The shift is not only changing the markets where e-scooters are sold but also beginning to indicate who is best placed to win the market. For much of the sector’s early growth, technology, innovation and product differentiation helped create a new set of electric vehicle (EV) leaders concentrated in metropolitan markets.
But as e-scooters move deeper into urban and rural India, distribution reach, service infrastructure, financing access and brand trust are emerging as critical differentiators, strengths that traditionally favoured India’s established twowheeler manufacturers.
Industry executives say demand has strengthened in recent months, particularly in small cities and towns, driven by rising fuel prices, improving consumer confidence and wider acceptance of EVs as a practical mobility option.
“While enquiries have been rising steadily over the last two to three quarters, we’ve seen a spike in recent months, especially in tier-2, tier-3 and tier-4 cities,” said Ravneet S Phokela, chief business officer, Ather Energy.
The shift reflects a deeper change in consumer behaviour, he added. E-scooters are no longer viewed as products meant only for early adopters. Mainstream buyers are increasingly weighing them as viable alternatives to conventional vehicles, helped by favourable ownership economics and rising confidence in the technology. The recent hike in petrol prices has only strengthened that proposition.
The trend is visible across the country, but some of the fastest-growing EV markets are emerging from regions that have historically been strongholds for conventional scooters.
“Those regions which have a higher penetration of ICE (internal combustion engine) scooters generally are faster growing in escooters as well,” said Rakesh Sharma, executive director at Bajaj Auto.
The observation suggests that electric mobility is increasingly being adopted by the same mass-market consumers who drove India’s scooter market for decades. Rather than developing as a niche category, electric scooters are becoming part of the broader scooter market.
As that transition unfolds, customer priorities are also beginning to converge across both segments.
“Ultimately, the customer settles down to a universal set of attributes which converge across both ICE and E segments, with some nuances,” according to Sharma. While newer EV sub-segments are emerging, he said there remains considerable overlap in what consumers value.
Dealers in Pune, Vadodara, Surat and Visakhapatnam and other urban markets are reporting rising demand, reflecting the widening spread of adoption beyond India’s largest urban centres.
The changing market dynamics are already reshaping the industry’s leadership table. The dominance enjoyed by some of the early EV pioneers has moderated, while established manufacturers such as TVS Motor, Bajaj Auto and Hero Motocorp have strengthened their position.
“The market is increasingly being shaped by mainstream consumers rather than technology enthusiasts alone,” said Ravi Bhatia, president of automotive consultancy firm Jato Dynamics. Family-oriented products are also gaining traction, reflecting the broadening customer base.
For the industry, the implications are significant. As electric scooters move beyond metropolitan India and into the mass market, the capabilities that built the country’s largest two-wheeler companies may become just as important as the technologies powering their vehicles.
The first phase of India’s electric scooter story was won through technology. The next may be won through reach, say experts.