When Hari Krishna spotted an electric rickshaw zipping past his car one rainy evening in Bengaluru, it wasn’t just another vehicle on the road—it was a vision of the future.
“I realized that last-mile delivery was still running on fumes, literally,” he recalls. “There were diesel and petrol vehicles everywhere, but no reliable, clean solutions for businesses or gig workers. That gap stuck with me.”
Today, as the founder and CEO of Green Drive Mobility (Green Drive Auto Services Pvt. Ltd.), Hari is building what he calls a “full stack electric-first mobility platform”—an ambitious model reshaping how India thinks about logistics, rides, and sustainability.
From Power Systems to Powering Change
Hari Krishna’s journey didn’t begin with startups or sleek EV fleets. An electrical engineer by training, he built his early career working with multinational companies in power systems automation and engineering services.
But over time, his path veered toward electric mobility as he began scaling EV dealerships and fleet operations across South India.
“I’ve always been deeply rooted in operations, customer experience, and team building,” Hari explains. “Those three pillars shaped my approach when I decided to launch Green Drive Mobility. I knew that if we wanted to make EV adoption mainstream, it wasn’t just about selling vehicles—it was about building an entire ecosystem.”
The Spark: A Pandemic Reality Check
The real “aha” moment came during COVID-19. Hyperlocal deliveries exploded overnight, but the vehicles enabling them hadn’t evolved.
“While demand skyrocketed, clean and affordable solutions simply didn’t exist,” says Hari. “The sector was screaming for tech-enabled, sustainable mobility.”
That observation became the seed for Green Drive Mobility—a company dedicated to making electric vehicles both eco-friendly and commercially viable.
Identifying the Gaps: Why the Market Was Ripe for Change
As Hari dug deeper, several inefficiencies became clear:
- A fragmented EV ecosystem with unreliable vehicles and poor service support
- High upfront costs discouraging gig workers and small logistics companies
- No integrated tech platforms to manage fleets, monitor earnings, or ensure uptime
- A lack of end-to-end solutions for enterprises looking to electrify deliveries
“Everyone was talking about EVs, but no one was building a platform that addressed financing, servicing, technology, and training all under one roof,” Hari notes. “That’s where we decided to go all in.”
The Green Drive Mobility Model: More Than Just Vehicles
Green Drive Mobility doesn’t just hand over an EV and wish operators luck. Instead, the company offers a comprehensive EV-as-a-Service platform for logistics and urban mobility:
- Cargo EVs (3W & 4W) for last and mid-mile delivery
- EV two-wheelers for gig workers in food, grocery, and parcel delivery
- Premium EV cabs for corporate and individual use
- Green Drive Rentals App for onboarding, billing, GPS tracking, and live support
- Nationwide service network with a centralized call center for rapid issue resolution
“Our edge is being full stack,” Hari says. “We combine vehicles, financing, insurance, training, and operational support to make the switch to EVs seamless. That’s why enterprises trust us.”
Overcoming Roadblocks: Reliability, Scale, and Trust
Every founder has war stories. For Hari, challenges came fast and early:
- Vehicle Reliability – Built deep OEM partnerships, created service teams, and set up a centralized command center.
- Driver Retention – Offered accident and health insurance, transparent responsibility models, and stable income through long-term contracts.
- Scaling with Limited Capital – Partnered with leasing firms and financiers to expand without heavy asset ownership.
- Winning Enterprise Confidence – Earned trust by scaling with brands like IKEA, DHL, Gati, Zepto, Swiggy, and Zomato.
“Reliability isn’t a pitch—it’s earned mile by mile,” Hari recalls.
Milestones that Mattered
One defining story is IKEA’s adoption:
- Started with just two EVs
- Today, over 70 EVs across five metro cities (Hyderabad, Bangalore, NCR, Mumbai, and Pune)
- Handles 80% of IKEA’s last-mile EV deliveries in India
Another landmark: growing the fleet from 400 to over 5,500 vehicles in just two years.
“That was the moment we knew our model could scale nationally,” Hari adds.
Looking Ahead: 25,000 EVs and Beyond
Green Drive Mobility’s next five-year goals:
- Deploy 25,000+ EVs across 30+ cities
- Launch intercity EV buses and premium cab services
- Expand into Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East
- Support India’s Net Zero goals by cutting 100,000+ tons of CO₂ annually
- Build green logistics hubs and charging infrastructure
Hari is clear about his mission:
“We’re not just growing a business—we’re helping rewrite how India moves goods and people.”
Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Hari’s journey carries valuable lessons:
- Solve problems end-to-end – “Don’t just offer a piece of the puzzle. Build the whole picture if you want lasting impact.”
- Earn trust with execution, not decks – “Enterprises don’t care about pitch slides. They care about whether you deliver, day after day.”
- Stay asset-light to grow faster – “Leverage partnerships to scale without burning through capital.”
- Focus on people, not just products – “Drivers, clients, and teams are your backbone. Take care of them, and growth follows.”
A Call to Action: Join the Green Drive
As Green Drive Mobility accelerates into its next phase, Hari’s message is simple:
“The future of mobility is electric—and we’re building it now. Whether you’re an enterprise looking to go green, a driver seeking reliable earnings, or an investor betting on clean tech, this is the moment to engage.”
Follow Hari Krishna and Green Drive Mobility:
- 🌐 Website: greendrivemobility.com
- 🔗 LinkedIn (Company): Green Drive Mobility
- 👤 LinkedIn (Hari Krishna): Hari Krishna
- 📸 Instagram (Green Drive Mobility): @greendrivemobility
- 📸 Instagram (Green Drive Cabs): @greendrivecabs
“EV adoption isn’t a distant dream anymore,” Hari says with quiet confidence. “It’s happening right here, right now—and we’re making sure India leads that charge.”
