities across 15 countries.

“Uber is committed to accelerating the shift to zero-emission mobility in India, and this partnership with Refex eVeelz is a significant step in that direction,” said Aditya Kapoor, head, supply and electrification, Uber India and South Asia.