Bengaluru is India’s Next Lighthouse City for Shared, Clean, and Citizen-Centric Mobility

Bengaluru is India’s next lighthouse city for shared, clean, and citizen-centric mobility. In Bengaluru, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Micelio are partnering with the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), Invest Karnataka Forum, and Department of Industries and Commerce (DIC) to host the Urban Mobility Lab, a platform, which supports Indian cities to identify, develop, and implement mobility solutions that transform how people and goods move. Since 2017, when NITI Aayog launched the initiative, RMI has partnered with the Delhi Government and Pune Municipal Corporation to cohost the Lab in Delhi and Pune.

An initiative led by RMI, the Urban Mobility Lab will aim to further accelerate Bengaluru’s  transition to shared, clean, and citizen-centric mobility by serving as a forum for open discussion and a platform for action through facilitated multistakeholder convenings and ongoing collaborative work.

On partnership with RMI and Micelio, Ponnuraj,  DULT’s commissioner said, “We are happy to host the Urban Mobility Lab. This initiative can support our current mobility initiatives and increase sustainable mobility options in Bengaluru.”

To inaugurate the Lab, DULT, DIC, RMI, and Micelio are hosting a multistakeholder workshop on February 19–20. At the workshop, over 120 participants from across the mobility ecosystem will work together to address system-level barriers and develop implementation plans for mobility solutions. The workshop is organized around six thematic areas—charging and battery swapping infrastructure, data-based solutions, electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, first and last-mile connectivity, public transit, and urban final-mile delivery.

While discussing the workshop, Shreyas Shibulal, Micelio’s founder and director said, “We are excited to partner with DULT, DIC, and RMI. We believe a collaborative process that brings together the government, private sector, and civil society can support the development and implementation of real-world mobility solutions.”

Akshima Ghate, RMI’s, Principal, said, “Bringing all stakeholders together under one roof, encourages integration and can accelerate work on existing and new solutions that support Bengaluru’s mobility goals such as efficient and sustainable transportation.”

The Urban Mobility Lab is designed to catalyze Bengaluru’s transition to shared, clean, and citizen-centric mobility. After the inaugural workshop, RMI and Micelio, in coordination with system stakeholders, will continue to support the implementation of action plans generated at the workshop and also identify new opportunities that can help enable change. The lessons learned and successes realized can guide the scaling of mobility solutions in Bengaluru and beyond.