Union Ministry Slaps Notice on Ola Electric for Missing Trade Certificates

• The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a show cause notice to Ola Electric over missing trade certificates.
• The ministry is asking for details on operational stores, service centres, and trade certificates issued in the last three years.
• Ola Electric must also provide specifics on the 7,820 electric scooters it claimed to have delivered in February 2025.
• The company has seven days to respond, or it could face adverse action.

Ola Electric’s Trade Certificate Trouble

Ola Electric, one of India’s leading electric vehicle (EV) makers, is in the spotlight again—and not for the right reasons. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has reportedly sent a show cause notice to the EV giant, raising serious questions about missing trade certificates. According to a report by NDTV, the ministry is digging into whether Ola Electric has been operating without proper documentation for its vehicles.
For those unfamiliar, trade certificates are essential permits that allow companies to stock, sell, and deliver vehicles. Without them, a company could be running afoul of regulations, and that’s exactly what the Union Ministry is investigating. This isn’t the first time Ola Electric has faced scrutiny—posts on X have highlighted ongoing issues, from consumer complaints to regulatory hiccups. But this notice could spell bigger trouble for the Bengaluru-based unicorn.
startupindiax has reached out to Ola Electric for a comment on this development. We’ll update this story as soon as we hear back.

Union Ministry’s Demands from Ola Electric

The Union Ministry isn’t pulling any punches with this notice. It’s asking Ola Electric to come clean on several fronts. First, the ministry wants a detailed breakdown of the company’s operational stores and service centres which are currently running across the country. This is likely to check if Ola Electric has the infrastructure to support its ambitious growth plans.
Next, the ministry is demanding a full account of the trade certificates Ola Electric has obtained over the past three years, including the dates they were issued. This suggests the Union Ministry suspects there might be gaps in Ola Electric’s compliance with trade certificate regulations. And if that wasn’t enough, the ministry is also asking for model and variant-wise details of the 7,820 electric scooters Ola Electric claimed to have delivered in February 2025. That’s a lot of paperwork to sort through in just seven days
The notice doesn’t mince words either. It reportedly states, “You are hereby directed to furnish a response to the aforementioned queries within seven days from the date of receipt of this letter, in order to avoid any adverse action.” Translation? Get your act together, Ola Electric, or face the consequences.
The ministry also seems keen to find out if Ola Electric is sitting on a stockpile of unregistered vehicles at its centres. If true, this could point to bigger issues in how the company manages its inventory and complies with motor vehicle regulations. Missing trade certificates could mean unregistered scooters are being sold or stored, which is a regulatory no-no.

What’s Next for Ola Electric?

This notice from the Union Ministry comes at a tricky time for Ola Electric. The company has been making headlines for its aggressive expansion and bold claims about dominating the EV market. Just last month, it boasted about delivering 7,820 scooters in February 2025 alone. But with the ministry now questioning the legitimacy of those deliveries, Ola Electric’s reputation could take a hit.
The timing isn’t great either. Ola Electric has already been under fire for other issues, like consumer complaints about service quality and delays. Posts on X show that the Maharashtra government recently ordered the closure of Ola Electric stores operating without trade certificates, with 43 stores shut down and 214 vehicles seized. This latest notice from the Union Ministry only adds fuel to the fire, raising questions about whether Ola Electric’s rapid growth has outpaced its ability to stay compliant.
So, what happens next? Ola Electric has a tight seven-day window to gather the requested data and respond to the Union Ministry. If the company can provide clear answers and prove it’s been playing by the rules, it might dodge a bullet. But if the ministry finds evidence of missing trade certificates or unregistered vehicles, Ola Electric could face fines, stricter regulations, or even operational restrictions.
For now, all eyes are on Ola Electric as it scrambles to address the Union Ministry’s concerns. Will it come out of this unscathed, or is this just the beginning of a bigger storm? Stay tuned—we’ll keep you posted as this story unfolds.