Mercedes-Benz Research And Development India Launches Sustainability Assessment Framework For E-Mobility Startups

In association with a social enterprise incubator, Villgro and World Resource Institute India (WRI India), Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) has launched an assessment framework, to raise awareness on maximising the impact beyond zero tailpipe emissions while also facilitating the creation of a uniform standard for socio-economic and environmental impacts within the electric mobility sector. 

The framework provides enterprises an opportunity to track and manage their impact from the early stages of development, allowing deeper integration of sustainable practices into their business.

The framework outlines that the domestic e-mobility industry has been growing rapidly in the last few years and many start-ups are actively supporting the e-mobility transition.

As of mid-2021, there were over 550 start-ups working on various aspects of the EV value chain and the number is continuously increasing.

As many startups struggle with integration of impact management amidst constraints of limited capital, resources, and time, the MBRDI’s impact assessment framework will encourage startups to build products and services that contribute to a more equitable, clean, and inclusive mobility ecosystem.  

It is estimated that $180 billion of investments are required to meet India’s 2030 EV targets. MBRDI says that this framework will prove to be an equally important instrument for impact investing firms to base their investment decisions on a holistic, comparable, and standardised framework to prioritise social and environmental impact besides financial viability and growth metrics. 

MBRDI currently supports e-mobility startups such as Sheru and Ziptrax with battery swapping infrastructure and battery packs utilised by their e-rickshaw drivers.