Chetan Maini has been a firm believer in the potential of electric vehicles (EVs) long before everyone else envisioned it. He started working on India’s first electric car, Reva, even before Tesla came into being. And, today, when the entire world is going gaga over EVs, he sits unassumingly in his office in one of the canopied lanes of Bengaluru, working towards building a greener future. He shares with us his thoughts on the EV transition, his vision for India, the story behind India’s first electric car, Reva, SUN Mobility, MaaS and more.
ON BEING AHEAD OF TIME
“I think when I started, it was a very different time. It was driven by a lot around climate change and the energy side of it in the early 90s. A lot of it happened while trying to get experience from racing solar cars. And they got me involved personally, for I really felt that it was going to be the future,” he said. The awareness of energy security and climate change is today high among the masses, startups, corporates and others. However, Maini always knew that these two were going to become the biggest challenges of our generation. That triggered him to innovate. “We were early because things were not mature. But I think over the last few years, we have had everything come together. We have had technological advancements in new innovations, cost structures and government policies. Oil prices are higher today and the cost of renewable energies has come down. All of this coming together at the macro level is today making electrics highly viable. So yes, we were ahead, but I think there is a right time. And the time is now today,” he said.ON EV TRANSITION
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Startups May 2023 من Entrepreneur magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Startups May 2023 من Entrepreneur magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
How To Ask Family For Money
Your friends-and-family fundraising round doesn't have to be scary and awkward. Here's advice from one of the world's leading investors.
Data Breach Drama: When Trust Turns Costly In A Digital Age
Amid data breaches surges, Indian businesses are prone to financial and reputational fallout. Can cyber insurance emerge as a safeguard?
THE TERRAIN TAMER
Spearheading a California-based, Series D SaaS company is no easy feat. It requires a blend of ownership, innovation, and the ability to handle stress. But Anand Jain, co-founder and chief product officer of Clever Tap, finds his calm by escaping to rough terrain whenever he gets the chance-be it India or Colombia.
THE INTELLIGENT READS
Hardika Shah founded Kinara Capital in 2011 with the mission to address the acute credit gap in the micro-small-medium-enterprises (MSME) sector in India, by providing fast and flexible business capital to small business entrepreneurs. Despite operating in highly competitive and tough market of collateral free loans, Kinara Capital has been steadily growing in Hardika's leadership. In conversation with Entrepreneur, Hardika shares insights on her favourite books.
THE CURSE OF GROWING TOO FAST
FAIRE is a platform for small businesses, but it grew big the wrong way-almost becoming a $12 billion wreck. Here's how it fixed the problem, and why you should think twice before skyrocketing.
There's No Perfect Answer
I worked the same job for 19 years. I hated it, but it paid the bills. Then, in 2017, I entertained an exciting but terrifying question: Could I be an entrepreneur? I wasn't sure, so I needed something that felt like a guarantee. I searched for signs that would feel like a big, clear \"yes!\"
Give Yourself the Gift of Time
Happy holidays! Emmy Award-winning tech expert Mario Armstrong has five recs to get more hours in the day.
How to Become a Main Street Millionaire
It started when I bought one little laundromat. Now I have a whole portfolio of small local businesses that bring in tens of millions in revenue a year. Here's why following my playbook could be your ticket to financial freedom-and saving America's local small businesses.
Want to Better Serve Your Clients? Become Them.
As a designer for brands, starting my own product company gave me a dose of humility-and it changed the way I relate to clients.
How to Succeed With Gen Z Workers
People often say that younger employees are different. But are they? We asked six business leaders what they've learned, and how their teams thrive.