India-China reset hits bump as Chinese battery apps remotely halt e-rickshaws

A routine day on New Delhi's streets turned chaotic earlier this month when multiple e-rickshaws reportedly came to a sudden stop mid-ride, leaving drivers stranded and passengers bewildered. Viral videos on social media quickly turned a local breakdown into a national security debate. The alleged cause was not a mechanical failure but software – specifically, Chinese battery management apps (BAT-BMS, Epoch Li-ion, Lossigy) that could remotely disable vehicles via Bluetooth. The apps did not respond to requests for comment from the South China Morning Post.

India's IT secretary S. Krishnan confirmed an investigation and ordered the removal of at least three such Chinese apps from app stores, with some reports suggesting up to seven apps could be targeted. The incident comes at a delicate time: India-China relations, strained since the deadly 2020 border clashes and India's earlier bans on apps like WeChat and TikTok, were seeing a cautious thaw. The e-rickshaw disruption threatens to reignite tensions and undermine renewed economic engagement efforts.