Paradigm Of Sustaining First-Last Mobility During Pandemic

Mohit Sharma Akshdeep Singh Aug 29, 2021

The pandemic that swept through the country had an unprecedented impact on not just businesses, governments but humanity as a whole. In its wake, it taught everyone plenty of lessons. From a business perspective, there were two distinct stages of impact from COVID: Wave 1 and Wave 2. While in essence, both were similar for being declared suddenly, however from a preparedness perspective, the two were very much different. Various sectors came to a grinding halt during both the lockdowns. But the impact of the halt was very much different between the two.

The Indian mobility sector that was projected to grow USD90 billion by 2030 was one such sector. Essentially, during the lockdowns, the sector did zero rides. Going with the trend, many expected various players in the sector to shut shop. However, that was not the case. Many of the first-last mile mobility players used the first lockdown to pivot or add more to their offerings which allowed them to sustain their business. By the time the second lockdown rolled in, the new business offerings were a well-oiled machine that allowed these players to flourish. What was it that helped the mobility industry not just sustain but flourish post the lockdowns?

Flexibility and Nimbleness

It is quite easy to get stuck with a challenge, to focus on what could go wrong, what is not right rather than what could help to overcome. Many first-last mile mobility players, especially startups, were able to adapt, evolve and grow in real-time owing to the nimbleness and flexibility of their business model. A lot of players pivoted in the pandemic, for instance players like Vogo and Bounce were offering their scooters to various delivery executives for last-mile delivery. This shift allowed mobility players to not just sustain their business during the first wave but also flourish.

Scale using EVs

Most first-last mile mobility startups are centered on fuel-driven fleets. The first lockdown allowed them to focus on this non-sustainable aspect in the existing infrastructure and weave a solution to bridge it. In the wake of the first lockdown, the mobility sector witnessed a sharp pivot to either EVs. Many mobility players took the opportunity of lockdown to sell their fuel-driven fleet and increase the number of EVs in their fleet. While others took this as an opportunity to help strengthen EV infrastructure. Ola plans to build a comprehensive charging network to help ramp up the adoption of EV by creating the world's largest and densest two-wheeler charging network. For others, focusing on battery swapping infrastructure, is going to be the way forward.

The Team is a family

The team forms a strong support system in challenging times. It is the lynchpin to success. The proverb 'none of us is as strong as all of us' holds true every time. Each person in a team is likely to have a key piece to the puzzle that usually leads to the strategy which helps the startup to overcome challenges. Always remember compassion goes a long way to boost morale and fight crises together. But most of all, problem-solving needs to be an integral part of a start-up’s culture.

As life slowly but steadily heads back to normal, the learnings from lockdowns and the pandemic continue. It is key that we use what we have learned from the pandemic to create a better and more sustainable world.