Bangalore: Today, India’s leading electric scooter manufacturer, Ather Energy, confirmed a multi-year partnership with the newly formed Indian Premier League (IPL) Ahmedabad franchise – Gujarat Titans, as their principal partner. The strategic partnership starting from this season will see the Ather Energy brand on the front of the Gujarat Titans’ official team jerseys.
Ather Energy is India’s leading electric 2-wheeler manufacturer, known for the 450X and 450 Plus, the country’s leading electric scooters. Founded in 2013 by a couple of young IIT Madras alumni, Tarun Mehta, and Swapnil Jain, Ather Energy has been at the forefront of the EV revolution in India. Buoyed by strong demand for EV scooters in the country, Ather Energy has surged ahead, registering 20% month-on-month sales growth over the past year. To cater to the growing demand, Ather Energy is expanding its retail presence across the country. Currently, the company has 30 experience centres (retail outlets) across India, and by March 2023, it plans to open 150 experience centres in 100 cities.
Across the country, Ather Energy, a new age and fast-growing brand, is challenging established automakers in the highly competitive automotive sector. This resonates well with the Gujarat Titans, a young team looking to challenge the established teams in the IPL. Through this strategic partnership with Gujarat Titans, Ather Energy aims to build a strong fan following across the country and accelerate the faster adoption of smart and intelligent EV scooters across the country.
Ravneet Singh Phokela, Chief Business Officer Ather Energy said “We are thrilled to partner with the Gujarat Titans team, who will make their debut in IPL in the upcoming season. Being relative newcomers in our respective fields, what binds us are shared values of fearlessness and positivity, and a hunger to make a difference in our highly competitive environments. Ather is rapidly expanding across the country, with a presence in 24 cities and expected to be across more than 100 cities over the next 12 months. The scale and reach of IPL provides a great platform for us to rapidly drive awareness and familiarity for the brand across the country, as we expand our geographic footprint. But beyond just reach numbers, the IPL has the unique advantage of being a sporting event whose appeal cuts across age and gender boundaries, engaging the entire household. This gives us the opportunity to introduce our scooters to a larger audience and accelerate the adoption of EVs across the country”.
Debuting in the 15th season of the IPL, the Gujarat Titans will pay tribute to the state’s rich cricketing legacy, which has seen it produce countless Indian international cricket legends over the years. The franchise is inspired by the opportunity to represent and build on this deep cricketing heritage, as well as build on its future success on the pitch.
Colonel Arvinder Singh, Chief Operating Officer Gujarat Titans said, “We are delighted to join hands with Ather Energy, a young and flourishing company that has been leading the way in the EV sector in India. The blend of youthfulness and strategic thinking that Ather Energy projects resonates with us as a team as we embark on a journey with youthful spirit and determination in mind to make our mark in the league. We hope to work together with great synergy to achieve our goals.”
As one of the two newest teams to join the league, Gujarat Titans has been actively building the squad, coaching and management team. Hardik Pandya has been appointed as Team Captain, with spin wizard Rashid Khan and young batting talent Shubman Gill also selected as squad members. In the recently concluded IPL auction, the Gujarat Titans team have roped in leading cricketers such as Mohammed Shami, Jason Roy, Lockie Ferguson, David Miller and Vijay Shankar. The cricket team management will be led by Vikram Solanki, who will hold the position of Director of Cricket, with Ashish Nehra as the Head Coach. Gary Kirsten will act as the Titans’ Mentor and Batting Coach.
Over the next three years, Ather plans to increase its annual production capacity to one million scooters from four lakhs by the end of 2022, install 5,000 fast chargers across India, develop new products and increase its network to 600 stores. This partnership will now allow Ather Energy to tell the story of its breakthrough product with a breakthrough team and will help enhance awareness, build credibility, and trust.
Ather Energy is deeply invested in the charging infrastructure with its public charging network – the Ather Grid to provide a holistic experience to the rider community. With 300+ charging points across India, Ather Grid is one of the country’s largest fast-charging networks for electric vehicles.
