Delhi Metro recorded its highest-ever annual ridership in 2025, carrying 235.8 crore passenger journeys with an average daily ridership of 64.6 lakh commuters, underscoring the growing importance of mass transit in India’s urban mobility landscape.
The network also registered its busiest day on August 8, 2025, when more than 81.8 lakh passengers travelled on the system. With recent extensions to the Pink and Magenta Lines, India’s metro network has become the world’s third largest, with Delhi accounting for over half of the country’s nearly 11.5 million daily metro trips.
Despite the milestone, Delhi continues to grapple with worsening traffic congestion. According to government data, the national capital has more than 75 lakh registered vehicles, while nearly 11 lakh vehicles enter and leave the city every day. Studies by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), citing IIT Madras projections, estimate that congestion-related productivity losses, fuel wastage and pollution could cost Delhi nearly USD 14.7 billion annually by 2030. Vehicular emissions also remain one of the largest contributors to the city’s PM2.5 pollution.
Transport experts have consistently identified poor last-mile connectivity as a key barrier to greater public transport adoption. Research has shown that commuters spend nearly 40% of their travel time and almost half their travel cost reaching metro stations. A joint WRI India-Toyota Mobility Foundation survey also found that commuters are significantly less likely to use the Metro if the first or last leg of the journey exceeds 20 minutes. The study further highlighted that safety concerns influence women’s travel choices, with many preferring shared autos over buses despite free bus travel.
To address the issue, the Delhi government has announced the deployment of 2,300 electric auto-rickshaws at metro stations under its 2025 Air Pollution Mitigation Plan while tightening emission norms for vehicles entering the city.
The evolving landscape has opened opportunities for electric mobility companies focused on first- and last-mile transport. Green SM, an all-electric cab service, says it aims to complement rather than compete with public transport.
“The metro gets me across the city in twenty minutes. It’s the last two kilometres from the station to my building that used to eat up half my patience,” said Rohan Kapoor, an IT consultant in South Delhi. “Booking a Green SM outside the station means I’m not haggling with an auto driver or waiting for a shared ride.”
Mr. Banh Tuan Anh, CEO of Green SM India, said the company is focused on improving safety and reliability through features such as onboard cameras and real-time monitoring of driver behaviour. “We’re not trying to replace the Metro or the bus network,” he said. “We’re trying to make sure the ten or fifteen minutes after you step off the train aren’t the part of the day you dread.”
Industry experts note that whether electric last-mile services can reduce congestion will ultimately depend on their ability to replace private vehicle trips rather than simply add more vehicles to Delhi’s already crowded roads.