Kolkata Police is expanding its use of electric mobility for frontline operations by inducting 183 Ultraviolette X-47 Skyforce electric motorcycles into its fleet for emergency response and patrolling under the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) 112.

The deployment, formally handed over at the Lalbazar Police Headquarters on Friday, is among the largest electric motorcycle deployments by the police force.

Of the 183 motorcycles, 60 have already been delivered with the remaining 123 expected to be inducted in phases later this year. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Sambhav Jain, said the pace of induction would also depend on Ultraviolette's manufacturing capacity.

The motorcycles will primarily respond to calls received through the police's dedicated 112 emergency helpline. When there are no emergency calls, they will be used for patrolling.

“There is an emergency response system with a dedicated toll-free helpline. When we receive calls, we will dispatch these motorcycles and they will respond,” the DCP said.

The deployment represents an extension of Kolkata Police's earlier experiment with electric four-wheelers. The force inducted electric cars around two years ago but their integration into the 112 response system was constrained by the availability of charging infrastructure.

According to the DCP, the charging ecosystem has since improved sufficiently to make a broader deployment of electric vehicles feasible.

The change could eventually enable Kolkata Police to bring electric four-wheelers into the emergency-response network as well.

The existing electric four-wheelers are primarily assigned to senior officers who are stationed at offices, where charging facilities are easier to provide.

The increasing availability of charging infrastructure on the road, however, is opening the possibility of using electric vehicles more extensively for field operations.

The force is also asking vehicle manufacturers supplying electric vehicles to provide charging infrastructure as part of the procurement arrangement. It is additionally planning solar-powered charging stations in the near future.

“We also request the companies from whom we are purchasing the vehicles to provide the charging infrastructure. And we are also planning some solar charging stations in the near future,” the DCP said.

The motorcycles supplied by Ultraviolette are X-47 Crossover Skyforce Patrol Variants, configured specifically for police duty. The motorcycles feature an augmented electronics architecture designed to accommodate equipment including sirens, hooters, a public-address system, LED blinkers, microphone and walkie-talkie holders, decals and side panniers.

The company said the motorcycles underwent testing before the handover and have been configured for day-to-day police operations in an urban environment.

The move comes as Kolkata Police seeks to modernise its mobility infrastructure while also addressing the recurring costs associated with conventional vehicles.

At the flagging-off ceremony, Commissioner of Police Ajay Kumar Nand said that the force was examining electric two-wheelers partly in the context of recurring expenditure on fuel and maintenance.

He also highlighted the potential environmental benefits of electric mobility in policing and said the motorcycles would support patrolling, rapid response and community outreach.

The Commissioner said the motorcycles were being introduced initially as an experiment and that the police could consider expanding electric two-wheeler deployment if the programme proves successful.

The monsoon will also provide an immediate real-world test of the vehicles. Nand noted that concerns had been raised about the operation of electric motorcycles during the rainy season, but said the vehicle manufacturer had assured the police that the motorcycle was IP-rated and that its battery packs were fully secured.

The motorcycles have been provided under a CSR initiative of West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited WBPDCL.

Kolkata support network

The scale of the police deployment has also prompted Ultraviolette to strengthen its local service infrastructure. A company official said that it already operates three dealerships across Kolkata and Howrah and has established a new workshop specifically to support the police fleet.

Additional manpower and specialised technicians have been deployed to service the motorcycles, reflecting the operational requirement of supporting a large fleet that could potentially see significant utilisation across the city.

The police order also comes at the time when the company expands its presence in Kolkata. The official said it sold more than 50 motorcycles in the city in a single month recently and plans to add more showrooms.

For Kolkata Police, however, the significance of the 183-bike induction extends beyond the size of the order. By placing electric motorcycles directly into the 112 emergency-response network, the force is effectively testing whether electric two-wheelers can become part of the everyday operating infrastructure of urban policing and whether the availability of charging and service support can make that transition scalable.

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Flying Flea, the electric mobility brand from Royal Enfield, has expanded its retail network in India by launching operations in Hyderabad. Following its initial rollout in Bengaluru, where registered vehicles have accumulated over 100,000 kilometres, Hyderabad becomes the second Indian market for the brand.

The expansion includes four touchpoints across Hyderabad, comprising one company-owned store in Erragadda and three dealer partner locations operated by Taurus Motors in Vanasthalipuram, Bolt Motorcycles in Hi-Tech City and SVR Motors in Kondapur. The network utilises a hub-and-spoke operational structure, designating the Erragadda facility for technical support while the partner locations handle routine service and sales operations.

The brand's initial offering, the Flying Flea C6 electric motorcycle, is priced at INR 279,000 ex-showroom or INR 199,000 under a Battery-as-a-Service model. The vehicle is offered in three colour options: Storm Black, Flea Green, and Parachute White, with roadside assistance provided across retail channels.

The retail launch in Hyderabad follows Flying Flea's international expansion into European and UK markets, including retail locations in Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Rome and London.

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Zomato and Blinkit, operating under parent company Eternal, hosted the third edition of EV Bazaar at the KD Jadhav Stadium in New Delhi to promote electric two-wheeler adoption among delivery partners.

The event drew participation from 2,500 delivery gig workers and over 20 original equipment manufacturers and ecosystem partners, showcasing more than 30 electric two-wheeler models alongside vehicle rental, financing and charging solutions.

The event included addresses by Mahmood Ahmed, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Jitender Patil, Head of the EV Cell at the Transport Department of Maharashtra.

As of 30 September 2026, over 200,000 delivery partners across the Zomato and Blinkit platforms operate electric two-wheelers. During FY2026, electric vehicles completed 228 million deliveries across both platforms, avoiding an estimated 9,926 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

Mahmood Ahmed said, “The electrification of the transportation section is a critical contributor to India’s energy security and air pollution control. The adoption of EVs by delivery partners is important to accelerating the transition since charging, swapping and servicing networks will expand for the industry and benefit other users as well. I appreciate this proactive initiative by Zomato and Blinkit to further the gig ecosystem’s shift to electric mobility and enabling a better future for India.”

Anjalli Ravi Kumar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Eternal, said, “For our delivery partners, the performance of their bike is critical to their ability to earn efficiently. Delivery may only be one of their many responsibilities on the same day. That makes the move to electric a practical and financial question as much as an environmental one. EV Bazaar gives delivery partners a place to evaluate their EV bike purchase options by directly interacting with companies who build, rent, finance and charge EV bikes. We thank each of them for being part of the third edition.”

To facilitate vehicle access, the companies operate a 'Rent a vehicle' feature within their delivery partner mobile applications, enabling workers to lease electric two-wheelers and locate charging and battery-swapping stations within assigned delivery zones. Over 23,000 delivery partners utilised the rental feature in fiscal year 2026. Additionally, Zomato Local Services launched an owned electric vehicle rental fleet in June 2025, deploying over 1,500 electric two-wheelers across Delhi and Chennai by March 2026.

Sheetanshu Tyagi, Co-Founder and CEO, EMO Energy, said, “EMO Energy brings advanced batteries and 20-minute charging together to keep last-mile vehicles moving. With Zomato and Blinkit, we are enabling riders to charge faster, operate with zero downtime, and have greater vehicle availability.”

During the event, three delivery partners received new electric two-wheelers and one partner was awarded a one-year rental sponsorship from the network in recognition of operational performance and participation in platform electrification initiatives.

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Jio-bp, the operating brand of Reliance BP Mobility, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with electric vehicle leasing platform Vertelo to develop charging infrastructure and financial solutions for electric buses and trucks in India.

The partnership combines Vertelo's commercial vehicle leasing platform with Jio-bp's fast-charging network across urban centres and highway transport corridors.

As per the agreement, both entities will explore providing fleet operators with turnkey charging infrastructure projects, preferential charging rates and location tracking for charging hubs. The initiative aligns with the Government of India's PM E-DRIVE program, which promotes zero-emission commercial transport adoption.

Sarthak Behuria, Chairman, Jio-bp, said, "India's transition to electric mobility is no longer a question, it is happening quickly. At the heart of this transformation are commercial fleets - buses and trucks that keep our people, cargo, and economy moving every day, often covering the longest distances and the toughest routes. At Jio-bp, we believe EV charging infrastructure is a critical part of national infrastructure and our partnership with Vertelo marks an important step towards building the charging backbone needed to cater to the demands of this transition."

Akshay Wadhwa, CEO, Jio-bp, said, "Jio-bp pulse has been built on a simple promise - accessible, reliable, high-uptime EV charging wherever needed. With Vertelo, we are bringing that same reliability to commercial fleets, which have distinct needs shaped by routes, battery capacities and operating patterns. This MoU lets us address those needs directly, while exploring practical charging and financing solutions for fleet operators. Together, we aim to make reliable charging more accessible for electric buses and trucks."

Sandeep Gambhir, CEO, Vertelo, said, "Commercial vehicles cover far more kilometres than passenger cars, which makes them the segment where electrification delivers the greatest environmental return, and where charging access matters most. Jio-bp has built meaningful infrastructure along the major corridors our customers operate on. This collaboration will help connect more cities and communities across the country while reinforcing Vertelo’s status as a trusted enabler of EV adoption through its ecosystem play through leasing and financing solutions along with creating the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the same."

The collaboration addresses charging access, battery performance management, and capital expenditure barriers for commercial fleet operators transitioning from internal combustion engine vehicles.

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Pune-headquartered electric vehicle company Kinetic Watts and Volts, a subsidiary of Kinetic Engineering, has entered into a retail financing partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank to provide credit options across its dealership network.

The arrangement enables customers at Kinetic EV dealerships to access loan options, interest rates and instalment plans, subject to eligibility criteria. Ground teams from IDFC FIRST Bank will collaborate directly with dealership staff to process applications at the point of sale. The initiative coincides with the expansion of Kinetic EV’s retail footprint, which currently comprises over 65 operational sales, service and spare parts facilities in India.

Ajinkya Firodia, MD, Kinetic Watts and Volts, said, "For many customers, choosing an electric two-wheeler is not just about selecting the right product, but also about finding a purchase option that works for them. Our partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank gives customers greater choice at the point of purchase and strengthens the support available across our dealership network. With quick financing options, attractive EMI plans and exciting offers for eligible customers, we want to make the overall purchase journey simpler and more convenient. As we continue to expand our presence across markets, we look forward to making the journey towards electric mobility more accessible for more customers."

The tie-up leverages the bank's branch and operational network to support dealership sales in multiple regional markets. The companies are also developing customer schemes and promotional offers that will be announced at a later date.

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