Ola Electric Mobility has partnered with Ernst & Young to enhance regional compliances across its newly extended distribution chain in the country. With a transition to direct-to-store retail and elimination of warehouse-based distribution network, the company has moved proactively.
Ola Electric is removing the middle layer of warehousing in this shift, enabling direct shipping of automobiles, accessories, and spares from the factory to stores. This change is anticipated to greatly enhance inventory turnover, decrease shipping time, and simplify the client experience as a whole. This lean model also complements Ola’s wider digital-first strategy, maximizing operating flexibility and responsiveness in real time.
EY will assist Ola in preparing its growing retail presence for regional compliance. Their work will also likely involve auditing current practices, pointing out gaps, and recommending scalable frameworks to enable fast growth and facilitate regulatory compliance. The partnership is meant to future-proof Ola’s operational model as it grows across various jurisdictions, working through different legal, taxation, and governance frameworks.
While the specifics of EY’s mandate are uncertain, the firm is likely to help standardize processes, improve execution velocity, and improve reporting frameworks in the major geographic markets. EY’s participation is also likely to result in enhanced accountability, transparency, and risk management in Ola’s retail and distribution business.
With 3,200 new retail stores opened in the past four months, Ola Electric currently has 4,000 retail stores in the country, becoming one of the fastest-expanding retail chains in India’s auto sector. This rapid expansion is a manifestation of Ola’s vision to control the electric mobility space while creating an accessible and compliant retail ecosystem across the country.