Rahul Kanuganti

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Rahul Kanuganti
Rahul Kanuganti
Born 18 August 1994, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Nationality Indian
Occupation Entrepreneur, Business Executive
Years active 2017–present
Education
Known for Heavy-duty EV logistics, Critical minerals policy advocacy
Title Managing Director & CEO, Flytta Green
Other roles Vice Chairman, Critical Minerals Association of India
Residence New Delhi / Hyderabad, India
Website goflytta.com

Rahul Kanuganti (born 18 August 1994, Hyderabad, Telangana, India) is an Indian entrepreneur, business executive, and sustainability advocate. He is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Flytta Green, a company focused on building India's heavy-duty electric vehicle logistics ecosystem for industrial sectors including cement, steel, mining, ports, and manufacturing.

Born and raised in Hyderabad, Kanuganti developed an early interest in technology, systems thinking, and space science, which shaped his later work in logistics innovation and clean mobility. He founded Flytta — initially as an enterprise mobility platform — before pivoting the company toward sustainable industrial logistics and heavy-duty electric freight, a segment he identified as both economically significant and critically under-addressed in India's energy and sustainability discourse.

Kanuganti is widely regarded as one of India's early movers in the medium and heavy commercial vehicle (M&HCV) electrification space, a category that has historically received far less policy and entrepreneurial attention than passenger EVs. His work at Flytta Green has been recognised by national business media, industry bodies, and sustainability platforms. Beyond Flytta, he serves as Vice Chairman of the Critical Minerals Association of India (CMA India), where He works closely with policymakers and national missions to shape industry perspectives on supply chain resilience, domestic processing, and energy transition priorities.

He is known for bridging government strategy with on-ground industry execution, contributing to discussions that align critical minerals policy with India’s broader goals in electrification, clean energy, and industrial growth.

He is based between New Delhi and Hyderabad and has been an active voice in industry forums, government-adjacent policy conversations, and international dialogues on clean mobility, critical minerals, and sustainable infrastructure.

Education

Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) Hindustan University (Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science), Chennai, Tamil Nadu Rahul Kanuganti completed his undergraduate engineering degree at Hindustan University, one of India's established private technical institutions. He was also awarded as the Eminent Alumni Award in the year 2019 by the Chancellor of the University. During his time at the university, he was actively involved in interdisciplinary technology initiatives. He led the Hindustan Mars Rover Team, a student-driven engineering project that focused on designing and developing a Mars exploration rover for competitive purposes. His involvement in this project reflected an early interest in applied engineering, project management, and innovation under constraints — skills that would later translate into his entrepreneurial career.

Startup Leadership Program Kanuganti also participated in the Startup Leadership Program (SLP), a globally recognised initiative designed for high-potential technology entrepreneurs. The programme is known for building a network of innovation-driven founders across emerging markets.

Career and achievements

Early career

Hindustan Mars Rover Team — Team Lead While at Hindustan University, Kanuganti led the Hindustan Mars Rover Team, providing project management and technical direction to a multidisciplinary student engineering group. This initiative demonstrated his ability to coordinate complex engineering efforts and build teams around shared technical objectives at an early age.

National Space Society — Vice President, Indian Chapter Kanuganti served as Vice President of the Indian Chapter of the National Space Society (NSS), a prominent international organisation dedicated to advancing space exploration and STEM education. In this capacity, he was responsible for outreach initiatives, public engagement, and the implementation of STEM education programmes across India. This role established his early credibility as a leader at the intersection of science, policy advocacy, and community engagement.

Founding and Building Flytta (2017–Present)

Rahul Kanuganti co-founded Flytta in 2017 initially as an enterprise mobility and relocation management company. The company was headquartered in Hyderabad and was incubated at T-Hub, the Government of Telangana's flagship technology incubation centre, recognised as one of Asia's largest startup ecosystems.

In its early phase, Flytta operated as a cloud-based platform providing relocation services for enterprises — offering moving, packing, airport transfers, short stays, storage, and doorstep delivery of office supplies and equipment for corporate clients. The company developed a relocation management software with features including budgeting, delivery tracking, forecasting, HRMS integration, and ATS integrations

Flytta raised seed funding from Corvus Ventures and SGA, and over time secured approximately USD 4 million across multiple rounds from 44 investors.

The company was selected for the Telangana Government's Lab32 Programme in 2020, recognising it among the state's high-potential startup cohort.

Pivoting to Sustainable Industrial Logistics and EV Freight

A defining phase in Kanuganti's career came with the strategic pivot of Flytta toward sustainable logistics and heavy-duty electric mobility. Identifying that India's logistics sector generates approximately 246 million metric tons of CO₂ annually — and that freight vehicles, despite being a fraction of total registered vehicles, account for a disproportionate share of transport fuel consumption and emissions — Kanuganti repositioned Flytta as a green logistics platform.

Under his leadership, Flytta built a multimodal sustainable logistics ecosystem encompassing electric vehicle, AI-driven supply chain planning, eco-friendly warehousing, sustainable packaging, and real-time digital control tower capabilities

By the mid-2020s, Flytta reported operations spanning 120+ cities and towns in India and logistics connectivity with damage rate of 0.02% across cargo handled.

The company later grew to serve clients across sectors including cement, steel, mining, power, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, aerospace and defence, electronics and semiconductors, and public sector units (PSUs).

India's First Retrofitted Heavy-Duty Electric Truck (2024–2025)

The most widely covered milestone of Kanuganti's career to date is the development and deployment of India's first retrofitted electric truck in the medium and heavy-duty segment. In collaboration with Kalyani Powertrain Limited (KPTL) — the electric mobility subsidiary of the Kalyani Group — and Dalmia Cement, Flytta unveiled a retrofitted 13-ton payload capacity electric truck purpose-built for cement bag transportation across ghat roads and industrial terrains.

The truck was introduced into live operations on the Yadwad–Goa corridor for Dalmia Cement, marking the first operational deployment of a retrofitted M&HCV electric vehicle in India for industrial logistics.

This initiative was covered by Business Standard, ETManufacturing, Silicon India, The Print (via ANI), and Construction World, among others, and was cited as a category-defining development in India's clean mobility transition.

Critical Minerals Association of India — Vice Chairman

Beyond Flytta, Kanuganti holds the position of Vice Chairman of the Critical Minerals Association of India (CMA India), a national organisation focused on responsible mining, exploration, and innovation in India's critical minerals sector.

In this capacity, he has participated in high-level policy roundtables organised by the Chintan Research Foundation, Ministry of Mines, Government of India, NITI Ayog etc along with senior officials including the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Mines, Advisor Minerals (NITI Ayog). He has been quoted on India's critical minerals policy, private sector exploration opportunities, and the importance of building a complete domestic critical minerals ecosystem to support clean energy and EV manufacturing.

He has also moderated Important sessions at the ET Infra Global Metals & Mining Summit 2026, discussing India's positioning in precious and strategic minerals including rare earth elements, lithium, and EV motor manufacturing ecosystems.

Founding and development of Flytta

Kanuganti co-founded Flytta in 2017 as an enterprise mobility and relocation management company headquartered in Hyderabad. The company was incubated at T-Hub, a startup incubator supported by the Government of Telangana.

In its early phase, Flytta operated as a cloud-based platform providing enterprise relocation services, including moving, storage, airport transfers, and workplace logistics. The company also developed relocation management software with features such as budgeting tools, delivery tracking, forecasting, and integration with HRMS and ATS systems.

Flytta raised seed funding from Corvus Ventures and SGA, and secured approximately USD 4 million across multiple funding rounds. In 2020, it was selected for the Telangana Government’s Lab32 Programme, recognising it among the state’s high-potential startups.

Transition to sustainable logistics

A key phase in Kanuganti’s career was the strategic repositioning of Flytta toward sustainable logistics and heavy-duty electric mobility. Identifying the environmental impact of India's logistics sector, he led the company's transformation into a green logistics platform.

Under his leadership, Flytta developed a multimodal logistics ecosystem integrating electric vehicles, artificial intelligence-driven supply chain planning, eco-friendly warehousing, sustainable packaging, and real-time digital control systems.

By the mid-2020s, the company reported operations across more than 100 cities in India and served sectors including cement, steel, mining, power, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, electronics, and public sector enterprises.

Retrofitted electric truck initiative

Between 2024 and 2025, Kanuganti led the development of a retrofitted electric truck in the medium and heavy commercial vehicle segment in India.

The project was undertaken in collaboration with Kalyani Powertrain Limited and Dalmia Cement. The vehicle, with a payload capacity of 13 tonnes, was designed for industrial freight applications and deployed on the Yadwad–Goa corridor.

The initiative received coverage from publications such as Business Standard, ETManufacturing, Silicon India, The Print (via ANI), and Construction World, and has been described as a notable development in India's transition toward clean mobility.

Critical Minerals Association of India

Beyond his role at Flytta, Rahul Kanuganti serves as Vice Chairman of the Critical Minerals Association of India (CMA India), an organisation focused on responsible mining, exploration, and innovation in India's critical minerals sector.

In this capacity, he has participated in policy roundtables organised by the Chintan Research Foundation, the Ministry of Mines, Government of India, and NITI Aayog. These discussions have included senior government officials and policy advisors. His contributions have focused on issues such as supply chain resilience, private sector participation in mineral exploration, and the development of domestic processing capabilities for critical minerals.

He has also moderated sessions at the ET Infra Global Metals & Mining Summit 2026, addressing topics related to strategic minerals, including rare earth elements, lithium, and electric vehicle manufacturing ecosystems.

Public speaking and industry engagement

Kanuganti has been an active participant in India's industrial and sustainability forums. Confirmed speaking engagements and panel participations include:

  • IRLi 2025 Summit (Innovation in Rare Earths and Lithium), Bengaluru — Title Sponsor representative and speaker
  • EU-India Dialogue on Critical Minerals, organised by Institut Montaigne, T&E, and Chintan Research Foundation — panellist alongside Ministry of Mines officials and European policy representatives
  • ET Infra Global Metals & Mining Summit 2026 — Session moderator on Precious and Strategic Resources
  •  Chintan Research Foundation High-Level Policy Roundtable on Critical Minerals — industry expert participant alongside government and academic leaders

Notable works and contributions

  • 1. Conceptualisation and Deployment of India's First Retrofitted M&HCV Electric Truck Kanuganti's most notable contribution to India's clean mobility ecosystem is the partnership development, and deployment of India's first retrofitted electric truck in the medium and heavy commercial vehicle segment. This remains a category-defining innovation in a space where most industry focus has been on passenger EVs and last-mile light commercial vehicles. 2. Building Flytta's Multimodal Green Logistics Platform Under his leadership, Flytta developed a technology-integrated logistics model combining EV fleets, AI-driven route optimisation, predictive battery analytics, digital twin logistics, real-time load optimisation, eco-friendly warehousing, and a digital control tower for end-to-end supply chain visibility. This platform has been positioned as a Trucking-as-a-Service (TaaS) model for industrial clients. 3. Policy Advocacy for Critical Minerals and EV Supply Chains As Vice Chairman of CMA India, Kanuganti has contributed to shaping India's emerging policy framework around critical minerals — the inputs essential for EV batteries, clean energy infrastructure, and advanced electronics. His public statements have emphasised the importance of private sector participation in mineral exploration and the development of a complete domestic value chain from mining to processing. 4. ESG-Driven Industrial Logistics Model Kanuganti has been credited with articulating and executing an ESG-integrated logistics model for heavy industries — demonstrating that sustainability in freight operations is not a cost centre but a competitive advantage. Flytta's reported CO₂ reduction metrics (3.2 lakh tonnes saved) and low damage rates (Should be removed as we are talking about reduction in Carbon Emissions) have been cited in industry publications and sustainability reports as proof of operational viability. 5. Incubation at T-Hub and Telangana Startup Ecosystem Flytta's early-stage development under Kanuganti's leadership within T-Hub contributed to Hyderabad's growing reputation as a logistics and mobility technology startup hub. Flytta was among 45 startups selected for T-Hub's Lab32 programme in 2020.

NEWS ARTICLES & MEDIA COVERAGE

The following publications have covered Rahul Kanuganti and Flytta Green:

National Business Media

  • Business Standard — "Flytta Unveils India's First Retrofitted Electric Truck in the Medium & Heavy-Duty Segment"
  •  ETManufacturing.in — "Logistics firm Flytta unveils retrofitted e-truck for medium, heavy-duty logistics sector"
  • Republic World — "The Changemakers of 2025: Entrepreneurs Who Are Redesigning India's Tomorrow" (December 2025)
  • Renewable Watch Magazine — "Rahul Kanuganti: Managing Director and CEO, Flytta Green" (February 2026)

Wire & Syndicated Coverage

  • ANI / The Print — "Flytta Unveils India's First Retrofitted Electric Truck in the Medium & Heavy-Duty Segment"
  • WebIndia123 — "Rahul Kanuganti Leads India's Heavy-Duty EV Shift in Logistics and Industrial Transport" (January 2026)

Trade & Industry Media

  • Construction World — "Flytta Launches India's First Retrofitted Electric Truck for Industrial Logistics"
  • Silicon India — "Flytta Launches India's First Retrofitted Electric Truck"
  • The Tribune — "IRLi 2025 Inaugurated in Bengaluru" (October 2025)
  • The Tribune — "Experts Discuss Private Sector's Key Role in Meeting India's Critical Minerals Needs" (March 2026)
  • Asianet Newsable — "India Discusses Strategy to Boost Private Sector in Critical Minerals" (March 2026)
  • NewKerala.com — "India's Critical Minerals Strategy: Private Sector Role" (March 2026)

Digital & Startup Media

  • YourStory — Featured in conversation on Flytta's global mobility ambitions
  • Tracxn — Company and founder profiling

References

External links

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