DRIVING THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIC MOBILITY

In an insightful conversation, Amit Shanbaug, Editor of ET Now Machinist, spoke with Dr. Sudhir Mehta, Founder and Chairman of EKA Mobility about the journey of his company in India's electric vehicle space, the challenges and opportunities in the sector, and how electric mobility, sustainability, and innovation are shaping India's commercial EV revolution.

- Amit Shanbaug

For Dr. Sudhir Mehta, the journey into the electric commercial vehicle space was driven by a clear vision of India's transition to sustainable Having spent mobility decades in the auto components industry and previously starting a truck company, he recognised that the future of commercial mobility lay in electric vehicles (EVs). "Commercial vehicles are fundamentally about profitability either by increasing revenue or reducing costs for customers. Electric mobility makes economic sense, and that's why it's inevitable," he explained.

With 45% of India's manufacturing sector tied to the auto industry, the transition to EVs presents the biggest industrial opportunity. Dr. Mehta also highlighted India's potential to become a major EV hub, breaking the 95% global dominance of a single neighbouring country in EV production. Additionally, commercial vehicles, while comprising only 4% of the total fleet, contribute to nearly 50% of carbon emissions-a compelling reason to accelerate EV adoption.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES TO BUILD AN EV ECOSYSTEM

While the EV market presents immense opportunities, the early days were filled with scepticism. "Many doubted whether India could design and manufacture competitive EVs. Questions were raised about charging infrastructure, supply chains, and whether these vehicles could actually be profitable," Dr. Mehta recalled. However, he remained confident that the economic viability of EVs would ultimately drive adoption.

A major turning point for the company was securing strategic global partnerships. Collaborations with VDL Group in Europe and Mitsui in Japan have given the company a unique edge. "We are possibly the only EV company with top European and Japanese conglomerates as partners," he stated, emphasising how this reflects both the strength of their vision and India's growing credibility in the EV space.