Founder’s health scare sparks cycling revolution, leading to smart bike empire

The emission of carbon dioxide from vehicular pollution in India is likely to reach 1,212 million tonne by 2035, from 208 million tonne during 2005, as per Centre for Science and Environment’s report. Road transport accounts for 12 per cent of India’s energy-related CO2 emission, according to another report available in the public domain. While on one end there are plenty of these reports indicating an alarming increase in CO2, on the other end, there are reports suggesting its repercussion on human health.

As a solution to vehicular pollution and as a promoter of cycling for healthy life, Hyderabad-based entrepreneur, Chairman of Shri Shakti Group and a cycling fanatic, DV Manohar founded public bike sharing startup, Smart Bike Mobility Private Limited in April 2017. The smart bicycle sharing platform, commercially operational from 2019, has registered over 9,09,998 users, total rides of 14,49,266, distance of 44,93,599 km covered, and reduction of CO2 emission by 2,500 tonnes, an equivalent to planting more than 20 lakh trees. D V Manohar and his son, Dharmin Dontamsetti, the Managing Director of Smart Bike Mobility Private Limited speaks to Bizz Buzz about their journey of being the first-movers in public sharing of smart bicycles

What prompted you to get into this business?

DV Manohar (DVM): About 12 years back I was diagnosed with diabetes. My physician charted certain dos and do not’s virtually telling me to take up semi-retirement. I was not ready for semi-retirement, then and now too. So, I researched online and found out that cycling could be a good antidote. After 40 years I got onto a bicycle and had a bad fall. While getting up from the fall I resolved that I would cycle from London to Paris within a year. When we want to do something new we should always have a target and that is how I set that target. I started getting up early at four am and ventured out on long rides. Initially I started with 25 kms, then it was 50 km, which went up to 75 km, and later 100km, at a stretch. Well, this led me to achieve my target within nine months. My children also joined me in this conquest.

When I was turning 60, I had overcome my health issue but the passion had intensified. As I wanted to spread the message of cycling, I started the Hyderabad Bicycling Club with a few hundreds of members in the first year, which is currently at 21,000 members. We started a cycling revolution in Hyderabad. We also started India’s first public bike sharing platform in the city and it wouldn’t be wrong to say the first in the world too. It was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister at Necklace Road, in 2011. The second bike station was inaugurated by the Governor at Gachibowli in 2012. These were introduced on the platform of Hyderabad Bicycling Club, which is a not-for-profit organisation. After achieving this feat we decided on scaling up public bike sharing model across India.

How did you scale up your passion into a commercially viable business?

DVM: I implemented my passion into a commercially viable business to address the rising vehicular pollution in Delhi. The life span of residents here is cut short by 10 years due to pollutants emitted by vehicles. Other cities are not gas chambers to the level of that present in Delhi, yet our life spans too are affected by five to eight years. Our first feat in Hyderabad was carried out to popularise cycling. People were not ready to believe that cycling could be an alternate mode of transport in these days. Only after my son Dharmin got back from the US after completing his Entrepreneurial Management course, we started meeting the concerned State and Central government departments. And, as this system requires funds and a more organised structure we promoted Smart Bike Mobility Private Limited. When the Delhi government floated an International tender for the public bike sharing system, we won the tender by defeating the likes of public bike sharing companies. We implemented it in New Delhi, followed by Chennai and Chandigarh.

Any plans of re-introducing public sharing of your smart bicycles in Hyderabad?

DVM: In Hyderabad, Smart Bike is set to be commercially operational any time soon. We won the tender floated by Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited which built the new 23 km cycling track adjoining the ORR. All along the track there are five bike stations and at each bike station there will be 100 smart bicycles. We are ready with electric bikes and other equipments. The previous State government was taking time to take the process further; now with the new government in power we are expecting some progress in the implementation.

What was the teething problem you had to face as the first-movers?

DVM: The challenge was to get people interested in cycling. We had to change the perception surrounding cycling and secondly we had to get people interested in taking it up as means of transport. We introduced electric and geared bicycles that caught the imagination of the people. Then, more and more number of people started taking it up. Now, we have more than 7,500 smart bicycles and over 750 bike stations placed across these three cities. Out of these three cities, Smart Bike has the largest market in Chandigarh with 600 bike stations and 5,000 smart bicycles.

Has the trend of sharing smart bicycles picked up over these last four years?

DVM: The trend is picking up. The first launch was made in Delhi by the end of 2018. Now, we are the largest public bike sharing platform and our public bike sharing project in Chandigarh has bagged the recognition of being the best among the 100 smart cities. People have realised that it is a good alternate mode of transport, as it is pollution-free and good for physical regimen but they are concerned about safety. Earlier they were worried about access to such smart bikes, but now that is not the case. They are now worried about their safety of riding in traffic. All over Chandigarh there is nearly 200 km of cycling track built up. It is the only city with such a large network of cycling track. In other cities that infrastructure is not present. Consequently one has to ride through the traffic which is of grave concern in other cities.

What is unique about you smart bicycles?

Dharmin Dontamsetti (DD): We design and assemble our smart bicycles. Some parts of the smart bicycle are imported and some are sourced indigenously. We have assembly plants wherein these are assembled by us. Our smart bicycles come with Led lights in the front and back of the bicycle, have puncture-proof tyres, alloy wheels, the motor is protected by alloy…these are some of the special features of our smart bikes. We also have non-electric bicycles and next-gen bicycle which has a shaft transmission. Our smart bicycles can replace motorbikes because in a single charge one can travel more than 50 km. Our bikes are electric, take lesser space on the road, and reduce traffic congestion. The average price of renting these would cost about Rs 10 – 12, which is stipulated in the tender itself. Since, this pricing is not economical the government has given us advertising rights at the bike station.

How do you handle cases of vandalism?

DD: A challenge we face peculiar to India is vandalism and damage of bikes. In Chandigarh, a person smashed our bike costing Rs 70,000. He made his friend shoot a video of it and circulated the same online. When the video post reached us we contacted the police but they did not take any action immediately. They were arrested only when we went to the higher ups. That person was behind the bars for a month and later was let off on bail. Such damages are of great concern for startups like us where people just for the heck of it damage our smart bicycles. After the bicycle is rented out there are few people who do not close the ride which leads to such instances.

How successful have you been in bagging the right location for the bike stations?

DD: There have been discussions back and forth about allocation of the right location for bike stations. The government gives us some location then we have to go back and tell them that they are not good in respect of accessibility for the prospective cyclists and lacks visibility for advertisers. We have to convince them to allocate alternate location. When we started off in New Delhi, which was the first public bike sharing system in India, at that time the Chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council was kind enough to let us select the locations. There are 50 locations in New Delhi. That city is spread across only 45 sq km, hence that was possible then, whereas Chennai is 420 sq km and Chandigarh is about 200 plus sq km. Hence, sometimes we are able to get it relocated and sometimes we are stuck with those locations. Anyway, I would say about 70 per cent of our bike stations are well located.

Are electric bike sharing platforms eating away your share as it is widely preferred by delivery agents too?

DD: Yes it is a factor that these electric scooters are available on public sharing. In Delhi there is one e-two wheeler sharing platform, but their quality of bikes are not sturdy as ours. This field is new and people have to get accustomed to it. Entrepreneurs who are into it for quick money and who do not have the patience and perseverance will not be able to survive till this sector grows at its pace. We are willing to wait as we are passionate and are working on a mission of reducing vehicular pollution, and make smart and sustainable mobility a success in India.

How pro-active is the State/Centre in boosting cycling as means of transport?

DD: In 2022, Dharmin had an interaction with the Prime Minister of India. From over 50,000 startups, 12 startups representing different fields were chosen. Dharmin was chosen to represent Smart Mobility sector. In the given five minutes the founders had to put across policy recommendations so as to boost the sector’s growth. Dharmin proposed dedicated cycling tracks, a national cycling policy, car-free zone and carbon trading exchange. Of these, the trading exchange has been implemented. We are hoping that other recommendations will also see the light of the day.