Riding Into the Future: Electric Mobility & Climate Action | Kaushik Burman

This week on our new podcast episode, as we continue our “Inside East Africa” series, we delve into the intersection of clean energy, mobility, and climate action, and explore how one company is working to reshape the future of transportation in Africa.

Our guest, Kaushik Burman, CEO of Spiro, joins Rajan Nazran to unpack how electric mobility can transform economies, uplift communities, and address the urgent climate crisis. With over two decades of experience in the energy and mobility sectors, Kaushik combines corporate leadership with a higher purpose, advancing sustainable solutions that leave a lasting impact on future generations.

Kaushik explains that Spiro’s mission is clear: to provide Africa’s 1.5 billion people with affordable, accessible, and clean mobility. In a continent with one of the world’s youngest populations and fast-growing cities, the need for reliable transportation is urgent. Spiro’s vertically integrated model manufactures electric motorbikes locally, builds the batteries and charging infrastructure, and trains African workers to maintain and deploy them.

At the heart of their solution is battery swapping, a process Kaushik likens to filling up at a petrol station, but faster. Riders exchange a depleted battery for a fully charged one in under a minute, enabling them to continue their work with minimal downtime. For delivery drivers, this is a game-changer; the service is roughly 30% cheaper than petrol, saving them about two dollars a day, which can make a real difference in household income.

Despite Africa’s current electric vehicle penetration being less than 0.5%, Kaushik sees this as an immense opportunity. Spiro has already deployed around 40,000 electric motorbikes across eight countries, completing 20 million battery swaps, equivalent to half a billion kilometers of CO₂-free travel.

Government policy, he notes, plays a crucial role. Rwanda, for example, has banned new petrol bikes for commercial deliveries in Kigali, spurring Spiro to rapidly expand from 30 to 200 swap stations in just six months. Similar momentum is building in Kenya through its Electric Mobility Association, which is collaborating with policymakers to encourage local manufacturing and infrastructure growth.

Kaushik is candid about the stakes: transportation accounts for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. Without decisive action, African nations will continue to import costly fossil fuels, strain their currencies, and expose citizens to harmful air pollution. But with the right policies and partnerships, the continent can leapfrog to cleaner, more sustainable systems, while creating jobs through manufacturing, assembly, and entrepreneurship.

Kaushik also addresses skepticism about climate change and battery mining impacts, stressing that the evidence of rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns is undeniable. Climate solutions, he says, must be collaborative, involving governments, industry, financiers, and local talent pools. Africa’s abundant natural resources, young workforce, and solar and geothermal potential position it uniquely to lead this transformation.

Looking ahead, Kaushik sees a once-in-a-generation chance to shape a cleaner, more inclusive future. His message is a call to action: this transition is not only necessary for the planet, it is also commercially viable and rich with opportunities for innovation and partnership.

In his words, “It’s a win-win for everyone, better livelihoods, cleaner air, stronger economies, and a sustainable legacy for the next generation.”

Join us for the complete discussion and discover why Africa’s electric mobility revolution could be the global blueprint for sustainable change.

Produced by Global Indian Series for the Global Indian Network.

Script by Rajan Nazran
original idea: Rajan Nazran

Introduction music: (https://freesound.org/people/Timbre)