Greta Electric Scooters Have Made Their Presence In India And Nepal And Are Under Road Test In Select European Markets: Raj Mehta, Founder, Greta Electric Scooters

Conversation Highlights:

• Our showroom at Leh & Ladakh has given us the privilege of having the highest altitude EV Showroom.
• My vision is to educate the customers and give them the experience to help them make an educated purchase.
• Greta Electric Scooters offer best-in-class comfort and superior performance with mileage in the range of 100 km per charge.

Tell us how did you start your EV journey.

As a child, I was compelled to ride my bicycle for considerable miles for errands. I despised it since I am naturally lazy, so I set out to find a solution. As they say, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and one thing led to another, and I came across the idea of building an electric engine for my bicycle. Even back then, I was aware of the significance of developing an environmentally sustainable solution. I couldn’t get the notion out of my head once I was hooked, and I became obsessed with making it a reality. Researching, and seeking help from my teachers and anyone I could find, by the age of 12, I managed to create a workable model of an e-kit that converted by cycle into an e-cycle. The challenge of making it, the research experimentation, and finally the sweet success not to miss the convenience it lent – I knew this is what I wanted to do in the future. I never envisaged starting a company. But unexpectedly an interview of mine with a leading news agency got viral, and demands for e-kits began pouring in, and suddenly I was in business. I was 14, when I set up Raj Electromotives, making me the youngest entrepreneur in the automotive industry.

Even when creating the first prototype, it was evident that the production of e-kits would require a few critical components to be imported. Hence once we started the company, I applied for an import-export license becoming the youngest person to ever apply for one and be awarded one at the age of 17. None of this would have happened if my grandfather had not stepped in to loan me INR 8K in exchange for being allowed to keep a close watch on my finances.

Raj Electromotives started operations by producing conversion kits for pedal cycles. It soon expanded its portfolio to include conversion kits for tricycles for differently-abled people, bikes (India’s first retro-fitment kit to convert a Petrol Bike to Electric), and pedal rickshaws, both freight and passenger rickshaws.

Raj Electromotives Conversion Kits found traction both in the domestic and overseas markets. Today Raj Electromotives Pvt. Ltd. deals with more than 19 countries globally. It was the drive to expand my vision of a clean commute and saving fossil fuel, in June 2019, that Greta Electric Scooters, dedicated to manufacturing e-scooters was born.

The ICAT permit was received in late 2019. Greta Electric Scooters has made its presence in India and Nepal and are under road test in select European markets. Our showroom at Leh & Ladakh has given us the privilege of having the highest altitude EV Showroom.

What were some challenges that you had to overcome during your EV journey?

Every start-up is loaded with challenges; mine was no different. It is those who persevere, overcome them and pave the way to success – Luckily for me, I persevered.

Given my age, I believe my hurdles were a bit different. To begin with, as I stated, I did not intend to establish an enterprise but to find a solution to a real problem I was facing – peddling long distances. It was like pulling an idea out of thin air and giving it all to bring it to fructification.

But, once I got to the point of commercializing that idea, I faced the same challenges that most start-ups do: idea & validation, funding, market understanding, defining USP, people management, procurement, establishing a supply chain, and understanding the fundamentals of financial management, and operations.

Being young it took a lot more hard work and a lot of questioning and tough measures to drive the learning home, also for a lot of legal work I had to collaborate with elders which did not come without paying the price of education. For budding entrepreneurs, there are quite some untapped chapters of their education that they must quickly cross while executing and establishing a business.

Many people fail because they fall into the trap of perfecting their models and forget to take the leap. It is important to take the leap as fine-tuning can happen along the journey. At Raj Electromotives we do it every day.

Give our readers a brief idea about the products you offer.

The vision I have with Greta Electric Scooters is to have one in every home. To pursue this vision of mine, I created electric scooters with state-of-art features but at the most affordable prices. Currently, we have rolled out four models. Greta Electric Scooters offer best-in-class comfort and superior performance with mileage in the range of 100 km per charge. All four models come with DRL, EBS, reverse mode, ATA System, smart shift, Digital instrument cluster display, keyless start, disc brakes, light designer consoles, extra-large storage space and anti-theft alarm. Resplendent in attractive colors each range has a color unique to it.

What are some advanced technologies incorporated into your electric scooters?

The fixed reverse speed that enhances safety. An anti-theft alarm that of course beeps like any other alarm but it also locks the wheels of the vehicle preventing it from being ridden away. The three-drive mode that allows the rider to optimize the battery usage can be charged even from a regular power point making it possible to charge the vehicle anytime, anywhere.

What is your growth plan for the next year?

Being a player in an industry that is exploding in growth is not really an option, it is a way of life. I want to make Greta Electric Scooters a leading player in the EV two-wheeler segment. As a step in this direction, we are aggressively expanding our footprint across the nation. My vision is to educate the customers and give them the experience to help them make an educated purchase. To achieve that, I intend to have an experiential zone in most of our touchpoints. My current target to touch is 50+ touchpoints by the end of FY22.

With E-scooters under road test in Europe, we hope to see them grace those markets too. To walk towards the goal, our focus has been to be competitive and pass the stringent international standards focusing on incorporating the state of art features and delivering quality in line with international standards.