Ola Electric says 40 pc Feb backlog cleared vows to clear all by March-end

     New Delhi, Mar 21 (PTI) Ola Electric on Friday sought to address sale discrepancies saying backlog in February, caused due to vendor negotiations, has been 40 per cent cleared and the remaining will be fully addressed by the month-end.
     The company said sales were strong and it remains focused on clearing all backlog by the end of March.
     The company had previously said it sold 25,000 electric scooters in February but the data on government's Vahan portal showed only 8,651 scooters registrations. As of March 20, the company's registrations stood at 11,781 on the Vahan portal.
     "Our sales remain strong, and the temporary backlog in February was due to ongoing negotiations with our vendors responsible for vehicle registrations.
     "This backlog is being rapidly cleared, with daily registrations exceeding 50 per cent of our three-month daily sales average. About 40 per cent of the February backlog has already been cleared, and the remaining will be fully resolved by the end of March 2025," the company said.
     On the discrepancies in its sales claim and data on Vahan portal, Ola said "This is a straightforward case of a temporary registration backlog" and yet it was "deliberately misrepresented as a regulatory issue through misinformation and smear campaigns" by "vested interests."
     "This intensified after we discontinued contracts with two nationwide vendors managing our registration process as part of our strategy to streamline operations and drive profitability. Since then, a coordinated effort has been made to create confusion and trigger unnecessary scrutiny," it said in a statement. "Our focus remains on resolving the backlog efficiently and continuing to serve our customers with transparency and reliability."
     Ministries of heavy industries, and road transport and highways have sought clarification on the gap in vehicle registrations. Ola said it is responding to these concerns.
     Further, the company said it has received notices in four states with regard to trade certificates for few of its stores in these states. The company is in the process of responding to the same, it added.
     In February, Ola Electric Mobility had stated that it was renegotiating the terms of agreement with its agencies, Rosmerta Digital Services Pvt Ltd and Shimnit India Pvt Ltd, to reduce cost and enhance registration process efficiencies.
     The company had stated that it would have a temporary impact on its Vahan registration.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)