Managing Director of Saera Electric Auto Private limited, Nitin Kapoor is the second generation leader at the company. An MBA from Symbiosis, Kapoor is a seasoned entrepreneur and a far-sighted businessman. With an exemplary vision and expertise in the sector, Nitin Kapoor has been delivering exceptionally innovative ideas and feasible solutions to one and all technical problems in the organization. Under his leadership, Saera Electric Auto has emerged as one of the leading players in the EV industry in India. Nitin Kapoor is associated with the automobile industry for over two decades and before venturing into the e-Rickshaw business, he had been one of the key suppliers to Maruti Udyog. His management experience, apart from prompt technical expertise, has made it easier for him to build anything from scratch. His passion for automobiles and technology and his positive attitude towards project execution have made him an inspiration for many entrepreneurs.
The fast-paced transformation in the automotive industry has been mostly fueled by the rapid developments in technological advancements – which have been fueled by the pandemic-led disruptions. The increasing penetration of automatic vehicles, cloud computing, electric vehicles, machine learning, block chain, networking, etc., has lead industry players towards chalking out new and robust business plans to stay relevant amidst the transition. Further, the worldwide disruptions in supply chain and operations during the pandemic have given thrust towards businesses in the automobile industry adapting to new strategies by leveraging technology and innovation.
The automobile industry has recently been bringing in advanced and state-of-the-art technologies to make the electric vehicles more efficient and cost-effective. The government has also been in line with this transformation and has been encouraging the induction of newer technologies and innovations in this sector. The focus has been to extend incentives to vehicles with technologically advanced batteries and build a robust EV charging infrastructure. Technological innovations in magnifying the reach of the electric vehicles in the Indian market are the key to a sustainable and greener future; however, the cost of it is also significant. India is focusing on adopting a comprehensive approach to facilitate research and development and production of electric vehicles with strategic collaborations and partnerships with industry players from and outside the country.
Technology has opened up a plethora of opportunities for the automobile industry to lure customers towards green mobility, which caused a significant rise in the number of electric vehicles on the Indian roads. Since the customers are also getting more inclined towards clean transportation, manufacturers and suppliers are now more interested in integrating technology into all operational aspects – be it product design, production, sales, or marketing. From automatic driving to virtual purchase, technology has revamped the automobile industry majorly by revolutionizing the electric vehicle sector.
With technology transforming the auto industry unprecedentedly, there has also been a renewed focus on sustainability, de-carbonization and net-zero emission targets, and industry players are eventually venturing into the electric vehicles domain. The sale of the electric vehicles has almost doubled in the past few months. In June 2022, sale of the electric 3 wheelers has reached 26,900 units from just 6.100 units same time last year – more than 4 times increase in MOM Comparison . In addition, In June this year the total Electric 3 wheelers have surpassed more than 50 % of total three-wheelers sales and 58 % of 3W sold were EV.
The Indian e-mobility sector is estimated to be worth around Rs 50,000 crore by 2025 and Indias 2030 vision for e-mobility (i.e. 70 % of all commercial cars, 30 % of private cars, 40 % of buses and 80 % of two wheelers and three wheelers ( 3 W ) sales to be electric. This translates into 102 million EVs to be plying on Indian roads. The government has also strategized new incentives, policy changes and schemes to promote the penetration of EVs in the country. The government is also considering to include EVs in the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s priority-sector lending (PSL) to further facilitate smooth financing to boost the sector. This has encouraged several automakers and financial institutions to make substantial investments in the electrification of vehicles.
Technology has also played a significant role in EV financing too, with fin-tech organization bringing in a new wave of financing solutions to boost the sector. The electric vehicle market in India is projected to be around $206 billion by 2030, with a cumulative investment of $109 billion in vehicle production and charging infrastructure. Multiple surveys have indicated that the domestic market in financing electric vehicles will be around Rs 40,000 crore by 2025 and Rs 3.7 trillion by 2030 – around 80 per cent growth from the current size of the retail vehicle finance industry. While Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), banks, fleet operators, industry start-ups and central and state governments are the major players to drive the electric transition in India, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) will also play a relevant role in revolutionizing the domain.
However, all stakeholders in the industry – including the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), banks, retailers, and state and central governments – are still addressing key challenges like high up-front technology cost, implementation of policies, manufacturing and supply, charging infrastructure and consumer behavior, etc., still need to be addressed. As per market researches, the steady transition towards clean mobility will be made possible through a cumulative investment of around Rs 19.7 trillion on electric vehicles in the next ten years to build up a stable ecosystem boosted by a robust charging infrastructure.
The pandemic had several adverse impacts globally but one positive out of the disruptions has been the escalated focus on technology and fast-paced digitalization. In the automobile industry too, the players have been focused on building a more innovative and technologically advanced business model. The auto industry can only reach newer heights by leveraging modern-age technology and stepping up its transformation efforts to address customer needs and the changing market demands.