National Workshop on Promoting Micromobility through Electric Bicycles highlights role of e‑bicycles in strengthening rural livelihoods
National Workshop on Promoting Micromobility through Electric Bicycles highlights role of e‑bicycles in strengthening rural livelihoods
The Union Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India, in collaboration with Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), organised a National Workshop on Promoting Micromobility through Electric Bicycles today. The workshop focused on the theme “Electric Bicycles Powering Rural Livelihoods” and examined the role of electric micromobility solutions in enhancing rural mobility, strengthening livelihoods and supporting sustainable development.
The workshop was held in the presence of Shri Kamlesh Paswan, Union Minister of State for Rural Development, and was attended by senior officials from central ministries, state governments, State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs), industry representatives, development partners, research institutions, technology providers and women Self‑Help Group (SHG) members.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister underscored the importance of affordable, safe and reliable mobility in strengthening rural livelihoods and highlighted the need for institutional convergence among ministries, states, industry and development partners to scale electric micromobility solutions. He highlighted that enhanced mobility can play a transformative role in strengthening livelihoods, particularly for women associated with Self-Help Groups and initiatives such as the Lakhpati Didi programme under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
During the event, the STREE Impact Assessment Report was launched, documenting evidence and implementation learnings from the pilot states. SHG women from the pilot states were felicitated as Energy Champions in recognition of their role in adopting and promoting electric micromobility solutions.
Addressing the National Workshop on promoting micromobility through electric bicycles, Shri Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Department of Rural Development emphasized that the initiative on sustainable transport for Rural Entrepreneurs using electric bicycles is both timely and impactful, with the potential to improve mobility for rural entrepreneurs while contributing to sustainable and environmentally friendly transport solutions. He highlighted that enhanced mobility can play a transformative role in strengthening livelihoods, particularly for women associated with Self-Help Groups and initiatives such as the Lakhpati Didi programme under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
A key highlight of the workshop was the “Know Your Electric Bicycle” live demonstration, showcasing cargo electric bicycles and their livelihood‑oriented use cases. The Minister interacted with SHG women beneficiaries from pilot states to understand product functionality, contextual suitability and on‑ground applications.
The National Workshop builds on the learnings from the STREE (Sustainable Transport for Rural Entrepreneurs through Electric Bicycles) pilot, implemented by CESL in partnership with the Ministry of Rural Development across Bihar, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The pilot demonstrated that access to affordable and reliable electric cargo bicycles can reduce physical drudgery, improve access to markets and services, and enable women‑led livelihood activities.
The programme featured three thematic panel discussions:
The National Workshop reaffirmed the Government of India’s commitment to promoting inclusive livelihoods, women’s economic empowerment and environmentally sustainable mobility, and highlighted the potential of electric bicycles as a scalable, people‑centric solution for rural and semi‑urban India.
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