In an interview, Abhinav Kalia, CEO and Co-founder of ARC Electric, shares insights on India’s evolving EV policy landscape, B2B fleet economics, and scalable corporate mobility. He discusses the impact of the PM E-Drive scheme, charging strategies, and ARC Electric’s profitability-led growth. Kalia also explains how data-driven operations, safety systems, and ESG alignment are positioning corporate EV fleets as long-term, monetizable sustainability assets across India.
Read the full interview here:
AET: With the PM E-Drive scheme extended and subsidies gradually phasing out, how do you see this policy shift impacting B2B EV adoption, fleet economics, and long-term scalability in India?
Abhinav:The extension of the PM E-Drive scheme brings much-needed policy stability, especially for operators planning multi-year fleet investments. While the gradual phase-out of subsidies will impact upfront costs, it also pushes the ecosystem toward sustainable economics. In the B2B segment, EV adoption is already driven more by lower operating costs, predictable demand, and ESG mandates than incentives alone. At ARC Electric, we’ve seen that once fleets reach scale and utilization improves, EVs become commercially viable even without subsidies. This shift will ultimately reward operationally strong players and support long-term scalability.
AET: As ARC Electric scales across Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, how do you assess battery swapping versus fast charging for B2B fleets? Is a hybrid charging model key to maximizing uptime and cost efficiency?
Abhinav: From a B2B fleet perspective, fast charging currently offers greater reliability and control, particularly for corporate mobility with defined routes and schedules. Battery swapping can work in select high-utilization use cases but faces challenges around standardization and network availability. As ARC Electric expands across Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, we see value in a hybrid approach using fast charging as the primary infrastructure while selectively integrating swapping where it improves turnaround time. The focus remains on maximizing vehicle uptime, minimizing energy costs, and ensuring consistent service delivery across cities.
AET: ARC Electric achieved 100% YoY growth and profitability in FY 2024–25 while many EV startups struggled. What core strategies enabled this performance?
Abhinav: Our growth has been driven by a disciplined focus on corporate mobility, where demand is predictable and long-term. Rather than chasing aggressive expansion, ARC Electric prioritized fleet utilization, city-level density, and cost efficiency. Technology-enabled fleet management helped optimize routing, energy consumption, and maintenance, directly impacting margins. We also scaled responsibly entering markets only after securing demand. This approach allowed us to grow 100% year-on-year while remaining profitable, proving that EV businesses can be both scalable and financially sustainable when built on strong operational fundamentals.
AET: How can corporate EV fleets evolve from reducing emissions to becoming measurable and monetizable contributors to India’s carbon credit economy?
Abhinav: Corporate EV fleets are uniquely positioned to become measurable climate assets. With detailed telematics data on distance covered and emissions avoided, fleets can generate credible, auditable carbon metrics. As carbon markets in India evolve, this data can translate into monetizable carbon credits, especially under voluntary frameworks. At ARC Electric, we already track emissions reduction for our corporate clients as part of their ESG reporting. Over time, structured carbon accounting and regulatory clarity can help EV fleets move from sustainability enablers to active contributors in India’s carbon economy.
AET: What operational systems and safety protocols have been most critical in managing a 1,000+ EV fleet across 100+ cities while maintaining service quality?
Abhinav: Scale demands strong systems. ARC Electric relies heavily on real-time telematics, centralized fleet monitoring, and predictive maintenance to ensure uptime across cities. On the safety side, we follow strict driver onboarding, background verification, EV-specific training, and continuous performance reviews. Vehicles are monitored through live tracking and alert systems, enabling quick intervention when needed. Standardized operating procedures across locations ensure consistency, even in regions with varying EV ecosystem maturity. These systems allow us to maintain high service quality while operating at scale.
AET: With plans to rapidly expand fleet size and city presence, how do you see ARC Electric shaping the future of sustainable corporate mobility in India?
Abhinav: Corporate mobility is increasingly being viewed through the lens of sustainability, efficiency, and compliance. ARC Electric aims to play a key role in this transition by offering reliable, scalable, and ESG-aligned EV mobility solutions. As we expand our fleet and city footprint, we see ourselves enabling corporations to move from pilot-level adoption to full-scale electrification. Large EV fleets can also catalyze charging infrastructure development and normalize EV usage beyond metros. The long-term vision is to make electric corporate mobility the default choice across India.
