Ola Electric under alleged insider trading probe; company responds

Ola Electric is reportedly under the regulatory lens, claiming that SEBI may investigate the electric vehicle maker for alleged insider trading. According to the report, the probe concerns suspicious trading patterns in the company's unlisted shares ahead of key internal developments.

In response, Ola Electric issued a clarification through a stock exchange filing, stating that the trades referred to were routine transactions involving shares acquired through exercising these ESOPs and not through the open market purchase.

The development follows an earlier warning from SEBI in January 2025, when the regulator flagged Ola Electric for breaching disclosure norms. At the time, the company had publicized a major retail expansion via social media before informing the stock exchanges, prompting SEBI to caution the startup against selective disclosure and remind it to adhere strictly to disclosure regulations under the SEBI (LODR) rules.

In February 2025, a discrepancy emerged between Ola Electric’s reported sales figures of 25,000 vehicles and the approximately 8,600 vehicle registrations recorded on the government’s VAHAN portal. Ola Electric explained that the gap was a result of ongoing negotiations with its vehicle registration vendors.

In April, the company secured the second position in the electric two-wheeler segment, with TVS Motor emerging as the market leader.

Ola Electric's share price has declined to Rs 48.53, bringing its estimated market capitalization down to Rs 21,405 crore (approximately $2.5 billion). In Q3 FY25 (ended December 2024), the company reported a 19.4% year-on-year drop in operating revenue, falling to Rs 1,045 crore from Rs 1,296 crore in the same quarter last year. At the same time, its net loss widened significantly—up 50% year-on-year—to Rs 564 crore.