Ola Electric, the mega EV start-up of rideshare company Ola, is planning to run its electric scooter factory with an all-women shop floor, with the workforce of the world’s largest e-scooter factory eventually reaching 10,000 women.
The Ola Futurefactory has already on-boarded the first batch of employees and sales of electric scooter models Ola S1 and Ola S1 Pro have already started.
According to Aggarwal, chairman and group CEO, the Ola Futurefactory will be the "largest all-women factory in the world." Announcing the development, Aggarwal announced on social media,"Aatmanirbhar Bharat requires Aatmanirbhar women!" The first batch of women employees at Ola Electric's manufacturing plant have already been included on rolls.
"This is the first in a series of initiatives we are undertaking at Ola to create a more inclusive workforce and provide economic opportunities for women across the board. We have invested significantly to train and upskill them in core manufacturing skills and they will be responsible for the entire production of every vehicle manufactured at Ola Futurefactory." Aggarwal said.
Enabling women with economic opportunities improves not just their lives but that of their families and the whole community, the Ola foundet said.
Spread across 500 acres, the Ola Futurefactory will initially start with 1 million annual production capacity, which will be scaled up to 2 million vehicles as per market demand, and growth of the segment. Once completed, the plant will have an annual capacity of 10 million units.
"For India to be the world's manufacturing hub, we must prioritise upskilling and generating employment for our women workforce. Ola Futurefactory is one step towards our vision of the world's future a world with clean mobility, a carbon-negative footprint, and an inclusive workforce. We will continue to take steps that get us closer to achieving each of these across Ola and encourage others to join us so we can accelerate India's progress," he added.
The Ola S1 electric scooter gets maximum range of 181 km with maximum top speed of 115 kmph in the S1 Pro variant
On August 15, 2021, Ola Electric launched its first EV, the Ola S1 electric scooter in two variants, with prices ranging from Rs99,999 (ex-showroom) for the base S1 variant tp Rs1,29,999 for the top-spec Ola S1 Pro variant (ex-showroom). Both variants differ in performance, range, colours, and riding modes, although the basic design is the same.
Ola Electric, which follows the direct (online-only) sales model, and had to postpone sales of its electric scooter as the website faced some technical glitches. Sales are expected to restart from 15 September, according to the company.