Ola Electric, one of India’s leading EV manufacturers, has found itself navigating internal and market-level challenges that raise concerns about its long-term vision. Despite its dominant position in the electric two-wheeler segment, industry observers have flagged gaps in strategy, particularly around customer satisfaction, product reliability, and supply chain robustness.
Reports indicate that Ola’s after-sales service and customer support have failed to keep pace with the aggressive sales expansion. Customer grievances regarding long response times, lack of replacement parts, and unresolved software bugs have become common, leading to dissatisfaction among early adopters. This undercuts the brand’s ambition to build trust ahead of its IPO.
Further, Ola’s decision to vertically integrate—designing, manufacturing, and retailing its scooters exclusively via its own platform—may have limited its reach. While the direct-to-consumer model offers cost control, it reduces accessibility and immediate service response, especially in smaller towns and rural areas where traditional dealership networks still play a critical role.
Another major gap lies in Ola’s overdependence on a limited product lineup. While the company has teased new variants and even electric motorcycles, its current focus remains primarily on the S1 series. With rivals like TVS, Ather, and Bajaj launching multiple models with broader price segments and features, Ola’s lack of diversification could hinder its ability to retain market share.
Additionally, the company’s battery and thermal management technologies have drawn scrutiny after high-profile incidents in the past. Despite software patches and public reassurances, Ola still faces skepticism from parts of the market and regulatory bodies, which could impact investor confidence.
As Ola Electric prepares for its much-anticipated IPO, resolving these strategic and operational gaps will be vital. While the company remains a trailblazer in the EV space, sustained leadership will require a more balanced focus on customer experience, service reliability, product safety, and network scale.
