Group update

• Electrifying urban deliveries can save India many harmful air pollutants annually, equal to nearly a quarter of Delhi’s air pollution burden
• Owning and driving electric two- and three-wheelers is up to 50% cheaper compared to petrol and diesel vehicles

Prosus and The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) last week released a joint whitepaper, ‘Electrifying Progress: Scaling Zero-Emission Deliveries in India’, laying out a roadmap for transforming India’s fast-growing e-commerce logistics into a cleaner, more inclusive system. The report emphasises that two- and three-wheelers, which dominate last-mile delivery fleets, are the fastest and most impactful pathway to zero-emission deliveries. Released by Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister of Road Transport and Highways, the report highlights that the transition to electric fleets will help improve urban air quality, cut transport-related carbon emissions, and create better economic opportunities for millions of gig workers.

As part of the 20th Global Sustainability Summit, Prosus and CII also hosted a roundtable discussion on “Financing Transition to Zero-Emission Vehicular Fleets”. The event brought together 30 leading companies across the EV ecosystem including OEMs, e-commerce platforms, financiers, fleet managers, and service providers; to discuss scalable solutions for making electric deliveries the new standard in India. Discussions focussed on the urgent need to scale emerging solutions like asset management, blended financing and other such risk-sharing models, underscoring the role of partnership-driven ecosystems in accelerating the transition to zero emission fleets.

Speaking at the Summit, Prajna Khanna, Chief Sustainability Officer, Prosus and Naspers Group, said: “The economics and the environmental imperative for electrifying last-mile deliveries make a strong case for change - electric two- and three-wheelers operate at half the cost of petrol vehicles, and can cut emissions the size of a quarter of Delhi’s air pollution. Collective action from government, industry, financiers, and innovators will ensure this is not a distant goal. It is achievable now if we work together to build financing models, infrastructure, and ecosystems to make zero-emission deliveries the new normal in India.”

Ms Seema Arora, Deputy Director General, CII, shared, “Through research undertaken in the whitepaper 'Electrifying Progress', CII and Prosus have identified that collaboration between city agencies and private players is not just beneficial; it is essential. The whitepaper outlines a clear playbook for this partnership, focusing on creating a viable business case and removing technical hurdles. It can be structured around three key areas: Policy and Fiscal Enablers; Standardization and Interoperability and Strategic Deployment and Digital Integration. By combining policy with industry-led technical standards and strategic execution, an interoperable infrastructure can be built that is accessible, reliable, and accelerates the adoption of zero-emission deliveries.”

Key findings of the report include that electrifying last-mile deliveries could reduce urban air pollution by nearly 25%, prevent 8,000 tonnes of PM2.5 and 176,000 tonnes of NOx annually, and deliver significant health benefits. It also estimates that gig workers could see their incomes rise by around 18% due to savings on fuel and maintenance. Total cost of ownership analysis shows that electric two-wheelers are 57.5% cheaper and electric three-wheelers 42% cheaper to run than petrol and diesel counterparts.

Barriers to scaling electric mobility include high upfront costs, insufficient charging infrastructure, and the absence of a strong secondary market for EVs. The report warns that in absence of intervention, rising e-commerce demand could nearly quadruple delivery-related emissions by 2030, underscoring the urgency for ecosystem-wide action, and it offers 23 practical, actionable interventions that can be implemented today, to power the zero-emission delivery revolution.

Download report here: Scaling Zero Emission Deliveries in India