Sarada in India: At Mobility Experiments for 1.4 Billion People

At the India EV 2025 exhibition, Sarada Vishnubhatla sat down with the leaders shaping India’s electric mobility future. From EVs and batteries to infrastructure and SDVs, she explored the country’s uniquely local solutions—and the bold innovations driving them. This article captures their voices and the real stories that could only be heard on the ground in India. Join Sarada on the front lines of mobility’s next chapter. [Editor’s Note]

By Sarada Vishnubhatla_sarada@autoelectronics.co.kr

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Related Article:  India EV 2025 Show - Convergence of ground realities and pragmatic roadmaps






 

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India is a mobility paradox. It has among the lowest vehicle penetration rates globally, yet it sees one of the highest daily movement of people — 1.4 billion citizens, many without personal transport, navigating through a tapestry of two-wheelers, rickshaws, buses, and metros.
"I see India as an opportune innovation hub," Mahesh noted. “The system is now well defined in terms of the role of the industry, startups, government, and even the role of the consumer.”
Switch Mobility, known for its electric buses and commercial vehicles, is focusing on solutions tailored to Indian density and diversity. Their view is clear: clean mobility in India is not an option—it’s a public health imperative.
He explained further, “While there are multiple challenges, I would say it's still positive. We'll have to look at supply chain, making India an Atma Nirbhar Bharat, we'll have to build technologies, and ecosystems. But the fact that mobility for a billion people is a big opportunity. So, when you learn in this ecosystem even as India is leading the solar alliance and getting renewables into the generation, it will throw us both challenges, and experiences. In India, the mobility space is yet to be explored because it is not going to happen by cars but it will have be multi-modal transport. And in this multi-modal transport, fossil fuel will have a challenge. While I agree that EVs will not erase out the IC engines in the near future, yet the maximum growth in mobility will come from EVs. And you will see a muted growth in IC engines.”
A lesson for India came through - Sustainable growth is achieved by developing sustainable mobility and not by burning fossil fuel.


 

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India’s innovation model isn’t about abundant capital or lavish R&D labs. It’s about solving hard problems with limited resources. “Frugal innovation,” as many speakers termed it, emerged as India’s core differentiator.
Anant is betting on battery swapping—not as a novelty, but as a practical, scalable solution. “In India, range anxiety and upfront EV costs are major barriers,” he explained. “Swapping removes both. And our innovation is not just technical—it’s behavioural. We’re aligning EV use with how Indians already operate.”
Indofast has gone a step further by building smaller, more recyclable battery packs and pushing for a policy shift that recognizes swapping as equal to fixed charging. “We seek a level playing field from the government, not subsidies,” said Anant. Is wireless charging far away in future for India? Anant opined, “Wireless charging is still a bit far for India because first of all the cost of wireless charger is extremely high to install. The second challenge is the efficiency because to charge the same thing one will need more energy since 25% is dissipation. And third is our vehicle form factor is small such as the 2-, and the 3-wheelers. You need a big form factor for wireless charging. The advantage is that there is no manpower requirement in wireless charging. But it's costly on the CAPEX and on the OPEX also.” 
Talking about the Korean connection, he said, “Indofast is developing the next battery with Samsung and it will be launched in the next few quarters.”


 

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Here is an entity that is eyeing Southeast Asia – particularly India – to put down some roots and redefine accessibility of EV charging through intelligent battery swapping. The idea of democratising energy access brings efficiency, is low-cost and serves large population.
While China is still far advanced in this domain, yet even there the system is still being scaled and optimized. But where does India stand in all of this?
Tin Hang responded with, “Globally, there are many countries that are still in nascent stages and India is one of them. Having said that, India is also the place where the biggest potential lies. Our technology is engineered to be plugged in into the grid. It is because AI can constantly talk to the grid and understand if it's a good time to charge or not, and can help the grid. It's like a gigantic power bank and, you can harvest a lot of energy during the night.”
India’s grid, permitting processes, and deployment capabilities still need reform, but Open Energy sees an opportunity to leapfrog traditional infrastructure with smart, adaptable technologies. India may not yet manufacture its own cells at scale like Korea or China, but its strength lies in software, frugal innovation, and massive demand. Open Energy believes India is well-positioned to become a viable alternative to China for both mobility and energy infrastructure — especially as global supply chains shift.
Tin Hang shared, “This can be a great opportunity for India. In fact, I am meeting companies that are developing EV parts and I see that India has the possibility to become less China dependent, and become a relevant alternative for mobility and energy. And transportation is amazing. Things are evolving, but it's a highly price sensitive country.”
With their swapping stations costing six times less than Chinese alternatives, Open Energy aims to redefine affordability — enabling widespread EV access for fleet operators and private users alike.
One of the biggest hurdles in India is lack of battery standardization. But instead of imposing proprietary formats, Open Energy adapts to existing battery packs, lowering entry barriers for OEMs and fleet operators.
He explained, “Since Indian market is so nascent we are hoping to influence the market in a way. But I see that local companies in India are strong in sales and deployment of the technologies. We actually are looking for companies that are already established and even startups. We have met several startups that are pretty impressive and we think that partnerships can be a great way to start because these companies already know the challenges. We think there is a huge opportunity in India. We are six times more affordable than our Chinese competitors. And, the biggest deal breaker is usually related to the battery.”
Open Energy’s objective is to decouple the battery from the vehicle which in turn brings down the cost and the depreciation is good too. Added advantage is that unlike the EV used-market, the second-hand market for the battery is good. 
Tin Hang shared, “Our plan is to set up an entity here relatively soon. We would like to talk to different stakeholders, the government, and investors. We're already talking to car companies, and fleet operators. Energy companies are already having a plan to invest heavily in infrastructure for the electric vehicles.”
In a nutshell, Open Energy bets on India for a radical transformation in the EV domain to take place in the next two years.


 

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No discussion on EVs is complete without batteries—and no challenge more pressing than cell manufacturing. brought this to the fore with a grounded realism. “We don’t want to be just pack assemblers. We want to own the chemistry, the material, and the supply chain.”
Boson is betting on sodium-ion chemistry—a safe, low-cost alternative to lithium-based cells, especially for Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and rural mobility. “We’re aiming for 20,000 life cycles and affordability at scale. And we’re already recycling end-of-life batteries to create our own cathode materials,” Guru revealed.
The company is also investing in vertical integration—from cell production to domestic refining. “Today, 90% of our ESS cells come from China. That has to change,” he said. “If Korea and Australia can be self-reliant, why not India?”


 

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India today is accelerating towards an electric and self-reliant automotive future, and Maxwell Energy Systems is pioneering a revolution in Battery Management Systems (BMS). Maxwell is positioning itself at the heart of India’s EV transition by developing and localizing critical electronic components that drive electric vehicles — both literally and strategically.
At the core of every efficient and safe EV lies a complex web of electronics and that’s precisely where Maxwell is making its mark. From battery management systems to motor control units (MCUs), chargers, and vehicle control units (VCUs), the company is creating an electronic architecture that powers and protects the next generation of vehicles.
Kavita shared, “For India to become self-reliant, it is important to have a robust domestic manufacturing set up as well as localizing the supply chain. Maxwell has been steadily bringing a change, while also inspiring other stakeholders. We’re not merely assembling hardware but we are developing engineering intelligence through advanced algorithms that predict battery health, ensure charge balancing, and manage critical safety parameters.”
This holistic approach — combining hardware and software intelligence — makes Maxwell a strategic partner to OEMs aiming to elevate performance, reliability, and longevity of EVs.
While startups are solving for price sensitivity and operational efficiency, technology enablers like Maxwell Energy Systems are building the intelligence backbone of EVs. Their systems are also V2G-ready, enabling electric fleets to act as grid stabilizers. “It’s not just about mobility. It’s about energy resilience,” she added. 
Maxwell’s mission is in complete tandem with India’s broader national agenda. The PM e-DRIVE scheme (Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement) with an outlay of ?10,900 crore from 2024 to 2026 — is designed to accelerate electric mobility, reduce carbon emissions, and boost local manufacturing.
“For us localization isn’t a new initiative but it’s a part of our DNA,” Kavita affirmed. “From Day One, we’ve believed in building in India, for India, reducing dependency on global supply chains and speeding up time-to-market.”
The EV battery management system is not only about the hardware but also about the algorithms which need to predict the health of a battery, its charge balancing and safety measurements. 
Kavita explained, “Today we see that the automotive industry is shifting to all electric and EE architecture. That is where the electronics make a big part of the EVs. And, we are already working with major OEMs in India along with the middleware market.”
And Maxwell offers end-to-end solutions - right from designing, developing to manufacturing the BMS. By localizing it, Maxwell is well set to expand into battery pack module manufacturing as well, reinforcing India’s supply chain resilience which is an urgent need as the industry continues to face global semiconductor and component shortages. 
EV adoption hinges not just on batteries and motors, but on the electronics that orchestrate them. Maxwell’s advanced systems manage critical tasks like:

· State of Health (SOH) prediction for batteries
· Thermal and charge balancing
· High-voltage safety controls
· Real-time performance monitoring

Maxwell Energy Systems wishes to become a household name in automotive electronics. And why not – since the company is true to its tagline that says ‘For every drive, for every device’.


 

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The success of an EV ecosystem increasingly hinges not just on batteries and motors, but on manufacturing intelligence — where robotics, AI/ML, digital twins, and predictive analytics converge to deliver efficiency, quality, and scalability. At the center of this evolution is Cyient, bringing its deep engineering and digital capabilities to the EV and Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) landscape.
In the high-precision world of EV battery manufacturing, robotic automation plays a pivotal role. Cyient works with clients to custom design robotic systems tailored for battery production — right from assembly line optimization to process setup and throughput improvement.
“It’s about striking the right balance between cost-effective labour and intelligent automation,” explained Pramod. “That’s how we bring value by reducing cycle times, minimizing errors, and improving cost-efficiency at scale.”
One of Cyient’s core differentiators is its work on adaptive battery manufacturing, using AI/ML to monitor battery health right from the factory floor.
Cyient enables clients to monitor and enhance battery life across two phases:
· During manufacturing, by optimizing key parameters like charge cycles, temperature, and chemical consistency.
· During operation, through predictive maintenance powered by Battery Management Systems (BMS), which constantly measure health indicators to extend usable life and ensure performance reliability.

Cyient leverages digital twin technology to simulate the entire plant even before a robot arm is deployed. This includes:
· Layout optimization for efficient material flow
· Sensor mapping to monitor temperature, pressure, and humidity
· Process validation to minimize wastage and errors

Cyient’s AI/ML models monitor not only the production processes but also help with predictive maintenance. 
· Equipment maintenance, based on acoustics, vibrations, and visual cues
· Spare part replacement cycles, to minimize downtime
· Inventory and supply chain forecasting, avoiding overstocking or raw material shortages

“We’ve helped global clients set up hydrogen production and logistics plants across Europe,” he added further. 
This expertise is now being replicated for Indian clients, on a turnkey or outsourced basis. With demand for cell manufacturing, electronics, and clean energy infrastructure rising in India, Cyient is poised to play an end-to-end enabler role — from design to deployment.

Cyient’s capabilities go beyond manufacturing into the software-defined realm. As India becomes a global hub for automotive software development, Cyient is supporting OEMs and GCCs with:
· SDV architecture development
· Digital cockpit design and integration
· In-vehicle software lifecycle management

“We bring cost efficiency, scalability, and technical depth — critical for global OEMs transitioning from hardware-centric to software-first vehicle models,” he opined.
As investments rise and domestic capability strengthens, Cyient’s global expertise, local execution, and tech-first mindset make it a key catalyst in India's journey toward sustainable, intelligent, and future-ready mobility.


 

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The global mobility ecosystem is moving rapidly towards electrification, automation, and software-defined architectures, and it is time to ask - What unique advantage does India bring to the table in this global transition? India’s true innovation edge lies in its potential for deep localization that could reshape the dynamics of cost, manufacturing, and competitiveness in the EV and autonomous mobility space.
Prajyot agreed, “Localization is the tipping point for India. India’s opportunity lies in achieving high levels of localization, especially in the manufacturing of electric vehicles and software-defined platforms. With the exception of battery cells and battery management systems (BMS) — which still largely depend on imports — the entire EV architecture can be localized within the country. We already have major global OEMs with manufacturing and assembly plants across India,” he noted. “That infrastructure can now be leveraged for EVs and SDVs, creating a cost advantage and an export base.”
Furthermore, recent policy interventions and incentive schemes such as PLI (Production-Linked Incentive) are expected to accelerate this localization drive. India's vast component manufacturing ecosystem, gives India a strategic edge in becoming a hub for next-generation vehicle platforms.
Despite this potential, India’s journey towards full electrification faces unique challenges.
Unlike Europe or the U.S., where stringent emission norms are forcing a rapid shift to electric, India continues to support multiple powertrain technologies. From CNG and hybrids to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), the Indian market is multi-modal by necessity.
“Consumers here are still coping with the idea of EVs as the default powertrain,” Prajyot said. “Residual value concerns, battery longevity, and upgrade cycles are still open-ended questions for Indian buyers.”
The lack of aggressive regulatory push also means ICE vehicles and hybrids will co-exist with EVs for the foreseeable future. In this environment, consumer choice and value perception become critical factors in driving adoption.
India’s auto landscape is unequivocally consumer-driven. Buyers are highly sensitive to value, feature sets, and long-term viability — and even a price difference of $1,000 can make or break a decision.
“Software and tech companies are enablers,” he explained. “But it’s the consumer who holds the steering wheel. Their concerns — from charging infrastructure to resale value — define how fast and far the transition goes.”
On the global stage, India remains an emerging — but highly distinct — mobility market. Driver behaviour, road conditions, and consumer habits differ significantly from the West, making plug-and-play solutions ineffective.
“India needs India-specific solutions,” he emphasized. “From business models like ‘Battery-as-a-Service’ to tailor-made autonomous features that can handle chaotic traffic patterns — you can’t just import a product and expect it to work.”
India stands at strategic crossroads in the global vehicle intelligence narrative. It boasts of an ecosystem ready for large-scale component localization, an innovation-friendly consumer base, and deep software talent pools. But it must navigate a complex terrain of infrastructure gaps, policy evolution, and consumer trust-building.
If it succeeds in this balancing act, India won’t just be a participant in the global EV and SDV race — it will define new rules of the game.


 

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As the global automotive giants race to define the future of autonomous mobility, Continental Automotive India stands at a strategic inflection point — one that merges India’s renowned software expertise with the rising wave of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs) and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Continental Automotive India is geared to empower vehicles to see, think, and act — autonomously and intelligently by making high-precision sensors that detect pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles and AI-driven algorithms that decide whether to brake, steer, or swerve.
“These are highly compute-intensive systems,” Bhanu Prakash said. “It’s not just about sensing. It’s about interpreting real-world scenarios using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, and then responding in real-time.”
This is where India’s software strengths shine. The shift from mechanical vehicles to “software on wheels” is no longer a buzzword. It’s a transformation Continental is already enabling, with Agile software development practices — continuous integration, iterative validation, and Over-the-Air (OTA) updates — making cars behave more like smartphones than traditional machines.
“Edge cases in safety — like an unpredictable pedestrian crossing — cannot be solved in one stroke,” the company explains. “But with OTA updates, we can keep improving the logic and performance over time. Each update makes the vehicle smarter. And we are in the right position to drive this revolution whether it is ADAS or SDVs.”
This iterative refinement is key to scaling higher levels of automation. As vehicles encounter new scenarios, they learn, adapt, and receive enhanced logic remotely, making the entire system safer and more reliable. With thousands of software engineers trained in embedded systems, cybersecurity, AI, and cloud infrastructure, Continental’s Indian arm is a crucial cog in its global SDV strategy.
“The infrastructure challenges we face in India — from unpredictable road users to irregular signage — actually become a strength. We’re solving for edge cases that don’t exist in countries like Germany or Korea,” he shared. “So, when our systems work here, they work anywhere.”
This positions India as a testbed for robust, globally-deployable algorithms — building supersets of logic that perform seamlessly across diverse environments.
But India still lags behind developed markets in autonomous-ready infrastructure — lane markings, V2X connectivity, and standardization. However, the government’s increasing focus on ADAS regulations, vehicle safety standards, and digital infrastructure lays the groundwork for rapid progress.
“Standardization and regulation are picking up pace. It’s only a matter of time before the infrastructure matches the technology,” he added. 
Continental’s work in India goes beyond just making vehicles autonomous. It is creating a mobility ecosystem where safety, intelligence, and adaptability come together. From building perception platforms to pushing the limits of SDV architecture, the company is setting the stage for the next era in transportation.

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