Mumbai, Aug 5 (IANS): Reliance BP Mobility Limited and Swiggy on Thursday announced the commencement of trials that will increase the deployment of electric vehicles in the delivery fleet of the food delivery platform.

The partnership is aimed at promoting the adoption of battery-operated EVs, including deployment of electric two-wheelers, that will be supported by Jio-bp's network of battery swap stations and Swiggy's network of delivery partners.

A statement by Reliance BP Mobility said the partnership between the two leading industry players aims to synergise their strengths of scale, reach and technology in creating a greener and cost-effective solution for delivery fleets through innovative business models.

RBML will set up Jio-bp battery swapping stations at various locations assisted by Swiggy and provide all required technical assistance and training to Swiggy delivery partners and designated Swiggy staff related to battery swapping.

Chief Executive Officer of Reliance BP Mobility Limited, Harish C. Mehta, said: "With an objective to support the Government of India's vision of electric mobility, RBML has forayed into e-mobility services and is committed to creating an ecosystem which will help accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in the country.

"Our collaboration with Swiggy has the potential to bring disruption and increase EV adoption among delivery and transportation companies in the country. We are confident Swiggy and their delivery partners will immensely benefit from our widespread network of battery swap stations."

Chief Executive Officer of Swiggy, Sriharsha Majety, said: "Swiggy's fleet delivers millions of orders each month with our partners traveling an average of 80- 100kms daily. As we continue to work towards providing our consumers with greater convenience, we are also mindful of the environmental impact of our operations and are taking the necessary steps to make our journey more sustainable."

With a vision to set up India's largest network of battery swapping stations across the country, RBML is creating an ecosystem that will benefit all the stakeholders in the EV value chain, the statement said.

The company's collaboration with Swiggy is poised to bring disruption and increase EV adoption among delivery and transportation companies in India.

Jio-bp targets to set up a distributed network of multiple thousand battery swap stations over the next 5 years at its retail outlets in addition to leading residential and commercial complexes, malls, hotels, business parks, IT hubs, parking lots to name a few potential urban locations pan-India.

Battery swapping is set to lead the green wave in the last mile delivery and passenger segments. As an integrated EV infrastructure player, Jio-bp is also actively partnering with leading OEMs, technology, and platform players for setting up its EV fixed charging stations with a formatspecific approach for the car (B2B fleets and B2C consumers) and bus segments, it said.

Earlier in the day, Swiggy announced the commencement of trials that will increase the deployment of electric vehicle in its delivery fleet, enabling the food aggregator to operate more sustainably and go pollution-free.

The trials are aimed towards Swiggy's commitment to cover deliveries spanning 8 lakh kilometers everyday through EVs by 2025, it said.