GrEL is revolutionizing the ride-hailing industry by addressing the deep-rooted challenges that riders and drivers have long endured. By wiping out surge pricing, GrEL guarantees fair, transparent fares while giving riders unprecedented control over their entire journey. Its fully electric fleet isn’t just eco-friendly; it’s also rigorously sanitized after every shift, ensuring a safe, spotless ride every time. But GrEL doesn’t stop there—riders can also monitor their environmental impact, tracking the exact CO2 emissions they’ve helped reduce. All of this is pushing electric vehicles into the mainstream, driving the world closer to a net-zero future.
In an exclusive conversation with The Interview World, Sarthak Bansal, Co-founder and CEO of GrEL, pulls back the curtain on the company’s standout services, exposes the most pressing pain points in the car mobility landscape that spurred GrEL’s creation, and maps out the cities where GrEL is already making waves. Below are the essential takeaways from this insightful discussion.
Q: Could you provide an in-depth explanation of the distinctive features and innovations that GrEL brings to the ride-hailing industry?
A: We’re a 100% e-mobility company, driving our electric fleet with our own cutting-edge technology. We offer exactly what the ride-hailing industry needs right now: zero cancellations, zero surge pricing. This is the solution every city, every rider, has been waiting for. Our mission is simple but powerful—adding real value to the everyday commute. Riders want reliability, cleanliness, and transparency. We deliver all of that, and more.
Q: What key factors led you to believe there is both a need and opportunity for a new ride-hailing service provider in the already competitive car mobility market?
A: The ride-hailing sector in our country confronts three critical challenges stemming from existing aggregators. First and foremost, they lack control over the value chain, leaving drivers and vehicle owners to dictate the rider’s experience. This often leads to frustrating scenarios where riders face up to six cancellations while trying to secure a ride—an unnecessary hassle, especially when you’re just trying to get to work.
Second, surge pricing is a black box, completely unregulated and opaque. As users, we’re left scratching our heads over the fares we’re charged. Aggregators say it’s all about supply and demand, but without transparency, we often end up paying five or six times the standard fare for the same ride. It’s maddening.
Lastly, we can’t ignore the disturbing trend of driver misconduct, which seems to make headlines daily. Stories of drivers abusing passengers are all too common. These issues have fueled our determination to eliminate the hassles that plague riders. We are resolutely tackling the cancellation crisis, dismantling the ambiguity of surge pricing, and transforming the overall ride experience. That’s our commitment.
Q: How do you plan to address the challenges associated with ride cancellations and improve the overall user experience in ride-hailing?
A: We redefine the ride-hailing experience by leveraging technology in a way that sets us apart from conventional aggregators. Instead of simply asking you for your pickup and drop-off locations, we integrate a time slot system. When you enter your journey details, our advanced technology suggests available time slots we can reliably serve at your pickup location. Once you choose a time slot, we commit to arriving precisely at that time because we know we can deliver.
For example, if it’s noon and you select a 12:50 PM time slot, our system ensures we can meet that request. This guarantees zero cancellations—no more uncertainty or delays. Plus, our pricing is refreshingly transparent. We don’t charge by the kilometer; instead, we use a fixed kilometer band system. This means your fare remains consistent, whether you’re riding with us at 7 AM or 7 PM.
Operating on a fully centralized model gives us complete control over our drivers and vehicles, elevating your entire experience. Our drivers are not just well-trained; they are courteous professionals. We meticulously clean and sanitize vehicles, ensuring a safe and pleasant ride every time. That’s the standard we deliver.
Q: In which regions or cities across the country have you currently launched your operations?
A: We are proudly operational in Pune, making significant strides as a startup that’s just over a year old. Since launching our app in January, we’ve completed more than 40,000 trips. In the vibrant city of Pune, we’ve already covered nearly 1 million clean kilometers, resulting in the mitigation of around 150,000 kilograms of CO2 emissions—an achievement made possible by our 100% electric vehicle (EV) fleet.
Our commitment to sustainability is unwavering. Every vehicle in our fleet runs entirely on electricity, and we take charge of our own charging hubs to ensure seamless operations. We recognize that charging infrastructure is a major challenge for electric vehicles, but we are dedicated to overcoming these obstacles to deliver exceptional service every time.
