In the fifth episode of the Spark Podcast, we invite Mr Mahesh Babu, CEO at Mahindra Electric to share his views on the future of electric mobility. Mahesh Babu sheds much-needed clarity on the role of Mahindra Electric, the opportunities for entrepreneurs present in the space and the misconceptions surrounding electric vehicles themselves.
A visionary, an icon, an automobile enthusiast – he’s here to not just make the biggest impact on the Indian automobile industry, but also play an integral role in the global phenomenon of adopting electric vehicles. With an experience of over 28 years in the automotive industry, Mr. Mahesh Babu, the CEO of Mahindra Electric, speaks to us about the present and future of electric mobility in India.
India is very unique in terms of mobility. The 3 wheelers today are clearly knit within the society – the economics, the cities, the legislations and so on. My most challenging endeavour is to convert this last mile connectivity into a completely clean and connected solution with electric mobility.
says Mr. Mahesh Babu
For any disruption, there will always be a set of people who will embrace it and a set of people who will be cautious. We should be cautious, but at the same time, you cannot delay or avoid something very important. I believe electric vehicles are a very endevour to be achieved as a country.
SAYS MR. Mahesh Babu
Introduction
- (1:04) What is Mahindra Electric’s vision and what are you trying to accomplish?
- (2:09) As Mahesh Babu himself, what has been your most challenging endeavor?
- (3:07) What has been your inspiration?
In-Focus
- (4:09) What is Mahindra Electric’s business model and what is the approach that it is adopting right now?
- (5:52) How and where would Mahindra Electric position itself after the rise in competition in the personal EV marketplace?
- (7:11) What is that India can learn from the Chinese electric mobility market?
- (8:42) Can workforce transformation become a bottleneck to the growth of the EV industry?
- (10:12) What is your opinion on the lobbying done against Electric Vehicles?
- (11:46) How feasible are electric cars in cities like Mumbai that face severe water logging issues?
- (14:17) Are there opportunities for entrepreneurs who want to start-up in the EV space with low investment?
- (15:54) Electric Cars on Roads v/s Building an EV infrastructure like charging stations. What should come first?
- (17:43) If you had to choose between plug-in charging and battery swapping; what would you choose?
In-Short
- (19:09) What policy of the government has benefitted your business?
- (20:35) What advice would you share with the policymakers of our country?
- (21:05) What is one myth about Electric Vehicles that you can debunk for us?
- (21:40) Advice for Entrepreneurs in the Electric Mobility space.
We’re grateful to Mr. Mahesh Babu to have taken out time and share his views on the opportunities in the Electric Mobility Space. Follow Mr. Mahesh Babu on Linkedin and to learn about more solar energy, follow the Spark Podcast on Youtube
Until next time!