Keto Motors has secured CMVR Type Approval Certification from the Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC) for its Urbanova KE9 9-metre electric bus, marking a major milestone in the company’s expansion into India’s electric public mobility sector.
The certification confirms that the Urbanova KE9 complies with all statutory safety and performance standards under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), covering structural integrity, passenger safety, operational reliability and range efficiency. With the approval in place, Keto Motors has begun customer demonstrations and is preparing for commercial deployments across State Transport Undertakings (STUs), employee transportation fleets, school transport operators and urban mobility providers transitioning from diesel to electric platforms.
The company’s electric bus platform is backed by a technology collaboration with TRON, Taiwan’s largest electric bus OEM. Through this partnership, Keto Motors gains access to patented liquid-cooled battery technology, advanced Battery Management Systems (BMS) and Fleet Management Systems (FMS), along with highly efficient propulsion solutions designed to improve reliability and operational performance.
Speaking on the development, Venkatesh Challa, Director of Keto Motors, said that the approval represents a key milestone for the company. He noted that the certification reflects Keto Motors’ focus on delivering dependable and high-performance electric mobility solutions tailored for Indian operating conditions. With regulatory approvals secured, the company is now concentrating on accelerating deployments and supporting India’s transition to clean public transport.
The Urbanova KE9 has been engineered specifically for urban mobility applications. Built on an urban-grade chassis suited for STUs and smart city transit networks, the bus offers a range of up to 225 km and is powered by a 245 kW motor producing 3,000 Nm torque, enabling efficient performance in dense city traffic and challenging gradients.
Key features include air suspension, ABS, regenerative braking and CCS2 fast charging, helping operators improve vehicle uptime while lowering operating costs. The bus accommodates 31 seated passengers along with 11 standing passengers and uses a liquid-cooled PMSM motor delivering a cruise range of 188 km under IDC conditions. It supports a top speed of 80 km/h and 20 percent gradability, along with electro-hydraulic power steering and disc brakes for improved safety and control.
Production of the Urbanova KE9 is scheduled to begin in early FY26. Manufacturing will take place at Keto Motors’ integrated 20-acre production facility in Jadcherla, Telangana, which features advanced testing systems and in-house bus body manufacturing capabilities. The facility enables end-to-end production and strict quality control while supporting faster scale-up for commercial mobility deployments.
In addition to the 9-metre model, Keto Motors is also developing 12-metre and 6-metre electric bus platforms, aimed at expanding the company’s footprint across multiple public transport and commercial mobility segments.
With an annual manufacturing capacity of 1,000 units and a growing service network, Keto Motors aims to meet rising demand for electric buses in India. The company’s vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions, supporting the country’s broader goal of building cleaner and more sustainable urban transport systems.
