Bhavish Aggarwal might just be India’s answer to Elon Musk. With a vision set on transforming India’s electric vehicle (EV) landscape and a business acumen sharper than a CEO’s Monday morning coffee, Bhavish is not only redefining mobility but also the way Indians perceive their commute. Here’s a look at how he went from cab disruptor to electric crusader, all while keeping a healthy dose of risk, resilience, and reinvention.
The humble beginnings: The engineer next door
Born on August 28, 1985, in Ludhiana, Punjab, Bhavish Aggarwal is the poster boy for tech-turned-business prodigies. Armed with a degree in Computer Science from IIT Bombay, he began his career at Microsoft, where he worked as a researcher. It’s hard to imagine the man spearheading India’s EV scene doing desk duty, but Bhavish got his first taste of entrepreneurship there when he filed a couple of patents and published papers. But, as fate would have it, tech corporate life wasn’t enough for this Ludhiana-born disruptor.
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The ‘Eureka!’ moment – From corporate comfort to cab disruptor
In 2010, during a road trip to Bandipur, Bhavish rented a cab that broke down midway and left him stranded. After arguing with the driver over basic service expectations, he realised India had a huge gap in dependable ride-hailing services. This frustrating experience became the seed for Ola Cabs. What started as a single-person vision with a laptop and a dream, eventually bloomed into a household name that would change urban mobility for millions.
Ola Cabs, co-founded with Ankit Bhati, took off in 2010, and the timing couldn’t have been better. With affordable smartphones entering the Indian market and internet connectivity reaching new highs, Ola quickly became a go-to for urban dwellers across India. Today, Ola operates in over 250 cities in India and several cities abroad, offering not just cabs, but autos, bikes, and more recently, electric vehicles. Bhavish’s solution-oriented thinking turned Ola from a cab service into a lifestyle.
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Ola Electric: The next frontier
With Ola Cabs soaring, most CEOs would have cashed in their chips, but Bhavish was just getting started. Enter Ola Electric, his ambitious venture aimed at tackling India’s pollution problem with affordable, reliable, and stylish EVs.
Why electric scooters? Well, in India, two-wheelers rule the roads. Bhavish identified the market potential for affordable EVs early on. It wasn’t enough to just bring cabs to every corner of India; Bhavish wanted to power them, sustainably.
In 2017, Ola Electric was born as a subsidiary of Ola Cabs, initially focused on EV infrastructure, like charging networks and battery swapping stations. But soon, Bhavish had a more ambitious idea: What if India could have a Tesla equivalent for two-wheelers? Fast forward to 2021, and the Ola S1 scooter hit the market with a bang. With sleek designs, impressive mileage, and an affordable price tag, Ola Electric quickly grabbed public attention. His aim wasn’t just to create a great product but to start an entire movement.
Bhavish calls his vision a “Mission Electric,” with plans to get 1 million electric two-wheelers on the road by 2025. Aggressive? Yes. Impossible? Not for Bhavish.
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Business smarts and strategic partnerships
Bhavish’s ventures are backed by some serious business alliances. In 2020, Ola Electric raised a cool $250 million in a funding round led by SoftBank. This wasn’t the first time SoftBank put its faith in Bhavish; the investment giant had previously led funding rounds for Ola Cabs as well. With investors like Tiger Global, Tencent, and Hyundai on his side, Bhavish has built a network as robust as Ola’s EV chargers.
Bhavish has also ventured into setting up the FutureFactory in Tamil Nadu, the largest two-wheeler manufacturing plant globally. This plant has the capacity to churn out 10 million units annually, employing over 10,000 women—an all-women workforce in fact, a first in India.
Bhavish: The risk taker
If there’s one thing Bhavish Aggarwal isn’t afraid of, it’s risk. From taking on Uber in its home market to setting ambitious EV sales targets, his approach is bold. He’s known for his relentless focus and work ethic, often camping out at the Ola Electric plant, personally ensuring quality control. His willingness to roll up his sleeves and lead from the front is as inspiring as it is unusual among big-league CEOs.
But it’s not just about taking risks—it’s about taking calculated ones. Bhavish has an uncanny ability to sense the market’s pulse and align his ventures accordingly. His leap from Ola Cabs to Ola Electric wasn’t just a business pivot; it was a full-scale shift toward sustainable, futuristic mobility solutions.
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Investments, wealth, and net worth
At just 38 years old, Bhavish has amassed a fortune estimated at around $500 million. This net worth is no mere sum; it reflects the potential value of Ola’s wide-reaching services and Ola Electric’s growth potential. The investment community keeps a close eye on Ola Electric, particularly with EV markets heating up worldwide.
Bhavish himself is known to reinvest in his ventures rather than diversifying into unrelated businesses. This approach signals his unwavering faith in his vision for Ola and Ola Electric. He’s also strategically placed his funds in R&D and infrastructure, ensuring that both his ventures stay a few steps ahead in the game.
Other ventures and interests
When he’s not busy managing Ola’s two faces—mobility and electric—Bhavish dabbles in technology-driven solutions. While he’s kept personal investments under wraps, there are whispers that his long-term game might be something more akin to creating a technological ecosystem rather than a simple ride-hailing or EV service. Think India’s own version of Alphabet or Amazon, only rooted in transportation and energy.
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The human side of Bhavish
For all his daring moves, Bhavish maintains a humble, relatable demeanour. He’s known to chat openly with Ola drivers, gathering direct feedback on his app and service. He’s seen as approachable but razor-sharp, a boss who inspires his employees to hustle as hard as he does. On social media, Bhavish occasionally shares glimpses of his personal life, and his tweets reflect a person deeply committed to making a difference.
The legacy in motion
Bhavish Aggarwal’s journey is far from over. As India faces mounting environmental concerns and an ever-growing urban population, Bhavish is positioned to be one of the leaders shaping the future of mobility and sustainability. His commitment to quality, ambitious targets, and eye for innovation make him one of India’s most compelling young entrepreneurs. And with Ola Electric’s meteoric rise, he’s also proving that a deep-rooted commitment to sustainability can be both profitable and transformative.
In a world full of fleeting startups and short-term ventures, Bhavish’s approach stands out. From battling breakdowns on rural roads to breaking into electric mobility, he’s shown that a disruptive vision, relentless drive, and a little bit of “mad genius” can go a long way. He has next set his sights on entering the electric 4-wheeler market.
