Indofast Energy, GLIDA Join Hands to Expand Battery-swapping

Battery-swapping solutions provider Indofast Energy has partnered with EV charging infrastructure provider GLIDA, formerly known as Fortum Charge & Drive India, to expand battery-swapping infrastructure across India by co-locating Indofast’s swapping stations at GLIDA’s established charging sites.

The collaboration will initially deploy 10 Quick Interchange Stations (QIS) across GLIDA locations in Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The companies plan to scale the network to 50 sites with more than 100 battery-swapping stations over the next 12 months.

The partnership brings battery swapping and high-power EV charging under one roof, creating integrated EV energy destinations that can serve different categories of electric vehicles from the same location.

For Indofast Energy, the arrangement provides access to GLIDA’s existing locations and power infrastructure, allowing the company to accelerate the expansion of its Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) network without having to establish an entirely separate site footprint.

Subhash Bhat, Interim CEO, Indofast Energy, said the partnership would enable the company to expand its BaaS network by leveraging well-connected, power-ready locations that can be activated for battery-swapping operations. He added that the company is targeting 100-plus QIS across 50 sites within the next year.

For delivery riders and fleet operators, the model is particularly relevant because battery swapping can reduce vehicle downtime. Instead of waiting for a battery to recharge, users can exchange a depleted battery for a charged one and return to operations quickly.

GLIDA’s existing charging footprint also gives Indofast access to high-footfall and strategically located sites, supporting the expansion of swapping infrastructure into markets where EV users and commercial fleets already require reliable energy access.

Deepak Paliwal, Managing Director & CEO, GLIDA, said the company’s charging locations, particularly its hubs, have scope to support additional EV-energy services. The partnership will allow high-power charging and rapid battery swapping to coexist at the same location, serving different vehicle categories.

The development reflects a broader shift in India’s EV-infrastructure market from standalone charging or swapping networks towards integrated energy hubs. Such locations can potentially serve multiple EV use cases while making better use of existing land, grid connectivity and operational infrastructure.

Indofast Energy currently operates a large battery-swapping network. Its own website describes the company as a joint venture between IndianOil and SUN Mobility, while its latest corporate information highlights its Battery-as-a-Service model and pan-India swapping network. Indofast’s network has crossed 1,900-plus swap stations across 24 cities, enabling more than 2 billion kilometres of clean mobility.

The latest GLIDA partnership therefore adds another route for Indofast to expand its network — by plugging battery swapping into an already established public charging footprint, rather than relying solely on standalone swapping locations.

The Numbers at a Glance

10: Initial Quick Interchange Stations
3: Launch cities — Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad
50: Target sites
100+: Target battery-swapping stations
12 months: Planned expansion period
1,900+: Indofast swap stations across 24 cities
2 billion+: Kilometres of clean mobility enabled by its network

The significance of the deal goes beyond adding another batch of swapping stations. GLIDA already has locations and charging infrastructure, while Indofast brings the swapping technology and BaaS network. Combining the two could create a more efficient infrastructure model in which charging and swapping serve different EV requirements from the same physical locations.

For India’s rapidly expanding commercial EV ecosystem, particularly delivery riders, fleet operators and other high-utilisation users, reducing energy-related downtime can be as important as increasing the number of vehicles on the road. Indofast Energy and GLIDA will deploy 100+ battery-swapping stations across 50 sites in India over the next 12 months. The Indofast Energy-GLIDA partnership could strengthen India’s emerging integrated EV energy infrastructure by bringing fast charging and battery swapping together at high-footfall locations, particularly for commercial and high-utilisation electric mobility.