Brands
Oben Electric honours Bengaluru traffic Police at red signals
BENGALURU: In a city where red lights usually test patience and tempers, Oben Electric decided to give them a new job. For one week, Bengaluru’s busiest junctions became unlikely stages for gratitude, as commuters paused not just for traffic, but for the people who manage it.
Marking National Road Safety Month, the electric motorcycle maker rolled out Salute At Signal, a city-led initiative that invited motorists to acknowledge Bengaluru Traffic Police at red signals. The idea was disarmingly simple. At selected junctions, drivers and riders were encouraged to switch on their parking or hazard lights for a few seconds, stay still, avoid honking and quietly recognise the officers on duty.
The result was a rare sight in peak-hour Bengaluru. Calm intersections, collective stillness and a moment of shared respect where chaos usually reigns.
The initiative ran for a week at Sony Signal in Koramangala and Vydehi Signal in Whitefield, two pressure points that handle tens of thousands of vehicles daily. Between 6 pm and 9 pm, public announcements nudged commuters to take part, transforming routine red lights into small but meaningful gestures.
At Sony Signal, the spotlight fell on Shanoor Nadaf (PC 15996) of the Adugodi Traffic Police Station. With nine years of service, he manages traffic for close to eight hours a day, including nearly five gruelling peak hours, at an intersection that sees close to one lakh vehicles per shift. Over in Whitefield, Sangamesh Desai (PC 18308) was recognised for his nine years with the Bengaluru Traffic Police, overseeing around 15,000 vehicles per shift during long daily duty hours at Vydehi Signal.
Informational boards at both junctions laid out the realities of the job. Names, years of service, duty hours and vehicle volumes were displayed for all to see, turning anonymous uniforms into recognisable faces and stories. For many commuters, it was the first time the scale of effort behind smooth traffic became visible.
Thousands participated over the week, proving that even in a city famed for gridlock, empathy can travel faster than frustration.
For Oben Electric, the campaign fits neatly with its broader focus on safety and responsible urban mobility. Designed and manufactured at its Bengaluru facility, the company’s electric motorcycles and patented LFP battery technology are built with everyday city riding in mind. Its Rorr range is tailored for Indian road conditions, where reliability and safety are not optional extras.
With more than 85 showrooms across 70 cities and plans to scale up to 150 by March 2026, Oben Electric’s ambitions are clearly national. But Salute At Signal kept things refreshingly local, reminding Bengalureans that road safety is not just about rules and machines. Sometimes, it starts with a pause, a light switched on and a simple thank you at a red signal.
Brands
Ekart expands IKEA partnership with EV deliveries in Chennai
3PL to handle 600 plus products with 48 hour delivery via EV fleet.
MUMBAI: Flatpacks are going electric and your sofa might now arrive with a smaller carbon footprint. Ekart has expanded its partnership with IKEA to power last-mile deliveries in Chennai, doubling down on speed, scale and sustainability in one of India’s key urban markets. Under the collaboration, Ekart will manage end-to-end large-format deliveries for IKEA across the city using a 100 per cent dedicated electric vehicle fleet. The move makes Chennai the second major market after NCR-Delhi where Ekart handles IKEA’s last-mile logistics, signalling a broader rollout of EV-led supply chains.
The mandate is no small load. Ekart will oversee deliveries for over 600 products from IKEA’s catalogue, ranging from furniture to home décor—categories that demand specialised handling and precision logistics.
Backed by its technology-driven fulfilment network, Ekart is targeting deliveries within a 48-hour window, offering real-time tracking and end-to-end visibility from warehouse to doorstep. The focus is clear: faster turnarounds without compromising on control or customer experience.
The EV-first model also aligns with both companies’ sustainability goals, as urban logistics increasingly shifts towards zero-emission solutions. For IKEA, which continues to expand its omnichannel presence in India, reliable and eco-conscious last-mile delivery is becoming central to scale.
For Ekart, the partnership reinforces its positioning as an enterprise-grade logistics player in large-format commerce. The company already supports over 1,800 retail, D2C and enterprise brands, spanning last-mile delivery, part-truckload services and warehousing.
As India’s logistics ecosystem evolves, this collaboration highlights a growing trend: delivery is no longer just about distance, it’s about efficiency, experience and increasingly, emissions.
