Ola’s Bold Leap: Portable Dark Stores for Quick Commerce and Roadster Electric Motorcycle Debut

Ola, led by founder Bhavish Aggarwal, is developing portable warehouses, or dark stores, to enhance quick-commerce deliveries in the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) ecosystem. These portable dark stores aim to reduce costs and increase efficiency. Aggarwal shared these plans while also launching Ola Electric’s new electric motorcycle series, the Roadster, which starts at ₹74,999, and announcing the rebranding of Ola Cabs to Ola Consumer.

Efficient and Automated Warehousing

The portable dark stores, designed to fit on trucks and function in any location with electricity, will be fully robotic and provide triple the space of a regular dark store. They will be made available for use by ONDC network participants, including neighborhood stores (kiranas), enabling them to expand their product offerings. Ola has already partnered with several large FMCG and D2C brands like ITC, Marico, and Bombay Shaving Company to improve warehousing and logistics.

Disrupting Quick Commerce

Aggarwal emphasized that Ola’s initiative isn’t about directly competing with existing quick-commerce firms but about facilitating operations within the ONDC network. This service is expected to reduce the workforce required in dark stores, making it more cost-effective. Quick-commerce firms currently face high operational costs due to expensive storage and high personnel needs.

Rebranding and Future Plans

Ola’s rebranding to Ola Consumer reflects its broader range of services beyond just cabs. The company plans to bring back Ola Share and focus on reducing costs through efficient logistics and affordable commerce solutions. Aggarwal highlighted the challenges in the Indian commerce sector, including high intermediary costs and inefficient warehousing, and outlined efforts to address these through partnerships with ONDC, electrified deliveries, AI-driven shopping solutions, and a new credit platform.

Expansion into Electric Motorcycles

Ola Electric is expanding its electric vehicle lineup with the Roadster motorcycle series, including the Roadster X, Roadster, and Roadster Pro, priced at ₹74,999, ₹1,04,999, and ₹1,99,999, respectively. Bookings have started, with deliveries scheduled to begin in January 2025. Ola Electric aims to boost EV adoption in India’s two-wheeler market by integrating its in-house Bharat 4680 cell, expected to start production at Ola’s Gigafactory by Q1 FY26.

Financial Performance

Recently listed on the stock exchanges, Ola Electric reported a 29% increase in its first-quarter revenue to ₹1,644 crore. However, its losses also grew to ₹416 crore from ₹267 crore the previous year.