Kumar Prasad Telikepalli

Co-Founder and Group CTO, Matter

Conversation Highlights

In November 2022, we launched AERA, India's first Geared electric motorbike Matter fits into multiple roles across the EV ecosystem, as we are not just limited to building our own vehicle but also providing cross platform solutions

Through vertical integration Matter has developed and built every critical component of AERA in house

What inspired you to start Matter, and how does the company fit into the broader landscape of electric vehicle manufacturing?

Matter was founded in 2019 with the goal of revolutionising India's electric ecosystem and with the mindset that the shift to electric vehicles would be aided by innovative technology Backed by this goal, Matter was founded with a vision to provide futuristic energy storage and mobility solutions to drive India to a sustainable future

Realising that the current products available in the Indian EV space are found wanting in certain aspects, our conversations narrowed down to four fundamental needs for an EVs: safety, security, reliability, and performance. Our discussions pointed in the direction of charting and developing one’s own technology as that would help us address the fundamental needs in an organic manner and also adapt faster Our company fits into multiple roles across the EV ecosystem as we are not just limited to building our own vehicle but also providing cross platform solutions We are working on all elements of technology in the EV ecosystem

Over the past few years, we have been working on multitude of disruptive cross-platform solutions, accelerating India’s transition to electric In 2022, we introduced India’s first liquid-cooled battery and motor in the 2W segment keeping in mind the Indian environmental and usage conditions Later in the year, we also launched India’s first geared electric motorbike Earlier this year, we exhibited innovative and disruptive future concepts: the Concept-EXE is for young executives, and the Concept-UT is for a diverse utility segment Both of which will be a both of which will be a combination of practicality and design We plan to continue down the path of ingenuity and innovation tailor-made for the Indian market.

How do you look at your current competitors? And what differentiates you from your from them?

The transition to EVs will be driven by innovation and technology, and it's exciting to see the fraternity growing because there are so many lessons to be learned from one another's efforts, and start-ups are carrying the innovation torch in India when it comes to electric vehicles

Matter has developed a highly modular technology platform to disrupt the electric ecosystem, ranging fromenergy storage solutions and mobility platforms What really sets our products apart is that they are built on the core principles of safety security reliability and performance Also, matter's vertically integrated approach has led to multiple patents which power Aera to be a world class product

Innovation is in the DNA of our organization, and this coupled with our indigenous development helps us move faster as newer technologies evolve We've invested a lot of effort into developing and building every critical component of AERA in-house. Our products are been subjected to comprehensive testing and validation and were built from the ground up, with over 95% of the vehicle content being indigenous

As an emerging player in the electric bike industry, how are you working to develop a skilled workforce capable of meeting the demands of the rapidly evolving electric vehicle market?

I truly believe that India has the necessary skill set and expertise to innovate and help in accelerating the EV development Engineers & Architects from our country have been providing technological solutions for several powertrain & energy challenges faced by the world over the last few decades It’s an open fact that countries look to India for the finest talent pool & India’s journey towards Energy independence needs to benefit from the same

It’s also necessary for automotive OEMs to step forward and collaborate with educational partners to upskill their present and prospective future workforce We have been working closely with Digital Simulation & Technology partners to collaborate with Accademia in solving some real-life challenges & accelerate Tech Road maps Matter’s internship programs are designed to build awareness & increase talent pool availability for the industry. Matter has also recently partnered with IIT Bombay Racing to provide internships in several aspects of electric mobility development, including hardware, firmware, simulation, and vehicle integration, for students get hands-on experience with cutting-edge EV technology & labs Beyond this there is a lot of work that Govt & industry bodies have been doing in ensuring skilled work force is available for manufacturing plants & test labs

While a lot has been done, a lot more must be done – especially in the areas of functional safety, cybersecurity which are very key enablers of robust, secure & safe EV industry

One of the key challenges that the automotive industry faced in last few years has been with semiconductor supply chain & costs associated with change management due to related uncertainties. Matter has proactively built a robust relationship with key semiconductor players not just for the supply chain but also to accelerate our technology roadmap The symbiotic relationship & early involvement of key stakeholders in the development process has helped us to plan our supply chains better While this strategy has been very key for semiconductor supplies, the same has been followed for other key vehicle & energy storage systems

This robust supply chain strategy will help us reach our early-year target of selling 60,000 vehicles in 2023 & target 1 5 – 2 lakh units by 2024

Collaboration is often key to success in the rapidly evolving world. Can you talk about any partnerships or collaborations that Matter has formed to drive innovation and improve manufacturing processes for electric bikes?

I completely agree with you Collaboration brings together different perspectives, skills, and expertise allowing individuals and organizations to leverage each other's strengths and complement weaknesses It also fosters innovation by promoting the exchange of ideas and creating a culture of continuous learning and the key is to identify the right partners and establish clear goals and expectations for the collaboration At Matter, some of the collaborative examples are:

The Memorandum of Understanding between Matter and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) aims to collaborate in the areas of functional safety, electronics reliability, and cyber security for nextgeneration mobility solutions

Matter is collaborating with Luminous Power Technologies to develop next generation stationary energy storage solutions and a smart home dock inverter that is digitally connected

Matter recently teamed up with IIT Bombay Racing to offer internships in hardware, firmware, simulation, and vehicle integration These internships will help IIT Bombay students get hands-on experience with cutting-edge EV technology

Matter is partnering with world class suppliers for electronics, cells, safety systems etc This enables us to access leading technologies while the suppliers get to integrate their components on an innovative end product

Through these collaborations, Matter has been able to incorporate diverse perspectives and expertise, that has helped the company to stay ahead of the curve in an ever-changing market

Finally,

We are a homegrown innovator brand that is catering to the unmet needs of the customers For electric vehicles to become mainstream, it is pivotal that we think new, decode the need for progression, and leverage technology for product development What makes me proud today is that our innovation culture has enabled key, core technologies in multiple domains of the electric vehicle be it drive, controls, battery management, drivetrain etc Our products are built on core technologies, developed in-house, that will usher in an era of new age mobility, connected experiences and shape the future of a sustainable and inventive India This innovation led approach helps us understand the technology curve and to ensure the newer products stay ahead of the technology curve while catering to the explicit and latent needs of the customer

Vivek heads Manufacturing Engineering Function for Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Business unit He is a passionate automotive professional with 30 plus years’ of experience, 27 years in Auto OEMs- Honda Cars (5+ years), General Motors ( 15+ years), MG Motor (5 years) He has vast experience in Automotive technology – both for ICE and Electric Vehicles He has led New start ups sucessfully, has played key role in Honda Cars and MG Motor's success in India apart from having played crucial role in the Launch of more that 17 New vehicles with 4 auto Majors over the years He has played key role at Global level while working with General Motors and contributed significantly in bringing new Insights to ‘lean Manufacturing’ and formulating Modular concepts in Automation He has diverse experience in Plant operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Project Management, Advance vehicle development, Launch Management and Manufacturing finance

He has technical expertise in all Vehicle manufacturing and Quality processes and is hands on in Implementing Smart Manufacturing thru Digitalization (Industry 4 0), Autonomous/ electric vehicles and IoT based technologies. He is seasoned Speaker in Panel discussions within Automotive and New Technology domain He has authored various Articles in technology Managines. He is actively engaged with Mentoring Budding Managers of B schools on Management concepts, representing Corporate world

He is very passionate in sharing his views thru participation in Panel discussions, thru articles in e-magazinesbesides providing Mentorship to Young Engineers at various levels and Budding Managers of B schools