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LEADERSHIP SPEAKS
“The future of mobility is electric and connected” The e-2W space in India is coming into its own. It is perhaps the fastest transitioning segment of the e-mobility sector. Well set in the race is Ather Energy, an electric vehicle company with two e-scooters in the market, one of which - 450X, was recently launched. Ashok Thakur, Chief Editor, ETN finds out what the young and dynamic duo of Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain (founders of Ather) have to say about the buzz around e-mobility and its future.
Ashok Thakur Chief Editor ETN
Q: Things seem to be going well for the 2W EV sector – competition, govt support, infrastructure, awareness – all seem to be moving in the same direction… when and what do you think would be the turning point?
A: Yes, things will fall into place progressively is what have been experiencing from the time we started. We now have more competitors, more products, which is a great move to the future. We have always believed the turning point will be when the market has good quality products; everything else will follow. This has also been Ather’s philosophy.
Q: Your take on govt initiatives
towards making components in India to facilitate EV manufacturing, and encourage EV ownership. Realistically, how long do you think it will take?
Left to Right: Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain at the launch of Ather 450x | January-February 2020
A: Last year saw the government adopt policies and introduce measures to accelerate EV adoption in the country. From policies like Fame 2 to GST and the IT benefits, 2019 was a year of great strides being made towards an electric future. All these initiatives have overall increased the conversation around EVs as well as the purchase preference among scooter buyers. We have also seen the demand remain constant across markets we operate in. This positive consumer sentiment is facilitated in a large part due to the initiatives introduced over the year and we are expecting an increased demand of high performance EVs this year.
Q: As a manufacturer and a start-up, what according to you are the hurdles that need to be addressed to make the electric transition smooth? A: We started in 2013 with the belief that the future of mobility is electric and connected. We wanted to build a product line that is differentiated in design as well as the ownership experience. Since then we have launched in two markets and have been able to significantly address manufacturing and supply related issues. When we started off, the challenges we faced revolved majorly around the absence of a vendor base to help with building the vehicle or the components that went in. Delivery timelines were affected most by this. This led to us developing in-house capabilities, and today the majority of the components that go on the vehicle are designed by us. With the opening of a new manufacturing plant
