Page 42 - ETP-April-May2020
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EMOBILITY
Building the ecosystem
Sulajja Firodia Motwani, Founder and CEO, Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions
Ltd. tells The ET Polymers that while Kinetic Green has the mindset of a new company,
it has the strength of being an established player with a very strong brand.
By Niranjan Mudholkar
Currently emobility is the buz- to make the transition for the
zword. While the OEMs are new disruption and the related
also getting onto this band- business model, and new compa-
wagon, many non-automotive nies become leaders. We can look
players are also jumping into at the mobile phone’s transition
the fray? How is Kinetic Green from feature phones to smart
differentiating itself in this phones as an example.
crowd? So, I think we are sort of
When we came into this busi- leading this curve of disruption.
ness in 2014, it was hardly a For example, we have set up an
buzzword. So, we were amongst electric vehicle company grounds
the few pioneering companies. up. It is not part of any OEM
We have worked hard over the and does not have any legacies
last five years in terms of setting of legacies of existing machines,
up the business, setting up the workers, cost structures, dealer
manufacturing base and creating mindsets, and so on. That’s be-
a supply chain, setting up a gov- cause we knew that we needed a
ernment recognised R&D centre different kind of a mindset that
and developing products which is different manner for this busi-
are advanced in terms of technol- ness.
ogy but are yet affordable for the So, Kinetic Green is a purely
common man. EV company. You can say that it
“WE SELECTED THIS We have also played a role in is an EV start-up but within an
SECTOR BECAUSE WHEN policy formation if the country. established business group (Ki-
WE WERE COMING OUT I have been working very closely netic Group). We are a start up in
OF THE TWO-WHEELER with the government as opinion a sense that we don’t have the leg-
JV, WE WERE LOOKING makers. We have been contrib- acies and the baggage. We have
FOR NEW AREAS WHICH uting substantially to the EV the mindset of a new company.
But at the same time, we have the
ecosystem that is evolving in the
WOULD BECOME THE country. While we have played strength of being an established
The Economic Times POLYMERS | April-May 2020
FUTURE OF AUTOMOTIVE a pioneering role, others are still player and we have a very strong
TECHNOLOGY. getting off the ground. We have brand. We have the experience of
AND ELECTRIC already made a lot of progress in scaling up an automotive busi-
TECHNOLOGY IS WHAT this industry through our work. ness. Sometimes start-ups start
WE HAVE ZEROED IN For example, we have sold thou- off well, but they are unable to
ON AS THE FUTURE OF sands of vehicles in the market. scale up and sustain because it’s
AUTOMOTIVE.” We need to understand that finally an automobile. Ultimate-
electric vehicles technology is a ly, people are using it to com-
new technology. In fact, it is a mute every day. They’re risking
disruptive technology. And when their lives by entering the vehicle.
a disruptive technology comes It has to meet the government
to the market, a lot of things standards. You have to provide
change. Business models change; spare parts and service. Finally, it
and new players are born. Some- is an automobile. You need to be
times existing players are not able able to scale up. You need to be
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