Startups Struggle to Fill Delhi NCR EV Cab Market After BluSmart Shutdown
A year after the sudden shutdown of ride-hailing service BluSmart, new electric vehicle (EV) cab startups and fleet operators are struggling to fill the massive market vacuum across the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR). Following BluSmart's suspension of operations in April 2025, competitors have rushed into the region's green mobility sector, but they face slow growth and significant operational challenges as of June 22, 2026.
BluSmart suspended its operations after allegations of fund diversion surfaced around its related party entity, Gensol Engineering. The shutdown left a significant gap in the NCR's ride-hailing market, leaving loyal customers without the reliable, clean, and low-cancellation EV cab services they had grown accustomed to.
For some local founders, the exit created a rare space to build new ventures. Sahil Jindal, Managing Director of the DS Jindal group, launched Trevel, an electric cab company, after witnessing the market vacuum. Trevel currently operates 25 electric cabs in Gurgaon and plans to deploy 20,000 vehicles over the next five years.
Another major competitor is Chennai-based Refex Mobility, led by Anirudh Arun, the former chief executive of BluSmart. Refex currently operates approximately 2,000 cars across India, with 1,600 of them being electric.
However, scaling these operations has proven difficult. At an underground charging hub beneath a shopping complex in Gurgaon Sector 29, drivers and managers—many of whom previously worked for BluSmart—noted that business has been slower than expected. Kapil, a driver for Refex, shared that he currently completes only two or three rides a day.
To manage these challenges, Refex has focused on transporting corporate (B2B) employees along fixed routes rather than competing immediately for individual consumer bookings. Industry insiders and executives point out that replicating BluSmart's level of service requires massive investments, making sustainable scaling in the Delhi NCR market a slow and difficult process for the new entrants.
