Brands
Ola goes the distance as Roadster X+ gets green light for 500 km rides
MUMBAI: Range anxiety just met its match. Ola Electric has shifted the electric motorcycling conversation up a gear after its flagship Roadster X+ (9.1 kWh) received regulatory approval, clearing the way for deliveries of a bike that promises to go farther than any electric motorcycle in India so far.
The certification, granted under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989 by the International Centre for Automotive Technology, makes the Roadster X+ the first electric motorcycle in the country to be approved with a completely in-house developed 4680 Bharat Cell battery pack.
With a claimed industry-leading range of up to 500 km, the Roadster X+ is designed to push electric riding beyond city limits. Powered by Ola Electric’s homegrown 4680 Bharat Cell technology, the motorcycle combines high energy density with improved thermal performance, making longer inter-city and highway rides more practical especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets where charging infrastructure remains sparse.
An Ola Electric spokesperson described the certification as a defining milestone in the company’s vertical integration journey, noting that the Roadster X+ delivers “unmatched range along with superior performance, safety and reliability,” all built on indigenously developed cell and battery technology.
The approval follows rigorous vehicle-level testing, including constructional and functional safety, range validation, gradeability, braking, noise and electromagnetic compatibility, as mandated by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for battery-operated vehicles.
In parallel, the 9.1 kWh battery pack built using Ola’s 4680 Bharat Cells has also secured certification from the Automotive Research Association of India under AIS-156 Amendment 4. The pack successfully cleared demanding safety benchmarks, including water immersion, thermal runaway and fire tests, vibration and mechanical shock assessments.
With this clearance, Ola Electric has now extended the use of its 4680 Bharat Cell platform across its two-wheeler portfolio, covering both scooters and motorcycles, and laying the groundwork for future products such as Ola Shakti.
As India’s motorcycle-heavy market looks for credible electric alternatives that can match petrol bikes on range and reliability, the Roadster X+ marks a significant step suggesting that long-distance electric riding may no longer be a leap of faith, but a certified reality.
Brands
Godrej clarifies ‘GI’ identifier after logo similarity debate
Says GI is not a logo, will not replace Godrej signature across products.
MUMBAI: In a branding storm where shapes did the talking, Godrej is now spelling things out. Godrej Industries Group (GIG) has issued a clarification on its newly introduced ‘GI’ identifier, addressing questions around its purpose and design following a wave of online criticism. At the centre of the debate were two concerns: whether the new mark replaces the long-standing Godrej logo, and whether its geometric design mirrors other corporate identities.
The company has drawn a clear line. The Godrej signature logo, it said, remains unchanged and continues to be the sole logo across all consumer-facing products and services. The ‘GI’ mark, by contrast, is not a logo but a corporate group identifier intended for use alongside the Godrej signature or company name, and aimed at stakeholders such as investors, media and talent rather than consumers.
The need for such a distinction stems from the 2024 restructuring of the broader Godrej Group into two separate business entities. With both continuing to operate under the same Godrej name and signature, the identifier is positioned as a way to differentiate the Godrej Industries Group at a corporate level.
The rollout, however, triggered a broader conversation on design originality. Critics pointed to similarities between the GI mark’s geometric composition and logos used by companies globally, raising questions about distinctiveness.
Responding to this, GIG said its intellectual property and legal review found that such overlaps are common in minimalist, geometry-led design systems. Basic forms such as circles and rectangles appear across dozens of brand identities worldwide, the company noted.
It added that the identifier emerged from an extensive design process and was chosen for its simplicity, allowing it to sit alongside the Godrej signature without competing visually. While acknowledging that elemental shapes may appear less distinctive in isolation, the group emphasised that the mark is part of a broader identity system that includes a custom typeface, sonic branding and other proprietary elements.
Following legal and ethical assessments, the company said it found no impediment to using the identifier, reiterating that the GI mark is a corporate tool not a consumer-facing symbol.
In short, the logo isn’t changing but the conversation around it certainly has.
