In recent years, India has seen the emergence of bike-sharing systems in several major cities. Inspired by European and Chinese experiences and supported by national policies promoting sustainable urban mobility, these services offer an affordable, eco-friendly alternative suited for short-distance travel.

According to a 2011 census, 25% of Indian workers lived within one kilometer of their workplace, and one-third between two and five kilometers.

Faced with increasingly congested and polluted cities, bike-sharing appears to be a concrete response to the challenges of mobility, inclusion, and ecological transition. Between promising trials, structural obstacles, and evolving business models, this form of soft mobility is finding its place in India’s urban landscape.

Between Growth and Challenges: What Future for Bike-Sharing in Indian Cities?

This article provides an overview of the rise of bike-sharing in India—its origins, flagship systems, challenges, usage patterns, and future prospects.

The History of Bike-Sharing in India

While cycling has long been a popular mode of transport in India, its urban use declined from the 1980s–2000s due to increasing motorization. A shift occurred in 2006 when the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) emphasized moving people over vehicles, explicitly encouraging walking and cycling. This direction was reinforced in 2009 by the National Mission for Sustainable Habitat, part of the national climate action plan, which promoted non-motorized transport to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Against this backdrop, several large Indian cities began experimenting with bike-sharing systems in the late 2000s. Delhi launched its first pilot, Planet Green Bikes, in 2008, followed by Cycle Chalao in Mumbai in 2009 (with 30 test bikes). Bangalore introduced two small systems in 2011 and 2012—ATCAG BikeShare and Namma Cycle on a university campus. However, these early initiatives were small-scale and difficult to sustain. Privately funded and lacking public support, they suffered from weak business models and insufficient initial investment. The networks were too limited to attract a critical mass of users and faced many hurdles: poor-quality bikes, no cycling infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, basic technology, and a social stigma associating bicycles with poverty. Unsurprisingly, these early failures left cities unsure of how to move forward with bike-sharing.

It wasn’t until 2017 that India saw the launch of large-scale, successful bike-sharing systems. That year marked a turning point with the near-simultaneous launch of three major public programs in Mysore (Mysuru), Bhopal, and Pune. These cities learned from earlier failures by developing hybrid business models (public-private partnerships, subsidies) and leveraging digital technology to simplify bike rental and maintenance. They also benefited from strong central government support through the Smart Cities Mission and national funding programs such as AMRUT (for urban renewal). Mysuru's Trin Trin initiative, for example, was co-funded by the city, the Karnataka state government, the World Bank, and a global environmental fund—signaling this new wave of institutional support.

Following this, many Indian cities joined the movement. Within just three years, 14 cities had implemented bike-sharing systems, and many others were planning to launch one. Mid-sized cities like Ahmedabad, Indore, Chandigarh, and Kochi joined the pioneers. Major metropolises such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore have been more hesitant—some launched pilots and later scaled them back or shut them down due to underwhelming results. Still, the growth of bike-sharing in India is real, driven by political will, public funding, and local innovation.

Major Bike-Sharing Systems and Key Statistics

Several Indian bike-sharing systems now stand out for their unique technological and organizational models. Notable examples include:

Mysore – Trin Trin

Launched in June 2017, Trin Trin was India’s first public bike-sharing system. It began with 450 bikes across 48 stations in Mysore. The system, developed under a public-private partnership, quickly drew public interest: within 18 months, 11,000 people subscribed, logging over 1.1 million kilometers ridden, with an average of 1,200 trips per day.

This success stemmed partly from Mysore’s high tourist footfall and the city's proactive promotion efforts, such as cyclothons and car-free days. While the service initially offered 30 minutes free per ride, the pricing model was later adjusted for financial sustainability.

In 2023, Trin Trin underwent a major revamp. Classic bikes were replaced with 1,000 e-bikes, and fixed stations were swapped for 100 defined but dockless hubs. This modernization helped meet user needs while lowering infrastructure costs.

Bhopal – Chartered Bike

Also launched in 2017, Bhopal's system deployed around 500 shared bikes across 50 stations. It stood out for integrating with the city’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, making it easier for commuters to combine bus and bike trips. The municipality built 12 km of bike lanes along the BRT to promote usage. The project runs under a public-private model combining subsidies and advertising revenue, making Bhopal one of India’s earliest successful adopters of bike-sharing.

Pune – PMP Cycle

Pune launched a dockless bike-sharing system in 2017–2018. At its peak, the fleet had up to 2,500 bikes across 800 parking spots. Multiple private operators were involved—Indian startups like Zoomcar (PEDL) and Yulu, as well as Chinese players like Ofo and Mobike, which withdrew in mid-2018 due to global financial challenges.

Today, Yulu operates Pune’s fleet with around 3,000 dockless bikes. Despite changes, Pune remains a notable example for its ambition to create over 500 km of dedicated cycling infrastructure.

Other Local Initiatives

Other cities also joined the trend. Chandigarh launched a publicly funded bike-sharing system in 2018, partly supported by advertising revenue—similar to Thane near Mumbai. Delhi introduced bike-sharing in selected zones via operators like SmartBike. Bangalore developed a micro-mobility ecosystem including bikes and scooters from startups like Yulu, Ola, and Bounce, under a flexible licensing model. This encouraged innovation but sometimes led to uncoordinated service exits. Mid-sized cities like Indore, Kochi, and Jaipur also implemented local or regional bike-sharing programs.

By 2020, around 15 Indian cities had operational systems. While size and ridership vary, most networks experienced rapid early growth driven by novelty and public curiosity. Events in Mysuru and Bhopal, for instance, generated thousands of user sign-ups in the first months. The main challenge is maintaining consistent usage over time, which largely depends on service quality and daily integration into urban life.

Challenges Facing Bike-Sharing in India

Despite its advantages, Indian bike-sharing systems face significant structural and operational challenges.

Fragile Business Models

Financial sustainability is a key issue. Many systems do not generate enough revenue to cover operational costs and rely heavily on public subsidies or advertising. Mysuru’s Trin Trin, for example, was initially fully funded by the government, which enabled free rides but limited service improvement incentives. Others, like Bhopal and Chandigarh, used advertising revenue—but this model can prioritize high-traffic zones over equitable coverage and often neglects maintenance. Privately operated systems are vulnerable: without subsidies, providers may pull out abruptly, as seen in Ahmedabad and Bangalore.

Ensuring the financial viability of services remains a major challenge. Many systems do not generate sufficient profits to cover operating costs, and are therefore dependent on public subsidies or advertising revenues. The Mysuru Trin Trin project, for example, operated with public funding covering all expenses, which enabled the initial free service but did not encourage the operator to improve the service (ridership remained modest in this context). Elsewhere, some networks have relied on advertising revenues (posters on bikes and stations) to supplement their budgets, as in Bhopal and Chandigarh. But this model has its limits: it encourages the densification of stations in high-traffic areas, to the detriment of balanced territorial coverage, and the search for sponsors can relegate equipment maintenance and service quality to the background. In the absence of subsidies, an operator can decide at any time to withdraw if losses accumulate, as was observed in Ahmedabad and Bangalore, where service providers ceased operations overnight.

Lack of Cycling Infrastructure

India's urban environment remains unfriendly to cyclists. In most cities, there are few safe, continuous cycle paths. Heavy traffic, high vehicle speeds and street congestion discourage many people from cycling in the city. A survey of 50 towns and cities carried out as part of the Cycles4Change challenge showed that the absence of dedicated lanes, degraded pavements, lack of street lighting and the risk of accidents were among the main reasons for people not using their bikes. This lack of infrastructure inevitably limits the appeal and use of self-service bikes: without a protective cycle network, these services struggle to convince the general public beyond the first enthusiasts.

Vandalism and Maintenance

Protecting and maintaining a fleet of bikes is a major logistical challenge. Several Indian systems have suffered from incidents of theft, damage or abandonment of bikes. In Mysuru, for example, after a few years of operation, in 2024 there was an increase in the disappearance of Trin Trin bikes or stolen spare parts, compromising service. In general, low-quality or poorly maintained bikes break down more often, discouraging users. Operators need to invest in more robust technologies (connected locks, GPS, alarms) and implement predictive maintenance solutions like Qucit Bike to prevent vandalism and wear and tear from undermining the viability of the system. This is even more crucial for station-free systems, where the bikes are scattered throughout the city.

Cultural and Social Barriers

Indians' relationship with bikes is evolving, but there are still some reservations. In the collective imagination, bikes are still associated with the working classes or with those who can't afford a motorized two-wheeler. This perception may hinder the adoption of bike-sharing by the middle classes who aspire to an image of modern success (car, motorcycle). What's more, the place of the bike in public space is hampered by a certain fatalism about congestion: many urbanites consider traffic too chaotic or dangerous to consider pedaling on a daily basis. Finally, factors such as the weather (sweltering summer heat, monsoon) or the fear of having one's bike stolen are often cited as reasons for not using this means of travel, even though bike-sharing provides a solution to the last point by pooling bikes. It therefore takes time and a great deal of awareness-raising to change people's mindsets and integrate the bike into the urban mobility landscape.

These challenges explain why, after the initial craze, many systems see their use stagnate or even decline after 1 or 2 years. Some major cities, such as Mumbai and Kolkata, have even stopped their bike-sharing programs prematurely, for lack of sufficient ridership or ongoing political support. Nevertheless, each obstacle brings its own lessons, and authorities and operators alike are gradually adjusting their strategies to improve the resilience of these services.

Future prospects

Despite the difficulties, bike-sharing in India has undeniable strengths and promising medium-term prospects. First of all, public authorities are steadfast in their support. In 2020, the central government launched the national India Cycles4Change challenge, involving more than 100 cities in the promotion of cycling in all its forms: from the creation of temporary cycle paths to bike-sharing programs and “car-free days”. This type of initiative, steered by the Smart City Mission, aims to catalyze a change of scale: 25 cities have been rewarded for their ambitious action plans in favor of bikes, and receive funding and technical assistance to put them into practice. The stated aim is to make bikes an everyday mode of transport, integrated with bus and metro networks to solve the problem of the first/last kilometers. As the director of the Smart Cities Mission points out, “the time is right for a revolution: moving from the cycle for sport to the cycle for transport”, especially as the challenges of air pollution and post-Covid distancing argue in favor of gentler mobility.

Secondly, the private sector continues to innovate in order to adapt bike-sharing to the Indian context. The trend is to diversify offerings and progressively electrify fleets. Several services are now introducing e-bikes or small electric two-wheelers on a self-service basis, to make travel faster and less tiring for users. The city of Mysuru, for example, has announced an overhaul of its Trin Trin system in 2023, with the arrival of 1,000 pedal-assist bikes and the creation of 100 “virtual” stations (drop-off points without fixed terminals), accompanying a technological modernization of the service. For its part, startup Yulu, a major player in micromobility in India, has upgraded its initial model of mechanical bikes to a fleet of 45,000 shared e-bikes, deployed in a dozen major cities (Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, etc.). Yulu boasts over 4 million registered users, a sign that there is a real appetite for alternative travel solutions in urban environments. The success of these pioneers in shared e-bikes is attracting investment (from industry and investment funds), auguring more robust business models in the future - Yulu, for example, became profitable in 2024 and is planning an IPO by 2026.

At the same time, multimodal integration is progressing and should increase the usefulness of bike-sharing. Increasingly, urban projects include bikes as a link in the transport chain: secure bike parking facilities, metro stations, integrated mobile applications (enabling combined bus-metro-bike journey planning), partnerships with cargo bike delivery services, etc. Some municipalities are also rethinking urban planning to give more space to non-motorized two-wheelers: plans for a continuous cycle network, traffic-calmed zones, incentive pricing for car parking... If the vast plans (such as Pune's projected 531 km of cycle lanes) are implemented even in part, the usage context for bike-sharing will be greatly improved. Last but not least, public awareness and cultural change also play in favor of the bike. The confinements caused by COVID-19 have led many city dwellers to rediscover the bicycle for their local trips, and in some cities the bike is even beginning to be perceived as “trendy” and modern, as in Kohima, where pedaling has become a symbol of eco-responsible living.

In conclusion, bike-sharing in India is at a crossroads. After an encouraging start, marked by a wide range of initiatives, it now faces the challenge of consolidation and sustainability. The road ahead is not without pitfalls: financial obstacles will have to be overcome, cycling infrastructure will have to be strengthened and promotional efforts will have to be pursued if bikes are to become a fully-fledged component of Indian urban mobility. Nevertheless, positive signs are accumulating - reaffirmed political support, technological innovations, new uses - and point to a future in which, between two traffic jams of scooters and cars, the bike will find a lasting place on Indian streets. With a quarter of commutes in India being less than a kilometer long, and a third less than five kilometers, the potential of bike-sharing remains immense for more breathable, accessible and liveable cities in the years to come.

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Between growth and challenges: what place for bike-sharing in Indian cities?