MG Motor selects Indian startup Driftly Electric for its developer programme
Driftly will use the undisclosed grant amount to further expand its services through a peer-based ecosystem approach.
MG Motor on Friday selected Driftly Electric as the first startup it will be supporting as part of its Developer Program and Grant initiative. The Indian startup helps electric vehicle owners find their nearest charging point via its multi-platform smartphone application.
The charging points available in Driftly’s app also includes charging infrastructure set up by private individuals for a certain charge. This leads to easy monetisation for owners of these EV charging points, thus bridging a major need-gap in the Indian market.
On being selected for the programme, Sneha Roy, Co-Founder of Driftly Electric said,
“The lack of a reliable and versatile charging network is the most prominent hurdle to faster EV adoption in India. Driftly aims to address this need-gap by adopting a peer-based approach that helps hosts monetise their existing charging points, while allowing EV owners to seamlessly discover charging locations close to them. We are delighted that a leading automotive player such as MG Motor India, which has been working towards strengthening the EV ecosystem in the country, has seen potential in our concept.”
Operational since January 2020, Driftly was selected by the jury for the programme. The British carmaker, which launched its first electric vehicle in India early this year, had received over 300 applications on its website.
The jury then selected 60 startups in the first round who were mentored by a team selected by MG Motor. The company aims to further shortlist more startups in the future as part of this initiative.
Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India, said, “The aim behind the MG Developer Program and Grant is to support and accelerate the evolution of the ecosystem of smart mobility in Indian automotive landscape, by bringing innovative ideas and solutions to the fore.”
“We are delighted to shortlist and support Driftly, which will help further expand the EV infrastructure in India. Through this grant, we are looking forward to supporting its growth, as it is in sync with our long-term vision of catalysing India’s nascent EV market by creating an end-to-end and well-integrated charging ecosystem,” he added.
(Edited by Suman Singh)