Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?

I am an R&D engineer with over a decade of experience in Chassis systems, including the functional development of Suspension, Brakes, and Wheels, particularly for two-wheeler projects.

Alternative thinking and, hence, innovation have always driven me, and as a result, I have three patents to my name that have not only resolved technical challenges but also obtained Cost benefits.

Over the last couple of years, I have transitioned into a Product Leadership role, where my responsibilities include overall Project Delivery, considering both Quality and Cost parameters.

My current role includes reviewing technical incompatibilities on a weekly basis, helping to resolve them through interaction with key stakeholders inside and outside of R&D. I ensure vehicle build and testing, consolidate key escalation points for higher management review every month, and thereby ensure that no roadblocks exist for smooth project progress.

Q2. How is the industry addressing sustainability beyond electrification—such as in materials, manufacturing, or lifecycle management?

With rising awareness of conservation globally, sustainability is inherently adopted by manufacturing industries.

Three key areas being addressed are controlled consumption, recycling, and energy saving or optimal utilization of available energy.

Controlling material consumption for consumables like grease, lubricant oils, coolants, brake oils, etc., through process optimization (using SOPs defined along with a certain quantity during application), thereby avoiding wastage.

Fixtures made from recycled materials (for storing material at the conveyor line).

Incorporating renewable energy sources for running the manufacturing plant, installation of PIR sensors for optimum utilisation of energy at the inspection bay.

Q3. How is the integration of AI and automation in manufacturing influencing R&D requirements and constraints?

In this new era of manufacturing products, there has always been an attempt to simplify and reduce installation costs, expedite readiness, and hence automate.

Among various aspects, standardization of specifications, such as tightening torque of fasteners, and standardization of fasteners on a product are followed. This not only helps the product roll-out quickly with reduced operational time but also reduces the complications of managing multiple parts, especially the fasteners, which are truly cumbersome.

The drawback is that either a part is overdesigned or there are application constraints. The former is accepted as a penalty for the benefits over the latter, which compromises the offering to the customer.

Q4. How are macroeconomic factors (like fuel prices, disposable income, interest rates) influencing two-wheeler demand across customer segments?

The two-wheeler industry has been evolving rapidly over the past decade, driven by changes in consumer disposable income and lifestyle preferences. Global manufacturers have been introducing products differentiated by category, performance, features, and, most importantly, price positioning. It's projected that the two-wheeler industry will expand across various formats.

For instance, from the intriguing format of modern retro being pursued lately (which constitutes ~10% of total sales now, having grown from ~4% in the last decade), it is imperative to note that the two-wheeler is evolving as more of a lifestyle product rather than just a means of commuting.

During such an evolution, the rising fuel prices or the interest rates hardly seem to play any role.

Q5. How has the competitive landscape evolved over the past few years with the rise of EV startups and digital-first players?

With the rise of EV start-ups recently, competition has intensified, not within EV offerings, but rather between conventional ICEVs and emerging EVs.

A few tech giants that use ICE have challenged EVs through sustainable fuels like CNG; however, it's too early to predict their success at this stage. At the same time, increasing fire accidents raise questions about the safety and reliability of EVs, which play in favour of proven ICEV offerings.

With the digital-first approach adopted by all manufacturers, regardless of whether they are EV or ICEV, it creates a seamless and personalized experience, leveraging technology for efficient decision-making through data analysis.

And hence, barring the commuter segment, the EVs haven't reshaped the competitive landscape as such.

Q6. Which adjacent sectors (e.g., battery tech, mobility services, charging infrastructure) are emerging as collaboration opportunities for OEMs and R&D teams?

Among the various challenges in the growth of EVs into more formats, the availability of infrastructure is the most pronounced.
Hence, technical partners supporting the development of charging infrastructure would be very much sought after. Due to the scarcity of such (currently), most of the established OEMs are having to develop their own, and considering the fact that standardization leads to rapid growth, the technology partners offering charging infrastructure have a huge potential to establish themselves.

Q7. If you were an investor looking at companies within the space, what critical question would you pose to their senior management?

If I were an investor looking for companies within the EV industry, I would judge based on the following critical ones:
What is the format being pursued, and whether the volume contribution of the particular format is a minimum 60% such that we have an opportunity to excel among the existing players? The logic of this question is whether we are operating in a niche or targeting the masses, with the expectation of being within the latter, as starting over, while established ones play in the niche.

What are the critical codes of offering, whether road presence, performance, fit and finish, etc., and how differentiated would it be compared to the competition?

And finally, what is the target price point?