Fortum Charge & Drive India, a leading solution provider in the electric mobility industry, has transformed into a brand identity named ‘Glida’. This was accompanied by renewed vision and a strengthened commitment to sustainable mobility, with new and innovative solutions in the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
3000 charging stations by March 2025
Established in 2017, Fortum currently boasts of 450 charging stations in India, with a network expansion overview of 3000 charging stations across the country by March 2023. The company also claims the honour of installing India’s first (EV) charging point in Hyderabad in 2018 in association with Indian Oil Corporation LTD. (IOCL).
Commenting on the latest development, Awadhesh Kumar Jha, Executive Director, Glida, said, “We are excited to unveil our new brand identity Glida, which demonstrates what we stand for – ‘freedom to move without any barriers or hesitation’. our purpose to create a robust runway for the swift take-off of electric mobility into mainstream.”
When asked about self sustainability of charging stations in India from an economic point of view, Jha said that the current ecosystem is self sustainable without much government support. He further added, “We are very clear in our mind that expansion of charging infrastructure should precede growth in EV sales.”
At the start of this year, Fortum introduced the RuPay Prepaid Card, in collaboration with Pine Labs– a flexible prepaid card used for making payment of charging sessions completed at Fortum charging stations anywhere in India. The firm also holds the distinction of installing the first 50kW fast chargers in the country when it joined hands with MG Motor in 2019 shortly after the launch of MG ZS EV.
Other initiatives by Glida
Fortum India, now Glida, is working on establishing dedicated drive-in charging hubs for its consumers at prominent public centres such as malls, parks, etc. The company currently operates six such charging hubs in the country and intends to add 12 more by the end of this year.
Besides EV charging infrastructure, Glida is working on other avenues of sustainable energy solutions. The company has recognised bio-ethanol from bamboo extracts as a viable alternative to conventional fossil fuels in the near future and has set up a new refinery in Assam, slated to be commissioned towards the end of 2023.
