"Having served over 4 lakh passengers to date with an impeccable 95% OTP (On-Time Performance), an industry best, our goal is to establish a nationwide network and become the Indian market leader for intercity bussing in the upcoming years,” said Sudhakar Chirra, Founder & CEO of Fresh Bus, adding that, “We expect to scale to 1000 electric buses pan-India over the next four years, generate skilled employment opportunities for thousands of people and offer a green alternative for mass road transportation.”
Every day, over a hundred thousand bus services transport over 1 Cr Indians between the country’s cities, a market worth over Rs 84,000 crore today. Since its inception, Fresh Bus has saved over 42 lakh liters of diesel, reducing nearly 15,000 tons of CO2 emissions – an impact equivalent to saving about 2.5 lakh trees.
“Fresh Bus is demonstrating that the wide-scale decarbonization of transportation is not a promissory burden but an already lucrative economic opportunity,” said Nate Jaret, partner at Maniv Mobility, a transportation-focused early-stage venture fund investing globally. "India’s intercity bus travel is ripe for disruption, and Sudhakar’s team is rapidly modernizing it through innovations in drivetrain, infrastructure, and customer experience," he added.
“Electrifying mobility in India offers a unique chance to improve air quality, cut emissions, and reduce costs. Fresh Bus leads in electric intercity travel, driven by a data-driven, customer-focused approach," said Robert Linck, Shell Ventures’ Chief Investment Officer.
"We are excited to double down on our investment and back the Freshbus team to create a sustainable and customer-first bus travel experience", said Jai Sumer Singh, Partner at Riverwalk Holdings, an early-stage VC fund.