Former BEST leader to drive scalable, reliable, and sustainable bus systems across Indian cities
Mumbai, September 18, 2025: Cityflo, through its joint venture Urban Glide, has partnered with veteran transport leader Victor Nagaonkar to reshape India’s urban bus ecosystem. With over four decades of service at Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), Nagaonkar brings unmatched expertise in designing, managing, and modernizing city bus networks.
As OSD to the General Manager at BEST, Nagaonkar spearheaded end-to-end operations across Mumbai’s extensive bus system—from route planning, scheduling, fleet deployment, and depot development to driver-conductor management. He also pioneered real-time operational systems, ensuring services continued during floods, rail breakdowns, the COVID-19 pandemic, and even terror incidents. His reforms, such as introducing handheld electronic ticketing and codifying operational SOPs, continue to anchor Mumbai’s bus services today.
At Urban Glide, Nagaonkar will focus on bridging the gap between OEMs and operators, especially as India transitions to long-term Gross Cost Contracts (GCCs) that require operators to sustain fleets for up to 12 years. His leadership will shape frameworks for planning, driver sourcing and training, technology integration, and service assurance, addressing critical gaps in India’s fast-evolving bus sector.
Victor Nagaonkar, President, Urban Glide, said: “For millions of Indians, the bus is a lifeline to work, education, and opportunity. The shift we need is simple but profound—reliable, safe, and well-managed bus services that people can trust. With Urban Glide, we aim to build systems that make this a reality across Indian cities, at scale.”
India operates only 1.2 buses per 1,000 people, far below global benchmarks, but this shortfall signals an immense growth opportunity. With the government’s PM-eBus Sewa programme committing ₹3,435 crore to deploy 38,000 electric buses by 2029, the market is primed for large-scale transformation. By combining public sector expertise with private sector agility, Urban Glide aims to accelerate this shift and make bus travel more reliable, sustainable, and commuter-friendly.
