India’s rapidly growing auto market is witnessing a remarkable presence of new mobility startups. These changes have been brought about by various factors such as bright electric scooter illustrators and passenger EV firms. With an EV sales increase of more than 2 million units in 2024, which is 27% higher than in 2023, these newcomers have a total of nearly 400 funded EV ventures on the road, and they are investing in PR and marketing to catch the eye and build their brands. By doing this they hope that ingenious campaigns and social media will make them visible to the people who will realize that the spotlight of Tata Motors, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and other incumbents can be shared with them, even if EVs still represent only about 4–5% of Indian car sales.
New Players, New Playbooks
Startup-backed, India-local, cost-efficient, and creative are the words that best describe the new generation of automakers in India. These concerns aim at green and innovative solutions that range from e-bikes (electric bikes) and 3-wheelers to passenger cars. One such company, Ola Electric, has extended its products from merely e-scooters to the whole category of electric bikes and rickshaws. Aggressively marketing itself as “India’s own Elon Musk” (Bhavish Aggarwal, the founder of Ola Electric, is credited with the phrase “Tesla is for the West; Ola is for the rest”) the company plans an expansion in India. Ather Energy, which is supported by Hero MotoCorp, is not only upgrading its two-wheelers but is also rolling out large-scale promotional programmes. At the same time, Okinawa Autotech and Ampere are popularising the concept of lifestyle through their e-scooters. (For example, Okinawa even executed a Father’s Day campaign presenting its bike as a gift of “freedom and adventure”).
Euler Motors, an innovative company from Delhi, just announced the electric auto-rickshaw NEO HiRANGE (costing ₹3.09 lakh) as a part of a new brand “NEO by Euler” – a launch that received a lot of media attention. (Besides, India is home to numerous small EV (electric vehicle) players – e-rickshaw manufacturers, cargo vehicle startups, etc., most of which rely on the local media and influencer tie-ups to promote their products.)
Market buzz: Startups loudly announce any advantage they have. Under the PLI scheme for its scooters, Ola promoted the certification of domestic value addition. Ather claims its R&D heritage and “Made in India” engineering as the key factors. Euler derives the main insight from 10,000 drivers to emphasise his understanding. These stories are used extensively in the press releases and interviews to enhance the trust factor.
Savvy Marketing Playbook
To cut through the noise, these automakers use a mix of guerrilla and conventional PR tactics:
- Influencers & Digital Content: Pretty much every new electric vehicle brand is teaming up with social media influencers. According to the marketing head at Tata Electric Mobility, EVs are “a very new category that is ‘facing lots of misconceptions,'” and that’s why the most trusted influencers are going to “bust the myths” about the range, charging, and getting a device. to cost.” YouTube and Instagram auto reviewers usually test the brand (in which they are often sponsored) on various routes. One media executive says that buyers now watch the most trusted EV creators for charging tips and test-drive reviews and thus hardly ever visit a showroom. Most of these campaigns are either geo-targeted or bilingual so that tier-2/3 cities and rural areas can be reached with the local language content.
- Sport & Events Tie-ins: Certain startups have benefited from big events. For example, Ather has been supporting itself through sporting sponsorships and TV ads. In fact, its draft prospectus mentions the expenditure of ₹38.6 cr on sporting events and creative ads in the span of two years. (Ather also sponsored T20 cricket series to create brand awareness.) Startups, in fact, are usually present at big expos and auto shows along with the stalwarts, thus, getting the attention of the press.
- Bold Brand Messaging: Entrepreneurs of start-ups are not afraid to make a splash in the media. Ola’s Aggarwal, named “India’s own Elon Musk,” very often incommunication, uses one-liner provocative in case of Tesla (jab) to retain his position in the news. The campaigns mainly highlight the patriotism and the innovative spirit (“The next big thing from India’s Silicon Valley”). For instance, Okinawa’s viral Father’s Day advertising turned an e-scooter into not only a “vehicle” but also a “commitment to a greener future”.
- Social & Digital Campaigns: Minimally humorous stunts and local holidays are exploited for free publicity. To mark Earth Day an online quiz was conducted by one e-scooter maker, another took the pictures of the charging pods and posted them on Instagram, etc. In social media, they promote customer testimonials and organize online unveiling events. The new products unveiling is done through live streaming, along with the use of hashtags and giveaways, etc. These digitally-focused campaigns are cheaper than television commercials in terms of advertising costs, but the number of views can be in millions.
Leveling the Playing Field
These public relations efforts are not just noise – they assist startups to stand at the same level with old brands. By creating viral buzz or emotional appeal, they get free media coverage which is the same as paid advertising in terms of value. A campaign video of a two-wheeler startup can get more social channels engagement than a flyer, thus, brand recall is developed. In a consumer market of EVs, where interest is growing, that mindshare is very important. An auto-industry insider says that real influencer storytelling “generates strong consumer relationships” and is more efficient than conventional ads.”
The upshot: even the smallest brands get access to the prime-time slot. When Euler released its NEO passenger EV, detailed stories were run by the likes of ET Auto and the Economic Times. When Tork Motors (an e-bike startup supported by Ratan Tata) was going to announce extension plans to 72 cities, Times of India gave it a thorough coverage in 2023. Every such story is a reminder to buyers that “alternative” automakers are there alongside Tata and Maruti.
Government Schemes and Narrative
Startups are also part of the official green growth narrative. The government’s FAME-II subsidy (more than ₹10,000 crore) and PLI incentives for EV components are the major highlights. For example, Budget 2025 not only reiterated FAME support but also the charging infrastructure development. Startups mention these supports in their PR pitches to gain more trust: e.g. Ola emphasized that its scooters got PLI-linked “Domestic Value Addition” certification. Industry reports also reflect that India, through these schemes, intends to become a “global EV and clean-tech hub”. New firms which are marketing and seeking investors can benefit from the statement “we are part of a government-backed EV ecosystem”.
Looking Ahead
Analysts warn that the product should actually exist behind the hype. Maruti Suzuki’s sales chief Partho Banerjee says that with only around 4.5% EV market share (July ’25) and the low number of chargers, consumer hesitance is still there. However, the PR push is unquestionable: according to one PR executive, India’s EV startups are “innovating the storytelling” and thus making battery range and savings as attractive to the media as they were engine specs. In short, India’s automaker startups are using the strategies of tech brands and consumer goods – along with a bit of Bollywood-style bravado – to achieve more than their size would allow. Their focused PR campaigns are making sure that these upstarts, when the next Maruti or Tata launches a car, will not be the ones getting overlooked.
