BLive Opens Its First-Ever Multi-Brand Store in 'Steel City of Odisha'

BLive, India's fastest-growing multi-brand electric vehicle platform, has opened its first multi-brand experience store in Rourkela, Odisha. MLA Sarada Prasad Nayak and other dignitaries were present at the store's opening.

The BLive EV Store provides a diverse selection of electric vehicles from various EV brands, expert support, simple financing, and exciting special offers. Buyers can choose from electric scooters, cycles, motorcycles, and delivery vehicles with EMIs as low as 2,000 per month. BLive has assisted over 2,500 families and businesses in switching to electric through its network of over 20 franchisee-owned stores.

Electric vehicles from well-known brands such as Kinetic Green, Hero Lector, LML - Detel, Batt:re, Gemopia, Techo Electra, E-Motorrad, and others are displayed at the store. Customers can test drive the Batt:re Story, one of the most anticipated high-speed EVs with stylish looks, at BLive's multi-brand store. This innovative and smart e-bike is the first in the Batt:re range.

Samarth Kholkar, CEO & Co-Founder, BLive, said “We are excited to enter Odisha with our first-ever store in Rourkela. The store will allow the masses to ‘try and buy’ EVs to transition to electric mobility confidently. The store will also facilitate home demos and provide the customers with information on exciting offers and easy finance options.”

“In addition to providing a range of environmental and economic benefits over conventional vehicles, electric vehicles are also powerful and reliable. Interested consumers can visit our store to learn more about the benefits of EVs, learn about the various types of EVs available, have the myths surrounding their use debunked, and also learn about available financing options. We are committed to helping consumers make the transition towards a cleaner, greener and economical mobility option,” he added.

With global awareness of climate change concerns growing and India's commitment to boosting electric mobility, the Odisha State government released an EV policy earlier this year to promote electric vehicles' use in both personal mobility and public transportation. The EV policy also aims to establish a robust network of Electric Vehicle charging stations and battery swapping stations that cater to all types of Electric Vehicles while emphasizing clean energy sources.

The Odisha government announced its EV policy in February this year, stating that it will provide a 15% subsidy on purchasing electric vehicles. The subsidy for two-wheelers will be 15% of the cost, up to a maximum of Rs 5,000. The cap on a 15% subsidy for three-wheelers is Rs 10,000, and it is Rs 50,000 for four-wheelers. The programme will be in effect until December 31, 2025. In addition to the subsidy, the state government has announced that all categories of electric vehicles will be exempt from registration fees and motor vehicle taxes.

Commenting on the launch, the proprietor of the Blive store in Rourkela, Akshay Praharaj said, “We are delighted to partner with BLive and do our bit in promoting the use of electric vehicles for mobility purposes to the people of Odisha. We request people from all walks of life to visit the store, explore our range of electric vehicles, and learn about why electric mobility is the need of the hour.”

While speaking at the occasion, Sandeep Mukherjee, Co-Founder, BLive said, “We are pleased to have the support of Sarada Prasad Nayak and Akshay Praharaj for this store launch in Rourkela. We are happy to note that the State EV policy of Odisha actively encourages and promotes the usage of electric vehicles as a mode of transportation. While EVs are quickly gaining traction among the masses, there is mild apprehension about their performance and reliability among consumers. We aim to debunk these myths by providing the consumers with a holistic ‘touch and try’ experience and negate apprehensions about switching to electric if any.”