Yuma Energy has entered into a partnership with the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) to install battery swapping stations across Mumbai Metro Line 3. Under the agreement, 22 stations will be set up at nine metro stations within the MMRC network, integrating electric vehicle charging infrastructure directly into one of Mumbai's primary public transit corridors.
The stations are intended to serve electric two-wheeler users, including gig workers, delivery partners, fleet operators, and daily commuters who rely on uninterrupted vehicle uptime. By positioning swapping stations within metro premises, the partnership aims to allow riders to combine public transport with electric mobility, reducing the time lost to vehicle charging. Yuma Energy currently operates over 13,000 vehicles in Mumbai and handles more than 20,000 battery swaps per day across the city, giving the company an established operational base from which to expand.
The arrangement is structured under MMRCL's Non-Fare Box Revenue (NFBR) initiative, a programme through which the metro corporation generates income from station infrastructure beyond ticket sales. The NFBR model has previously been used to bring retail, advertising, and commercial services into metro stations. The inclusion of EV battery swapping under this framework marks a step toward using transit infrastructure to support the city's broader urban mobility goals.
Muthu Subramanian, General Manager and Managing Director of Yuma Energy, said the metro corridor provided the network density the company needed to extend its reach in Mumbai. R. Ramana, Director of Planning and Real Estate Development at MMRCL, described the collaboration as consistent with the corporation's commitment to building commuter-friendly and sustainable urban infrastructure, and said the stations could serve as feeder services for metro users arriving by electric two-wheelers.
Mumbai Metro Line 3, known as the Aqua Line, is a fully underground corridor running approximately 33.5 kilometres beneath the city, connecting Aarey Colony in the north to Cuffe Parade in the south. It is among Mumbai's busiest transit corridors and was opened in phases between 2023 and 2024. The line is operated by MMRC, a joint venture between the Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra, and was designed to ease congestion on the city's road and rail networks.
Battery swapping, as a model, allows EV riders to exchange a depleted battery for a fully charged one at a designated station, rather than waiting for an in-vehicle charge that can take several hours. The model has gained adoption among commercial riders in India, particularly in the gig economy, where vehicle downtime translates directly into lost income. Unlike conventional charging infrastructure, swapping stations do not require riders to own or maintain batteries, lowering the upfront cost of EV ownership.
Yuma Energy operates on a battery-as-a-service model, in which users pay for energy consumed rather than purchasing batteries outright. The company positions this approach as a way to reduce the financial barrier to EV adoption, particularly for riders who depend on two-wheelers for their livelihood. The metro partnership extends this model into high-footfall public spaces, which the company has indicated is central to its network expansion strategy in Mumbai and other urban centres.
The partnership comes at a time when India's electric two-wheeler segment is growing steadily, supported by government incentives and rising fuel costs. Mumbai, as one of the country's most congested cities, has been a focus area for EV infrastructure investment, with both public agencies and private operators working to build out charging and swapping networks capable of supporting higher adoption rates.