Growing Zero-Pollution Mobility in India

The Shoonya campaign yields 28 new bold corporate commitments after its first year of implementation

Moving people and goods is an integral part of the urban economy. In India, the demand for rides and deliveries is expected to double by 2030 due to rapid urbanization and e-commerce growth. Meeting this growing transportation demand through conventional internal combustion engine vehicles will be expensive, polluting, and unhealthy. That’s why the Shoonya campaign plans to revolutionize the transport sector with a radical and urgent transition to zero-emissions vehicles.

Shoonya – Zero Pollution Mobility, championed by NITI Aayog and RMI, and supported by MyGov, is a corporate-led consumer awareness campaign aimed at scaling electric vehicle (EV) adoption for the ride-hailing and delivery sector in India. By building awareness and facilitating bold corporate action, the campaign aims to promote EVs and reduce air pollution from the transport sector in India.

Collectively Transforming the Mobility Sector in India

The Shoonya campaign brings together a diverse consortium of stakeholders supporting all elements of the e-mobility ecosystem, including original equipment manufacturers, ridehailing companies, charging infrastructure providers, e-commerce providers, financers, and fleet aggregators. Shoonya has over 130 corporate partners in India, and as part of the campaign’s corporate branding program, every vehicle, driver, and parcel delivered under the campaign carries the Shoonya seal. Over the past year, corporate partners have collectively completed over 20 million Shoonya deliveries and 15 million Shoonya rides, avoiding 13,000 tons of carbon emissions.

Shoonya partners recognize both the economic (sustained fuel cost savings) and environmental benefits of electric mobility, and corporations have stepped forward with commitments and conviction for continued partnership under the Shoonya campaign. To mark the one-year anniversary of the campaign at the first annual Shoonya Forum, 28 corporate partners came forward with new commitments to further scale the e-mobility sector in India. Cumulatively, these additional commitments will lead to the deployment of 350,000 charge points and 140,000 EVs across India by 2025. This will help avoid 1.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂), 200 tonnes of particulate matter (PM), and 4,200 tonnes of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions over the vehicles’ lifetimes.

Increasing Visibility for Zero-Pollution Mobility

Through Shoonya, public and private sector leadership have come together behind the campaign. Innovative policies and industry ambition are creating a positive ambition loop to accelerate zero-pollution mobility in India. Shoonya has underscored the importance of effective collaboration to drive change at scale. The campaign aims to build from its successful first year of implementation, increasing the number of corporate partners, expanding public outreach, and creating resources to increase information availability.

During the Shoonya Forum, stakeholders identified opportunities to increase consumer engagement and stakeholder collaboration through consumer awareness campaigns and digital branding efforts during the campaign’s second year. Additionally, private and public actors identified ways to bridge trust to address systemic market risks and mobilize EV finance. Lastly, partners highlighted ways in which Shoonya can leverage its interdisciplinary network to inform policy frameworks. By continuing to garner traction on these key pillars, Shoonya will continue to chart a pathway toward 100 percent electrification of the urban mobility sector.

Scaling the Impact

Electrification of ride-hailing and urban deliveries, two early moving market segments, is one of India’s most significant and attainable opportunities to improve urban air quality, accelerate EV adoption, and decarbonize the transport sector. Using electric vehicles for all deliveries and rides can reduce emissions by 54 million tons of CO₂, 17,000 tons of PM, and 537,000 of NOx, saving roughly US$60 billion in oil expenditures annually. Shoonya, through its corporate- and consumer-facing engagement channels, is uniquely suited to help India capitalize on this opportunity. Within one year of the campaign launch, Shoonya has achieved resounding success. By gathering renowned industry and public participation in the campaign, Shoonya has kickstarted a widespread transition to a sustainable and cleaner future.