"WE WANT TO MAKE QUALITY PRODUCTS IN INDIA FOR INDIANS"

EV manufacturing startup Simple Energy was launched in 2019 with the aim to disrupt the electric two-wheeler (E2W) segment. The company recently launched its first E2W, Simple One. BW Businessworld's Utkarsh Agarwal caught with SUHAS RAJKUMAR, Founder & CEO, Simple Energy to learn more about the company and its plans. Excerpts 

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How was Simple Energy born and what were you doing before that?

In 2018, I embarked on a quest to find a suitable electric two-wheeler (E2W) for my family. Frustrated by the lack of value-for-money options in the market, I delved into extensive research on battery and charging technology for nine months. Shreshth Mishra, whom I met through mutual acquaintances and shared similar visions with, joined hands with me and together we launched our entrepreneurial journey in January 2019 with the establishment of Simple Energy. Prior to this venture, I had worked with four previous startups spanning robotics, design, among other domains, which gave me a wealth of knowledge and experience.

What is your brand strategy for taking a leap ahead of the established players in the E2W market?

At Simple Energy, our strategy has been to design and manufacture quality products in India, for Indians. We aim to standout in the market with our premium and value-formoney products, offering the best in terms of performance, technology, and range to our customers. Our manufacturing process is entirely in-house and vertically integrated. In order to reach out to a wider customer base, we are working actively to set up our dealership presence with 50 to 100 dealerships across major cities. We will also focus on the after sales service and connect with customers to provide an experience that they will remember. Additionally, we will also ramp up our production capacities so we can be No. 1 in the next 18 months.

Could you elaborate on the journey of Simple One? What were the challenges, from making a pilot to the final product?