Ehsan Fazili/ Srinagar

Two young Kashmiri men’s startup of providing eco-friendly urban transportation solutions may not have won them funding from the judges of Shark Tank India-4, a business reality show on Sony Television, but it won their immense admiration and exposed their successful business model to a larger world.

Sheikh Yameen, and Zubair Bhat, co-founders of Curve Electrics, got many heads nodding in appreciation when they said at the show in two years, their startup has helped environment by saving 145 metric tonnes of carbon emissions.

The mission Curve Electrics, launched in the summer of 2023, began with 50 e-bikes in Srinagar  from 11 docking stations, in collaboration with the Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL). The number of e bikes has since grown up to 150 in Srinagar.

They also provides these services In the neighbouring Ganderbal district’s Central University of Kashmir (CUK), and the Hindu shrine of Mata Kheer Bhawani, Tulamulla.

“We have already completed 55,000 rides, 720,000 km and have saved 145 metric tonnes of carbon emissions….it is equivalent to the planting of 7200 trees”, during the last one and a half years, said Sheikh Yameen, Managing Director of Curve Electrics.

At the show, Sheikh Yameen, and Zubair Bhat said though at present their operations are limited to Kashmir Valley, they wanted to expand operations to other mountain towns such as Shimla and Mussoorie.

 They also spoke about do business in college campuses across the country. They have shortlisted 1,400 campuses where they can expand their business. The entrepreneurs said that they have devised their bikes, and these are available through a mobile application and the users are not asked for seudirty deposits.

 Yameen said, “Shark Tank India gave us an incredible platform to share our dream of revolutionizing urban mobility. Coming from Srinagar, this journey represents not just Curve Electric, but the untapped potential of Kashmiri youth. We’re excited for what lies ahead”

Sheikh Yameen and his friend, Mohsin Bashir are the co-founders of this startup. Yameen had completed his MBA in Finance and Marketing from The University of Kashmir, while his friend Mohsin Bashir was studying Management in the US.

The two pitched their sustainable e-bike service Curve Electric to the panel of ‘sharks’, which included Anupam Mittal, Vineeta Singh, Aman Gupta, Peyush Bansal, and newcomer Kunal Bahl.

Peyush was “very impressed” by the entrepreneurs’ ability to erase all the onboarding issues that customers might have. Vineeta explained, “There is a little complexity here. There is a lot of dependence on governments, and from what I’ve seen in all the other companies, the setting that you have to do with governments and local bodies, becomes a make-or-break situation. Your expansion will not depend on your ambition; it will depend on where you get the local support”.

Yameen nodded in agreement, and said that they haven’t had any losses yet, and have raised a round of investment already, valuing their company at Rs 8.5 crore.

Each of them backed out of the deal, but Peyush bid the founders farewell at a positive note. Addressing Yameen, he said, “It’s like looking at a mirror, you are me. You are saying everything I would have said 10 years back. The detailed customer-focused obsession you have, I have not seen in Shark Tank in four years.” In the end, the two entrepreneurs walked away with no deal, but loads of positive wishes.

Curve Electric’s pitch stood out not just for its business potential but also for the pride it brought to Kashmir. The team’s efforts reflect the entrepreneurial energy brewing in the Valley, proving that innovation knows no boundaries, Sheikh Yameen observed.

ALSO READ: Yameen, Mohsin launch eco-friendly e-bike services in Srinagar

He said that the overwhelming response from the sharks and viewers alike has bolstered Curve Electric’s vision and opened doors for new opportunities. By fusing modern solutions with the rich cultural backdrop of Kashmir, the startup is paving the way for a cleaner and more sustainable future, leaving an indelible mark on India’s entrepreneurial landscap