Rolling Green, Riding Strong

In the world of cab-hailing, challenging the might of Ola and Uber is no mean task. Enter BluSmart, with an innovative idea and business model-enough to disrupt the space  

- Binu Paul

IN THE CUT-THROAT world of cab-hailing, challenging the seasoned giants Ola and Uber seemed like a David versus Goliath saga—until BluSmart Mobility decided to rewrite the story. Suddenly, the landscape shifted. BluSmart not only proved that there’s space for innovation but also redefined the game.

It all goes back to 2017 when Punit K. Goyal, a successful entrepreneur in the solar power plants industry, found himself engaged in a pivotal conversation with Brent Callinicos, former CFO of Uber, during a dinner in Los Angeles. The meeting left Goyal convinced that the future of mobility lay in electric solutions, tightly woven into an energy-infrastructure-mobility network. Returning to India with a vision of setting up a bornelectric, integrated full-stack EV ride-hailing service and EV charging network, Goyal, now 36, shared his idea with Amol Jaggi, the Founder of Gensol Engineering— an engineering procurement and construction and solar advisory firm—with whom he had previously collaborated on solar power plant projects.

Meanwhile, the cab-hailing market leaders in India were gradually shifting away from the incentives-driven model, and that resulted in a noticeable decline in service quality, marked by poorly maintained cabs, frequent cancellations, and extended wait times.