After emerging as one of the country’s largest electric passenger vehicle sellers in 2025, JSW MG Motor India is entering a more competitive phase. The trigger: rivals adopting the very playbook that helped MG scale rapidly — Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS).
Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki India have launched EVs with battery subscription schemes, directly targeting MG’s bestseller, the Windsor. Tata’s Punch EV under BaaS starts at ₹6.49 lakh (ex-battery), well below the Windsor’s ₹9.99 lakh, while Maruti’s offering is priced at ₹10.99 lakh, offering buyers a slight upgrade to a larger SUV.
Sector experts say these competitive prices could sway price-sensitive or aspirational buyers.
“Both Tata and Suzuki are using BaaS to attract customers. By leveraging successful models like the Punch and Vitara, Tata and Suzuki are aiming to woo Windsor customers as the price-conscious may lean toward the Punch, while aspirational buyers could stretch for the Vitara,” said Som Kapoor, future of mobility leader- consulting, partner at EY India Automotive
Windsor Vulnerability
MG popularised BaaS in India by separating battery ownership from the vehicle, lowering upfront costs and charging per kilometre. The model addressed high sticker prices and positioned EVs closer to comparable ICE models. Although penetration has been limited, it has acted as a hook to attract customers, bringing them to showrooms where dealers explain total cost of ownership (TCO) and sometimes persuade buyers to opt for full ownership, including the battery.
Srikumar Krishnamurthy, Senior VP at ICRA Limited, said BaaS is still in its early stages in India, and pricing plays a key role in consumers’ decisions, especially for first-time buyers. “While participation has been limited so far, BaaS has the potential to be a mainstream mode in India over the medium to long term,” he said.
Until now, MG has been the only automaker offering BaaS, with Comet, Windsor, and ZS EV. According to Anurag Mehrotra, Managing Director of JSW MG Motor India, only about 12% of EV customers have opted for it.
Puneet Gupta, Director at S&P Global Mobility, says BaaS has largely been deployed as a marketing lever so far, with customer adoption remaining muted due to limited product and financing options. However, the landscape is poised for acceleration. “The entry of Maruti and Tata is expected to instill greater customer confidence in the BaaS model, supported by more structured and innovative offerings,” Gupta says.
With stronger OEM backing, BaaS propositions are likely to enhance perceived affordability, mitigate ownership risks, improve running-cost competitiveness, and strengthen the overall charging ecosystem, Gupta adds.
Tata’s battery subscription is around ₹2.6 per kilometre, Maruti’s starts at ₹3.99 per km, while MG’s rental begins at ₹3.90 per km.
Competition is set to intensify further as Toyota prepares to introduce BaaS for its upcoming Ebella EV, signaling that battery subscription could become standard across mass-market EVs.
Any dent in Windsor volumes would disproportionately affect MG. In CY2025, Windsor clocked 46,735 units — 90.4% of MG’s total EV sales of 51,681 units. Across all powertrains, MG sold 65,943 vehicles during the year, with Windsor contributing 70.9% of volumes.
This concentration makes MG more vulnerable than diversified rivals. Tata and Maruti enjoy scale and brand equity from years in the ICE market. In FY2025, Maruti sold 1,23,946 units of the Grand Vitara, while Tata’s Punch recorded 1,96,567 units, including 18,000 EVs. Their strong ICE base provides an established customer pipeline, which could boost EV sales through BaaS.
Beyond the Battery
MG’s charging strategy is also under pressure. Tata Power operates around 5,500 charging points, while Maruti has 2,000 exclusive chargers. MG currently has fewer than 1,000 points. Maruti aims for 1 lakh EV chargers by 2030, while Tata targets 1 million, including home chargers. With such aggressive expansion, MG faces growing pressure not only on pricing and BaaS adoption but also on building a competitive charging ecosystem, a key factor for sustaining its EV lead, experts say.
