Photo credit: EESL India
On the sun-baked roads of Muzaffarpur, Bihar, a quiet revolution has been unfolding, one pedal at a time.
Electric bicycles made available to local women through the Asian Development Bank and Global Environment Facility have not only helped cut emissions from gas-powered vehicles – they have shortened commutes and opened new avenues for women to build businesses and develop valuable new skills.
In many cases, the new wheels have been life-changing as well as positive for the planet.
Chandu Bharti, a vegetable vendor and community mobilizer, said the e-bicycles allowed her to deliver her produce to the market and also tend to her other responsibilities with more ease than was previously possible. “I feel healthier, more respected, and independent,” she said.
Sushila Kumari, who runs an ayurvedic medicine business, said she has doubled her delivery reach to more than 100 customers. “With the e-bicycles, I don’t have to wait for my husband anymore to deliver. I can independently deliver medicines, pick up vegetables from the farm, and still have time to fetch my children from school.”
The Sustainable Transport for Rural Entrepreneurs through Electric Cycles pilot is jointly implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited through its subsidiary Convergence Services Limited, in partnership with India’s Ministry of Rural Development.
It has provided e-bikes in four states – Bihar, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh – targeting members of women’s groups who can use the new wheels as affordable, sustainable transportation in their jobs and lives. The program has also offered training, ranging from repair and maintenance to digital literacy, turning the women involved in the initiative into local agents of change.
So far, the pilot has distributed more than 1,800 electric bicycles to women in seven districts. Providing more than just transport, these e-bicycles have boosted women’s confidence, market access, and economic participation. Surveys in the initial locations have shown a strong positive trend of results: women reporting higher incomes, lower transport costs, and greater control over their time.
For Sunita Devi, a community mobilizer and marigold farmer, the e-bicycles have created substantial new business opportunities. “Now I can rent land farther away, grow more flowers, and be ready for the Diwali market,” she said.
Premlata Devi, who manages a small beekeeping and vending business, has also seen a reshaping of how communities see environmental action, rural enterprise, and women’s leadership. “People were skeptical about their daughters-in-law riding these e-bicycles. But when they saw me do it, they also started asking for one. I’ve learned that independence starts with me, no one else will do it for me.”
What is also unique and enables sustainability of this initiative is the more than 50 ‘energy champions’ – women trained to support maintenance, safety, and sustainable use of the e-bicycles.
As India advances its environmental and gender equality goals, this project stands out as a simple yet transformative solution: green mobility that meets women where they are and helps them move toward where they aspire to be.
Each ride is a statement: that women are not just passengers on the journey to net-zero, they are in the driver’s seat.
A version of this article was originally published in the Asian Development Bank’s India Resident Mission newsletter
