According to reports from Business Standard, Olectra Greentech plans to commence electric bus exports from FY28 (2027-28) and aims to achieve 10-20% of total production from overseas markets within five years. The electric vehicle manufacturer is currently evaluating potential markets including Africa, Australia, Singapore and the UK, but will only proceed after securing suitable long-term partners for vehicle maintenance, parts supply, and training. As reported by managing director Mahesh Babu, the strategy focuses on building sustainable overseas operations rather than simply shipping vehicles without adequate support infrastructure. "We need a right partner who will do life cycle, maintenance of the vehicle, parts and training of people, which will be with us for the long term. It's because we don't want to just dump the products in the country and then land up in trouble," Babu explained to Business Standard.
As reported by Business Standard, Olectra is developing a new-generation platform for buses and trucks specifically designed for export markets. Unlike the company's first-generation vehicles, which were primarily designed for the Indian market, this new platform will be export-ready with configurations for both left-hand and right-hand drive systems. The platform is being designed to meet European regulations and will feature modularity for different applications with varying battery sizes. According to Babu, this approach addresses the company's learning from the Indian market and aims to serve diverse international requirements effectively. "We have learnt a lot in India. These new generation buses will address different modularity for different applications and it will also have different sizes of batteries. It will have a left-hand drive and right-hand drive to address export potential," he added.
According to Business Standard, while buses will remain the main volume driver for the next five years, electric trucks are expected to become a larger opportunity over time. The company plans six truck launches, one every quarter from Q4 in FY27. Babu highlighted that trucks in India typically run over 300 kilometres per day, significantly higher than the average 200 km for buses, making them a more attractive opportunity for electric conversion. The company estimates India's commercial vehicle market with FY27 medium and heavy commercial vehicle volumes at 355,000 trucks compared to about 130,000 buses. "The bigger opportunity, more than buses, is in trucks," Babu noted, adding that electric truck sales could match or exceed bus sales over the following five years.
As reported by Business Standard, Olectra delivered 1,280 buses in FY26 and 350 in Q1 FY27, with a target of at least 2,500 bus deliveries in FY27. The company currently maintains an order book of around 8,000 buses. At its 150-acre Seetharampur facility in Telangana, the company can produce 2,000-2,500 buses in a single shift and 5,000 in two shifts. Babu expects deliveries to accelerate, with an exit rate of 600-700 vehicles in Q4. The company plans annual capacity of about 10,000 buses and trucks over the next three to five years. Babu noted that the company has achieved efficiency with vehicles in revenue recognition mode within 15-30 days of manufacturing completion.
According to Business Standard, more than 70% of new-generation buses and trucks will be localised by value, excluding battery cells. The company plans one new bus variant every quarter from Q3/Q4, alongside truck launches, all based on the new platform. Babu emphasized that production capacity is being matched with the readiness of depots and charging infrastructure rather than simply order book size, with each depot requiring approximately 80 buses, 20-25 chargers, electricity infrastructure and trained staff before operations can begin. "Today, we are one of the most efficient bus manufacturers where, after finishing my manufacturing, the vehicle is in revenue recognition mode within 15-30 days. That means it is in operation," he noted.
