Bengaluru EV startup, Bounce announced on Tuesday its partnership with the central government’s e-governance service delivery network CSC to strengthen its presence across rural markets. Under the collaboration, Bounce will sell its product offerings through the Common Service Centre (CSC) network, the company said. CSC, a special purpose vehicle of the ministry of electronics and IT, permits Village-Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) the option to launch a rural e-store. CSC Rural e-Mobility promotes the use of EVs and charging infrastructure across the country through a strong and vibrant network of VLEs.
Originally, the company will offer e-scooters, fleet rental service and two- and three-wheelers retrofitting, Bounce said in a statement. This partnership, for which a pact was signed on Monday, is an effort to bring Bounce’s smart mobility offerings to rural customers across the country, it stated.
The agreement was signed and exchanged between Sachin Vasanth Shenoy, Vice President for expansion at Bounce, and Dinesh Tyagi, Managing Director of CSC special purpose vehicle, along with Gaurav Kumar Chaudhary, head of CSC Rural e-Mobility Initiative, Common Service Centre, the company said.
“This partnership with Bounce will take this initiative forward where our VLEs will set up dealerships for the electric scooter Bounce Infinity, start retrofit franchises (converting petrol two-wheelers to electric) and also start fleet rental business in locations which have strong inflow of tourists,” said Chaudhary. With this collaboration, Bounce will aim at improving mobility at over 7 lakh villages across India with its various consumer-centric offering, the company said.
“Our partnership with CSC is in line with the Indian government’s Aatmnirbhar Bharat vision. Mobility is a significant factor in rural areas, especially when it comes to commercial activities and it is the bridge between rural and urban India. This tie-up would play a significant role in enabling those living in rural India with the power of choice to choose products and services that work for them,” said Shenoy. The CSC Village Level Entrepreneur (VLE) network would be instrumental in taking the proposition to the rural parts of India and achieving India’s carbon emission reduction goals, he added.
