BluSmart received an investment of Rs 200 crore from the family office of former Indian cricket skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Blusmart, a 2019 startup, is a ride-hailing service that exclusively employs electric cars, unlike Uber and Ola, which are headed for an IPO. This would be Dhoni's third investment in automotive startups.
Dhoni's Investment In BluSmart
Investing money into BluSmart's sustainable business plan is more than just helping a company out; it's about joining a movement that will influence the future of transport and mobility, Dhoni's investment office said in the statement.
Dhoni added I'm thrilled to support BluSmart's innovative efforts to transform urban transportation in a world where innovation drives sustainable decisions."
BluSmart's business model
BluSmart markets itself as a pioneer in India's electrification and decarbonization of transportation. Since its launch in January 2019 with just 70 EVs, the EV fleet has grown to 7,500 BluSmart EVs that are currently in use in Bangalore and Delhi NCR.
Since its founding, the company has saved almost 40 million kilograms of CO2 emissions, delivered over 16 million electric trips, and covered over half a billion electric kilometers.
Dhoni's other investment
Garuda Aerospace
In March 2022, Mahendra Singh Dhoni made an investment in Garuda Aerospace, a drone startup based in Chennai. In addition, he was signed on as the startup's brand ambassador. There are currently 500 pilots and 400 drones.
7InkBrews
On April 6th of last year, 7InkBrews, a company founded by Mohit Bhagchandani and co-founded by Adil Mistry and Kunal Patel, unveiled a new range of chocolates and beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) under the brand Copter7. Dhoni's iconic helicopter shot and jersey number served as inspiration for the Copter7 brand.
Cars 24
Moreover, Dhoni has invested in the startup Cars24. A strategic partnership was announced in August 2019 between MS Dhoni and CARS24, a state-of-the-art e-commerce platform for pre-owned cars. As per the agreement, Dhoni has equity in CARS24 and acts as a brand ambassador. Although it was not made public, his investment was a part of a series D funding round.
Khatabook
In March 2020, Khatabook and Dhoni declared their strategic alliance. The cricket player supports the company as a brand ambassador and investor.
Utility solutions are offered by Khatabook to the nation's 6.3 crore MSME sector. It reportedly gathered 5 crore registered merchants in 12 languages in less than a year.
