In a recent episode of NPCI’s Innovator Playground podcast, Tarun Mehta, co-founder and CEO of Ather Energy, spoke with NPCI Managing Director and CEO Dilip Asbe about the forces shaping India’s electric mobility ecosystem. Their discussion went beyond Ather’s growth story, offering insights into engineering, product development and the systems thinking increasingly required in the EV sector.
Engineering Confidence as a Starting Point
Reflecting on his time at IIT Madras, Mehta spoke about the institution’s culture of hands-on experimentation and building. His observations point to a broader transformation taking place across Indian engineering education, where greater emphasis is being placed on solving real-world problems rather than focusing solely on theory.
For many aspiring engineers and entrepreneurs, this shift has changed how innovation is approached. Building prototypes, testing ideas and developing products are becoming central to the learning experience, nurturing greater confidence in tackling complex challenges.
Equally significant is the way engineering teams are now organised. Mechanical, electrical and software disciplines are increasingly working together rather than operating independently.
The Importance of Setting Industry Standards
One of the strongest themes to emerge from the discussion was the importance of standards in shaping industries.
Mehta argued that India should aim not only to build technologies but also to shape the industry standards that govern them. By creating standards that others adopt, countries can influence how industries evolve and position themselves as leaders in global technology ecosystems.
Beyond building products, there is a need to understand how systems connect, how they scale and how they can be adopted across markets. Mehta argued that India should not only adopt global standards but also play a leading role in creating and exporting them.
Thinking Beyond the Vehicle
The discussion also widened the lens to include the broader energy ecosystem. As electric vehicle adoption accelerates, the relationship between vehicles and the power grid becomes increasingly important.
Charging behaviour, electricity demand and grid management are no longer peripheral concerns. Concepts such as time-of-day electricity pricing may appear to be matters of policy, but their success depends heavily on technology, infrastructure and effective system design.
The shift is not simply about replacing internal combustion engines with batteries. It is closely linked to how energy is generated, distributed and consumed across the economy.
A Broader Takeaway
The conversation paints a picture of an industry that is still evolving. The challenges facing the sector are increasingly interconnected, requiring an understanding of products, platforms, infrastructure and policy rather than expertise in a single domain.
For students and young engineers, the message is clear: the most significant opportunities may lie at the convergence of disciplines. Success is becoming less about mastering one narrow field and more about understanding how complex systems interact.
