MAM
Simple Energy charges ahead with new marketing leaders
MUMBAI: Simple Energy is switching gears in style. The Bengaluru-based electric mobility company has appointed Jitin Johnson as head of marketing and Kevin Thomas as head of brand, alongside expanding its marketing team to over 40 professionals. The move is aimed at accelerating the company’s pan-India growth, with plans to roll out 150 retail stores and 200 service centres across the country by March 2026.
With 14 years of marketing experience, Jitin Johnson joins Simple Energy after leading digital marketing at River. He will oversee the company’s omnichannel strategy, encompassing brand development, go-to-market initiatives, digital transformation, and customer engagement. “Simple Energy is redefining how India moves – blending performance, design, and purpose in a way that resonates with the next generation of riders. I’m thrilled to shape a brand that’s emotionally charged as well as high-performing,” said Johnson.
Bringing over 13 years of creative leadership, Kevin Thomas joins from Ultraviolette Automotive, where he served as principal visual designer. He has also worked with Amazon, Motorola, and OnePlus. Thomas will lead the brand’s visual identity, storytelling, and design philosophy. “Great automotive brands are built not just through engineering, but through emotion and visual storytelling. At Simple Energy, I aim to craft a brand that is rider-centric, culturally rooted, and visually expressive,” said Thomas.
Simple Energy general manager – brand & marketing Smitha Rao commented, “These appointments and the team expansion mark a crucial step in strengthening Simple Energy’s brand and business ambitions. With Jitin and Kevin leading key functions, we’re positioned to build meaningful connections, enhance brand consistency, and accelerate our mission to make electric mobility aspirational yet accessible.”
Simple Energy’s portfolio includes the Simple One Gen 1.5 and Simple OneS, offering IDC ranges of 248 km and 181 km respectively. The company is also India’s first OEM to produce heavy rare-earth-free motors commercially and to offer an 8-year motor warranty. With 61 outlets in key cities including Bengaluru, Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Jaipur, Simple Energy is now expanding into Delhi, Patna, and other new markets, powering the next wave of electric mobility across India.
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.
