Indian Startup Converts 250M Old Scooters Into EVs

While every electric vehicle startup in India fights to sell brand-new scooters, Ashish Dokania saw a smarter solution sitting in plain sight: the 250 million petrol scooters already on the road.

Green Tiger Mobility doesn't ask Indians to buy expensive new vehicles. Instead, the Bengaluru company transforms the scooters people already own into electric ones.

Dokania's background in banking and solar energy taught him that the fastest path to a cleaner India wasn't building from scratch. It was rescuing what already existed.

Founded in October 2020, Green Tiger offers three conversion options at its Bommanahalli retrofit center. The bi-mode hybrid lets riders switch between petrol and electric with a button press, eliminating range anxiety entirely.

The full electric conversion runs on a battery charged through any standard home socket. For delivery riders covering 100 to 150 kilometers daily, a swappable battery system through partnerships with Indofast Energy and Battery Smart means no downtime.

Because no off-the-shelf components existed in India for this work, Green Tiger built everything itself. The company now holds six approved patents covering its retrofit technology and powers roughly 10 other EV manufacturers with its innovations.

Retrofitted vehicles have collectively traveled more than 150,000 kilometers. The technology carries approval from ARAI, the same regulatory body that certifies vehicles for major Indian manufacturers.

The Ripple Effect

The credibility backing Green Tiger tells its own story. Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally visited the company's booth at the 2024 Bharat Mobility Expo to understand how the hybrid technology worked.

Bajaj Motors invested in the company's $1.95 million funding round, with Vikas Bajaj now sitting on Green Tiger's board. That level of engagement signals genuine belief in the model.

Since scaling operations in August 2024, the company has completed 600 retrofits and reported $550,000 in revenue for fiscal year 2025. The team of 20 to 24 people won FICCI's "Most Promising Innovation" award in 2022.

The impact extends beyond individual scooters. Every conversion keeps a working vehicle out of landfills while cutting carbon emissions from transportation that Indians already depend on daily.

Green Tiger recognized what everyone else overlooked: you don't need to replace 250 million vehicles to build a cleaner future. You just need to help them evolve.