COUPLE PRENEURS

HOW COUPLES ARE TREADING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY TOGETHER

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Building an electric vehicle (EV) startup from the ground up is no small feat, but for Madhumita Agrawal, Founder and CEO of Oben Electric, and Dinkar Agrawal, Founder, CTO and COO, it has been a journey of shared vision, resilience, and strategic leadership. The husband-wife duo, who have known each other for 17 years, have leveraged their complementary strengths to create a truly integrated EV company in India.

Their entrepreneurial journey began with IPExcel, a venture in R&D and intellectual property services. "One of the most valuable lessons we learned is that a business must be run like a business," said Madhumita. While passion drives innovation, they understood that scaling a company requires structured execution, strong systems, and a clear vision. These foundational principles became the backbone of Oben Electric, shaping its manufacturing, operations, and market strategy.

Running a business together comes with unique challenges, but Madhumita and Dinkar have developed an unspoken understanding of balancing responsibilities. "The advantage of being co-founders is that we celebrate the highs and navigate the lows together," added Dinkar. However, both experiencing pressure at the same time means there's no external buffer, making proactive stress management crucial. "We divide roles strategically—Madhumita focuses on external strategy, sales, and market positioning, while I handle internal operations and execution," stated Dinkar.

When it comes to disagreements, logic and business impact always take precedence. "It's never about personal preferences; it's about what benefits Oben Electric the most," Madhumita emphasised. "Decisions are evaluated based on feasibility, complexity, and alignment with the company's long-term vision."