India’s pioneering all-electric cab service, BluSmart, has quietly halted ride bookings, leaving customers puzzled and frustrated, especially those with unused funds in their BluSmart wallets. The shutdown comes amid a turbulent financial period for the company, and as it prepares to transition its EV fleet to Uber.
What happened to BluSmart?
Once celebrated for its clean electric vehicles and courteous drivers, BluSmart has now disabled all booking slots on its app. Delhi-based customer Jasdeep, attempting to book a ride, found all slots unavailable. She raised the obvious concern: “What happens to the unused money in my BluSmart wallet?”
Confusion over refunds
Initially, customer support gave a vague response:
“The amount has lifetime validity and can still be used to book a ride for someone else.”
But with no rides available, customers pushed harder. Eventually, BluSmart support promised:
“I am raising your request to refund to the source amount… Your amount will be refunded within 5-7 working days.”
Still, no mass communication has been made by the company to clarify the refund process.
Users take to social media
Several customers expressed confusion and concern online:
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Ritambhara Agarwal, a marketing professional, asked: “BluSmart is off, but what about the money in the wallet? How do we get that refunded?”
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Jalal Jain, a daily BluSmart user, shared: “I put ₹30,000 in the wallet in Jan for cashback. ₹18.5K is still there. My dad has ₹6K. Will they return the money?”
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Another user posted: “₹5K in wallet and ₹2K Elite Subscription lost. No update. Shameful.”
Behind the scenes: What caused the shutdown?
The Economic Times reported on April 14 that BluSmart’s shareholders approved a plan to shut down ride services and become a fleet partner to Uber. About 700–800 BluSmart cars are expected to be moved to Uber in the coming weeks, in phased transitions. Eventually, BluSmart’s own app will be discontinued entirely.
The shift comes amid crippling losses, with the company burning ₹20 crore monthly to stay afloat. The founders, Anmol Singh Jaggi and Puneet Singh Jaggi, reportedly injected personal funds alongside external investments.
But things worsened after SEBI barred the Jaggi brothers, also promoters of cleantech firm Gensol, from the securities market. SEBI’s April 15 interim order accused them of misappropriating EV funds to buy a luxury apartment in Gurugram. The scandal not only hit Gensol’s credibility but also impacted BluSmart’s ability to raise $50 million in a crucial funding round.
What can you do now?
If you’re a BluSmart customer with money in your wallet:
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Go to the Help section in the app.
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Connect with BluSmart support and raise a refund request.
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Insist on a refund to your original payment source.
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Wait 5–7 working days, as per the company's claim.
For now, there’s no official public announcement on refunds or compensation for Elite subscribers.
What’s next?
BluSmart’s app-based service seems to be winding down permanently. Its vehicles will likely reappear under the Uber Green category. However, unless BluSmart or Uber makes an official announcement, customers are left to navigate refunds themselves, with no clarity on subscription compensation or broader consumer redressal.
