Brands
Battery Smart clocks 100 million EV battery swaps, launches Rs 10 crore driver fund
GURUGRAM: Battery Smart has crossed a landmark few in India’s electric-mobility race: 100 million battery swaps. The five-year-old company is the first in the country to do so, cementing battery swapping as a serious alternative to plugs, queues and downtime.
The numbers are chunky. Those swaps have powered 3.5 billion clean kilometres, avoided 237,000 tonnes of CO₂e and saved the equivalent of 233 million litres of fuel. Battery Smart now runs an estimated 70 per cent of India’s battery-swapping infrastructure, spanning two- and three-wheelers across the country.
To mark the milestone, the company unveiled a Rs 10 crore Driver Welfare Fund 2026, aimed at bolstering insurance cover, rewards, free swaps, skill-building and community programmes for roughly 1 lakh EV drivers. Since launch, the platform has enabled cumulative driver earnings of more than Rs 2,800 crores.
“Crossing 100 million swaps shows that clean mobility can be affordable, accessible and scalable in India,” said Pulkit Khurana and Siddharth Sikka, co-founders of Battery Smart. “Every swap is a driver choosing uptime over waiting, assurance over anxiety. This milestone belongs to the drivers, partners, OEMs, investors and policymakers who believed battery swapping could work at scale.”
Battery Smart’s network runs on IoT-enabled batteries and real-time monitoring, allowing predictive maintenance and high uptime—crucial in a gig economy where idle hours cost money. The ecosystem is notably inclusive, with more than 5,000 women drivers and over 250 women partners.
Founded in 2019 by the IIT Kanpur alumni, the company has built 1,600-plus swap stations, serves over 100,000 drivers and operates in more than 50 cities. By 2026 it plans to enter 100 additional cities, roll out thousands of new stations and scale daily swaps sharply as commercial EV demand accelerates.
More stations, smarter batteries, tougher safety systems—and a bigger safety net for drivers. Battery Smart is not just swapping batteries any more; it is swapping the rules of India’s EV game.
Brands
Devyani International names Sandeep Anand, Robinder Singh in key roles
Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee businesses see leadership refresh from April
MUMBAI: Devyani International has strengthened its senior leadership bench with a fresh set of appointments across its key brands, Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee, signalling a sharper focus on growth and brand momentum.
The company has appointed Sandeep Anand as chief marketing officer and business head for Pizza Hut. His appointment, approved by the board via a circular resolution on April 3, follows a recommendation by the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, as reported by CNBC-TV18. Anand will officially step into the role on April 6, 2026.
He takes over from Vijay Gogate, who currently serves as chief executive officer for Pizza Hut within the company’s operations. The move marks a strategic transition as the brand looks to sharpen its marketing and business playbook in a competitive quick service restaurant market.
Anand brings over two decades of experience across the food and FMCG sectors, with a strong track record in brand building and innovation. His career spans roles at major consumer-facing companies including Domino’s, Zydus Wellness, Zomato, GSK Consumer Healthcare, Reckitt and Ranbaxy, giving him a well-rounded perspective on both scale and agility.
Alongside this, Robinder Singh has been appointed business head for Costa Coffee and the company’s airport operations. He too will assume his new role on April 6, bringing more than 18 years of experience in operations, business expansion and customer experience transformation.
The twin appointments come at a time when Devyani International is doubling down on leadership depth to steer its portfolio through evolving consumer preferences and heightened competition. With fresh faces at the helm of two key verticals, the company appears set to brew up its next phase of growth with renewed energy.
