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Indigenous EV stack becomes milestone for India: Priyank Rakholiya
Articles- Mar 24,26
In this interview, Priyank Rakholiya, Co-founder, Samarth E-Mobility, discusses its indigenous EV platform, engineering capabilities, supply chain strategy, and plans for premium electric motorcycles in India.
Could you briefly introduce Samarth E-Mobility and outline the company’s vision and core engineering capabilities in electric mobility?
At Samarth E-Mobility, we are a technology-driven, innovation-focused electric mobility player with a strong emphasis on building a robust indigenous electric vehicle technology platform. We aim to build a self-sufficient electric vehicle technology platform in India by designing and developing advanced electric vehicle technologies from the ground up. Over the last three years, we have established ourselves as a robust engineering house with expertise in key domains such as battery technologies, power electronics, motor technologies, and software architecture. This helps us to develop scalable and high-performance electric vehicle technologies, which will drive our future electric mobility offerings, including our upcoming two-wheeler business.
Samarth E-Mobility has developed a 100 per cent indigenous full-stack EV platform. How significant is this milestone for India’s EV ecosystem in reducing import dependence?
This is an important milestone, not only for us, but also for the overall ecosystem of electric vehicles in India. Today, a big part of the overall value chain of electric vehicles is dependent on imports, especially for critical components. With this 100 per cent indigenous full-stack platform, we are also proving that it is possible for us to create advanced technology for electric vehicles entirely from India. This is not dependent on imports and is also beneficial for the overall 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' vision.
Your platform integrates key components such as the battery pack, BMS, motor, motor controller and operating system in-house. What were the major technological challenges in building this EV stack locally?
Developing an entire stack of an EV in-house also comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to the integration of hardware and software. Developing the battery pack, battery management systems, motors, and control systems, which are all critical components of an EV, also required significant engineering efforts and validation. Optimising the entire system, where all the components talk to each other, was another challenge that had to be addressed, along with the challenges of the Indian terrain, temperature, and usage patterns, which also had to be factored in during the development process.
With the battery pack validated by NATRAX and the BMS tested by ICAT, how do these homologation milestones strengthen the credibility of your technology?
It is indeed very significant to get validation from reputed organisations such as NATRAX and ICAT. These homologation markers are significant as they confirm that the in-house developed systems are safe, effective, and compliant with high standards and regulations. It gives greater confidence to the customers, associates, and investors about the robustness and reliability of the technology developed by us.
Your philosophy of ‘Advanced Technology. Simplified Design. Premium Experience.’ guides your approach. How will this translate into the riding experience of your upcoming electric motorcycles?
At our core, our philosophy is built around providing cutting-edge technology that is intuitive and effortless to use by the rider. The combination of ‘Advanced Technology’ providing both power and brain to our vehicles, with ‘Simplified Design’ ensuring that it is intuitive and reliable, results in a ‘Premium Experience’ that is all about smooth acceleration, comfortable ride, intelligent energy management, and connectivity with a user-friendly interface. We want electric mobility to not just be practical but desirable.
With the electric two-wheeler segment becoming increasingly competitive, how does Samarth E-Mobility plan to differentiate itself technologically and strategically?
What sets us apart is that we are a full-stack company with a strong emphasis on engineering. We control the entire tech stack, from hardware to software, so we can tune all aspects of performance, safety, and user experience. We are also developing advanced technologies such as rare-earth-free motors and artificial intelligence-based solutions. We are targeting the premium, aspirational motorcycle segment, particularly as a replacement for 125cc to 200cc ICE motorcycles, as we see a gap in the market for high-quality electric motorcycles.
By developing a full-stack EV platform in-house, how does Samarth E-Mobility plan to build a resilient domestic supply chain and work with Indian component manufacturers?
By developing the platform internally, we can have greater control over the supply chain and be able to actively collaborate with the Indian manufacturers of the components. Our strategy is to work closely with the local supply base, focusing on local development and capability development within the ecosystem. By doing this, we can develop a robust supply chain with less reliance on global imports.
With a manufacturing capacity of over 5,00,000 units annually and plans to launch your first electric motorcycle soon, how do you see the company’s growth over the next five years?
With our manufacturing facility at Chhatral, we have the capability of producing over 5,00,000 units annually. In the next five years, we plan to establish ourselves as a major player in the premium electric motorcycle space, expand our portfolio, and continue to improve our technology platform. We plan to create a brand that is synonymous with performance, reliability, and indigenous innovation, while at the same time contributing significantly to the cause of green mobility in India.
Electric mobility
Indigenous EV platform
Full-stack engineering
Battery technologies
Power electronics
Supply chain localisation
Electric motorcycles
Atmanirbhar Bharat
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