Ekart Expands IKEA Partnership in Chennai with 100% EV-Powered Last-Mile Delivery

Bengaluru-based Ekart, one of India's leading third-party logistics (3PL) and supply chain companies, has announced a significant expansion of its partnership with global home furnishings giant IKEA, extending its last-mile delivery operations to Chennai. This development marks a major step forward in both companies' efforts to build a scalable, sustainable, and technology-driven logistics infrastructure across India's rapidly growing large-format retail market.

Under the terms of the expanded collaboration, Ekart will take on full responsibility for end-to-end large-format deliveries for IKEA across Chennai. What sets this operation apart is the deployment of a 100% dedicated electric vehicle (EV) fleet to power all deliveries, making it a fully zero-emission logistics model. With this move, Chennai becomes the second major market in India—after NCR-Delhi—where Ekart manages IKEA's last-mile logistics, reinforcing the strategic depth of the two companies' relationship.

The scope of the partnership is substantial. Ekart will oversee the delivery of more than 600 products from IKEA's diverse catalogue, spanning furniture, home décor, and a wide range of household essentials. These products require specialised handling due to their size, weight, and packaging complexity, making the logistics challenge far more demanding than standard e-commerce deliveries. Ekart's expertise in large-format logistics positions it well to meet these operational requirements at scale.

Technology sits at the heart of Ekart's delivery model for this partnership. Leveraging its advanced, technology-led fulfilment network and optimised routing capabilities, Ekart is committed to delivering all orders within a 48-hour window. Customers will have access to real-time tracking and complete end-to-end shipment visibility, from the moment an order leaves the fulfilment hub to the point it reaches their doorstep. This level of transparency and reliability is increasingly expected by today's urban consumers and is central to IKEA's customer experience philosophy.

The EV-powered supply chain model is designed not only to support rapid turnaround but also to align with both companies' broader sustainability commitments.

By eliminating tailpipe emissions from last-mile operations, the partnership takes a meaningful step toward advancing zero-emission logistics solutions in urban India—a market where sustainable commerce is gaining significant momentum.

Mani Bhushan, Chief Business Officer at Ekart, spoke about the significance of this collaboration: "Our expanded partnership with IKEA reflects Ekart's strength in building and operating enterprise-grade, specialised supply chain solutions for leading global retail brands. As large-format retail continues to scale in India, the need for reliable, technology-led logistics partners is becoming increasingly critical. Through dedicated infrastructure and an EV-led last-mile network, we are focused on delivering consistent, sustainable logistics solutions at scale."

Saiba Suri, Country Customer Fulfilment Manager at IKEA India, echoed this sentiment and highlighted the strategic importance of efficient fulfilment to IKEA's growth trajectory in the country: "Efficient and sustainable fulfilment is central to our growth in India as we expand our omnichannel presence. Our collaboration with Ekart in Chennai strengthens our ability to serve customers faster and more seamlessly, particularly across our large-format home furnishing range, where reliable and specialised last-mile logistics is critical. By combining operational scale with an EV-led last-mile model, this partnership also supports our ambition to reduce environmental impact while maintaining high service standards. We look forward to deepening this collaboration as we expand our footprint across India."

Beyond its work with IKEA, Ekart currently powers end-to-end logistics for more than 1,800 retail, direct-to-consumer (D2C), and enterprise brands across India. Its integrated supply chain solutions span last-mile delivery, part-truckload (PTL) freight, and warehousing services—making it a comprehensive logistics partner for businesses operating at various scales and across diverse categories.

The Ekart-IKEA partnership in Chennai signals a broader trend in Indian logistics: the convergence of enterprise-grade capabilities, green technology, and specialised fulfilment expertise. As IKEA continues its aggressive omnichannel expansion across Indian cities, having a reliable, scalable, and sustainability-aligned logistics partner becomes not just a competitive advantage but a business necessity. Together, Ekart and IKEA are positioning themselves to set a new benchmark for responsible and efficient large-format retail logistics in India.