India Electric Scooters Market Outlook to 2035

The report titled “India Electric Scooters Market Outlook to 2035 – By Vehicle Type, By Battery Technology, By End-User Segment, By Sales & Distribution Model, and By Region” provides a comprehensive analysis of the electric scooter (e-scooter) industry in India. The report covers an overview and genesis of the market, overall market size in terms of volume and value, detailed market segmentation; trends and developments, policy and regulatory landscape, buyer-level demand profiling, key issues and challenges, and competitive landscape including competition scenario, cross-comparison, opportunities and bottlenecks, and company profiling of major players in the India electric scooters market.

The report concludes with future market projections based on urban mobility transition, fuel cost economics, government incentive frameworks, charging and battery-swapping infrastructure rollout, localization of EV components, evolving consumer preferences, regional adoption patterns, cause-and-effect relationships, and case-based illustrations highlighting the major opportunities and cautions shaping the market through 2035.

India Electric Scooters Market Overview and Size

The India electric scooters market is valued at approximately ~INR ~ billion, representing annual sales of battery-powered two-wheelers designed primarily for urban and semi-urban personal mobility. Electric scooters in India typically include low- to high-speed variants equipped with hub or mid-drive motors, lithium-ion or lead-acid battery packs, regenerative braking systems, connected features, and lightweight chassis optimized for short- to medium-distance commuting.

The market is anchored by India’s large two-wheeler–dependent mobility ecosystem, rising urban congestion, volatile petrol prices, and a structurally cost-sensitive consumer base that prioritizes total cost of ownership over upfront vehicle price. Electric scooters benefit from significantly lower running and maintenance costs, making them an increasingly viable alternative to internal combustion engine (ICE) scooters for daily commuting, delivery applications, and shared mobility use cases.

Southern and Western India represent the largest demand centers for electric scooters, driven by higher urbanization levels, better charging infrastructure availability, stronger state-level EV policy support, and faster adoption among early urban consumers. States such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Gujarat account for a disproportionate share of registrations. Northern India shows accelerating adoption supported by central government incentives and fleet-led demand, while Eastern and North-Eastern regions remain nascent but offer long-term potential as affordability improves and infrastructure penetration increases.

What Factors are Leading to the Growth of the India Electric Scooters Market:

Rising fuel costs and favorable total cost of ownership economics drive mass-market adoption: Persistently high and volatile petrol prices in India have increased consumer sensitivity toward operating costs. Electric scooters typically offer running costs that are a fraction of ICE scooters, with lower maintenance requirements due to fewer moving parts. Over a multi-year ownership horizon, this cost advantage materially offsets the higher upfront purchase price, particularly for high-usage urban commuters. As awareness of lifecycle savings improves, electric scooters are transitioning from an early-adopter product to a rational economic choice for middle-income households.

Government incentives and policy support reduce upfront affordability barriers: Central government schemes such as purchase subsidies, reduced GST rates, and production-linked incentives for advanced battery manufacturing have materially improved the affordability and supply-side economics of electric scooters. Several state governments further complement central schemes with additional subsidies, road tax exemptions, registration fee waivers, and preferential electricity tariffs. These layered incentives significantly lower the effective on-road price, accelerating adoption across both private and fleet segments.

Urban congestion and mobility constraints favor compact electric two-wheelers: Indian cities continue to experience rising congestion, limited parking availability, and increasing restrictions on vehicle access in dense urban cores. Electric scooters, with their compact form factor, low noise levels, and zero tailpipe emissions, align well with evolving urban mobility needs. For short daily commutes, first- and last-mile connectivity, and neighborhood travel, electric scooters offer a practical and socially acceptable alternative to larger vehicles, reinforcing their relevance in India’s mobility transition.

Which Industry Challenges Have Impacted the Growth of the India Electric Scooters Market:

Upfront affordability gaps and subsidy-linked price sensitivity impact conversion rates: While electric scooters offer strong long-term savings, their upfront acquisition cost remains higher than comparable ICE scooters, making purchase decisions highly sensitive to subsidies and incentives. Any delays, revisions, or uncertainty around central or state-level subsidy programs directly affect showroom footfalls and booking conversions. In several cases, abrupt changes in incentive eligibility criteria or disbursement timelines have disrupted demand momentum, leading consumers to postpone purchase decisions or revert to conventional petrol scooters.

Charging access limitations and uneven infrastructure rollout constrain usage confidence: Despite progress in public charging deployment, access to reliable and convenient charging remains inconsistent across cities, residential societies, and workplaces. A large share of urban households lacks dedicated parking with charging provision, while public charging density is still insufficient to support high daily usage confidence for all consumer segments. This infrastructure gap disproportionately affects first-time EV buyers and apartment dwellers, slowing adoption beyond early adopters and fleet users who have controlled charging environments.

Battery performance concerns and long-term durability perception challenges influence trust: Consumer apprehensions around battery lifespan, replacement costs, thermal performance, and degradation under Indian climatic conditions continue to impact brand trust and purchase decisions. Incidents related to battery safety, thermal runaway, or premature capacity loss—particularly in early product generations—have heightened scrutiny around cell quality, BMS design, and after-sales accountability. These concerns increase the importance of warranties, service support, and transparent communication, raising operating complexity for manufacturers.

What are the Regulations and Initiatives which have Governed the Market:

Central government EV incentive schemes influencing demand and localization priorities: National-level initiatives aimed at accelerating EV adoption have played a foundational role in shaping the electric scooter market. These programs link consumer incentives to vehicle performance parameters such as range, energy efficiency, and localization of components. By tying subsidies to domestic value addition, they also influence supplier strategies, encouraging investment in local battery assembly, motor manufacturing, and power electronics. Changes in scheme structure or compliance requirements have a direct and immediate impact on market pricing and demand elasticity.

State-level EV policies shaping regional adoption patterns and competitive intensity: Indian states have introduced individual EV policies offering a mix of purchase incentives, tax exemptions, registration benefits, charging infrastructure support, and manufacturing incentives. The variation in policy depth, stability, and execution quality across states has resulted in uneven adoption patterns, with policy-forward states emerging as early demand and manufacturing hubs. These regional policy differences influence OEM market entry strategies, dealer network prioritization, and investment allocation.

Vehicle homologation, safety standards, and battery compliance regulations affecting product design: Electric scooters must comply with evolving automotive safety standards, including vehicle homologation, battery safety testing, thermal performance validation, and electrical system integrity requirements. Regulatory scrutiny around battery quality, cell sourcing, and thermal management has increased, leading to higher testing and certification costs. While these regulations strengthen consumer safety and market credibility, they also extend development timelines and raise entry barriers for new or under-capitalized players.

India Electric Scooters Market Segmentation

By Vehicle Type: The high-speed electric scooter segment holds dominance in the Indian market. This is because urban commuters increasingly seek electric scooters that match or exceed the performance of ICE scooters in terms of speed, acceleration, and range, while delivering lower operating costs. High-speed e-scooters are preferred by salaried professionals, students, and daily office commuters who require reliability, faster travel, and regulatory road compliance. While low-speed scooters cater to entry-level and senior users due to license-free operation, the bulk of volume growth is driven by high-speed models supported by government incentives, improving battery technology, and expanding charging access.

High-Speed Electric Scooters (Registered)  ~75 %
Low-Speed Electric Scooters (Unregistered)  ~25 %

By Battery Technology: Lithium-ion batteries dominate the India electric scooters market due to their superior energy density, longer lifecycle, faster charging capability, and compatibility with modern vehicle architectures. OEMs are increasingly shifting toward advanced lithium chemistries to improve range and thermal performance under Indian operating conditions. Lead-acid batteries continue to exist in the low-speed and value segment but are steadily losing share due to weight disadvantages, shorter lifespan, and tightening performance-linked incentive norms.

Lithium-Ion Batteries  ~85 %
Lead-Acid Batteries  ~15 %

Competitive Landscape in India Electric Scooters Market

The India electric scooters market exhibits moderate-to-high fragmentation, characterized by a mix of venture-backed EV startups, diversified automotive OEMs, and new-age digital-first brands. Market leadership is driven by product reliability, battery performance, pricing discipline, subsidy compliance, service network depth, and supply chain localization. While a few players dominate volume sales, competitive intensity remains high due to frequent product launches, aggressive pricing, and rapid evolution in technology and policy requirements.

Some of the Recent Competitor Trends and Key Information About Competitors Include:

Ola Electric: Ola Electric continues to lead the market in terms of scale and national visibility, supported by aggressive pricing, vertically integrated manufacturing, and a direct-to-consumer sales model. The company’s focus on software-driven features, rapid capacity expansion, and battery localization positions it strongly for volume-led growth, although service consistency and execution quality remain critical competitive factors.

TVS Motor Company: TVS leverages its legacy manufacturing expertise, quality control systems, and nationwide dealer network to compete effectively in the premium and mid-range electric scooter segment. Its electric offerings emphasize reliability, ride quality, and brand trust, appealing to conservative buyers transitioning from ICE scooters to electric mobility.

Ather Energy: Ather differentiates through premium positioning, strong in-house R&D, connected technology, and a controlled experience-center-based retail strategy. The brand’s competitive strength lies in performance consistency, fast-charging ecosystem development, and software integration, making it a preferred choice among urban, tech-savvy consumers despite higher price points.

Bajaj Auto: Bajaj Auto has entered the electric scooter segment with a focus on brand-led trust, export readiness, and manufacturing scale. Its strategy emphasizes long-term platform development, regulatory compliance, and leveraging existing supplier relationships, enabling disciplined expansion without excessive discounting.

Hero Electric and Value-Segment Players: Value-focused players such as Hero Electric and Ampere Vehicles continue to address cost-sensitive segments through simpler product architectures and wide dealer coverage. However, rising regulatory requirements and battery performance expectations are increasing pressure on these players to upgrade technology while maintaining affordability.

What Lies Ahead for India Electric Scooters Market?

The India electric scooters market is expected to expand strongly through 2035, supported by structural shifts in urban mobility, sustained fuel cost pressures, improving EV economics, and continued government focus on electrification of two-wheelers. Growth momentum is reinforced by rising daily commute costs, increasing acceptance of EVs as primary household vehicles, and steady improvements in battery performance and charging accessibility. As electric scooters move from early adoption to mass-market penetration, they are expected to become a mainstream replacement for ICE scooters in urban and semi-urban India.

Transition from Subsidy-Led Adoption to Economics-Driven Mass Penetration: In the near term, market growth will continue to benefit from central and state-level incentives that reduce upfront purchase costs. However, by the late 2020s and early 2030s, adoption is expected to become increasingly driven by intrinsic cost advantages rather than subsidies alone. Falling battery costs, improved vehicle reliability, and lower total cost of ownership will enable electric scooters to compete effectively with ICE scooters even in the absence of aggressive incentives. OEMs that achieve cost-efficient localization and scale manufacturing will be best positioned to sustain growth in a post-subsidy environment.

Increasing Differentiation Around Performance, Reliability, and Digital Experience: As the market matures, differentiation will move beyond basic range and price comparisons toward performance consistency, ride quality, safety, connected features, and after-sales service reliability. Buyers will increasingly value real-world range stability, battery warranty terms, software reliability, and service responsiveness. Premium and mid-premium segments are expected to grow faster than entry-level models, particularly in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities where consumers are willing to pay for quality and brand trust.

Expansion of Fleet, Delivery, and High-Utilization Use Cases: Commercial and fleet-led demand—particularly from last-mile delivery, food delivery, and gig-economy platforms—will remain a key growth engine through 2035. These users prioritize uptime, predictable operating costs, and fast turnaround, making electric scooters well suited for their needs. Battery swapping, fleet leasing, and integrated service contracts will gain importance, creating parallel demand dynamics distinct from personal mobility buyers. OEMs with fleet-focused products and partnerships will benefit from volume stability and repeat demand.

Strengthening of Charging, Battery Swapping, and Local Ecosystems: Charging access will continue to improve through a combination of public charging deployment, residential charging adoption, and private charging networks. Battery swapping is expected to expand selectively, particularly in high-usage commercial corridors and dense urban zones. Over time, ecosystem development—including financing, insurance, resale markets, and certified used EV programs—will reduce adoption friction and improve buyer confidence, further accelerating market penetration.

India Electric Scooters Market Segmentation

By Vehicle Type

• High-Speed Electric Scooters
• Low-Speed Electric Scooters

By Battery Technology

• Lithium-Ion Battery-Based Scooters
• Lead-Acid Battery-Based Scooters

By End-Use Segment

• Personal / Household Mobility
• Commercial & Fleet (Delivery, Gig Economy)
• Shared Mobility & Institutional Use

By Sales & Distribution Model

• Traditional Dealer-Led Retail Model
• Direct-to-Consumer (Online-Led) Model
• OEM Experience Centers & Hybrid Sales Model

By Region

• South India
• West India
• North India
• East & North-East India

Players Mentioned in the Report:

• Ola Electric
• TVS Motor Company
• Ather Energy
• Bajaj Auto
• Hero Electric
• Ampere Vehicles
• Okinawa Autotech
• Emerging EV startups, regional manufacturers, and contract assemblers

Key Target Audience

• Electric scooter OEMs and EV component manufacturers
• Battery manufacturers and energy storage solution providers
• EV dealers, distributors, and service network partners
• Last-mile delivery companies and fleet operators
• Shared mobility and micromobility platform operators
• Charging infrastructure and battery-swapping companies
• Government agencies and urban mobility planners
• Private equity, venture capital, and strategic investors

Time Period:

Historical Period: 2019–2024
Base Year: 2025
Forecast Period: 2025–2035