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#LeadershipSeries: An Interview with Mr. Yatin Gupte, Chairman& Managing Director at Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility Ltd.

Mr. Yatin, one of the leading Business Leader and Chairman at Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility Ltd. in a candid discussion with our editorial team.

Q1. Hello Yatin,thank you for your time, our readers would like to know how has been your journey so far building electric mobility company?

Thank you for having me. My journey of establishing Wardwizard has been exciting and challenging at the same time. Getting to start something with a futuristic vision was my motto and Wardwizard Innovations and Mobility Ltd. Is soaring towards it. The adoption of EVs has its challenges and bottlenecks. From technology to its expertise, and from affordability to the market demand we have faced it at various stages and have successfully neutralized the most of it. People are gradually starting to realize the need for an electric vehicle and now very soon we are going to launch our 100% localized electric vehicle in few months. With the rapid change in mass perception and supportive government policies to save the environment, soon we will see a higher ratio of EVs on the road.

Q2. How do you see electric vehicle industry evolving in times to come? Do you think the country is ready for the change?

EV Industry has a huge future not just in India but everywhere and thus it is known as the Sunrise Industry. With its large population size, India will remain a major 2W market and is also a means of earning bread and butter for many people. The answer to rising emissions due to 2W and other vehicular segment lies in their transformation into electric mobility, which promises to reduce the nation's dependency on crude oil. The Indian Market is booming with 442 EV manufacturers and with this the industry is booming with high demand.

Especially with two-wheelers, e-scooters and e-bikes have a strong potential for success owing to their limited energy needs and requirements of major customer segments. Currently the 6,37,267EVs registered since FY12 and expected sales by 2030 is 14.8 Mn. With the Govt. of India’s policies and initiatives we at Wardwizard plan to take 25% of the market share by 2030.

Q3. What could be some of the key challenges and opportunities for the industry in post-Covid era?

As the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak has put a brake on the auto industry across the globe, the electric vehicle industry has been no exception. EV players that are importing parts or the complete knocked down (CKD) units from China will face major challenges.A few challenges are: component shortage, delayed delivery of battery, cells, sensors, and other electronic components.

The private vehicle sector is poised to witness a significant momentum in the country making way to a substantial increase in the adoption of electric vehicles as the idea of clean-energy alternatives are becoming more mainstream. The opportunity towards the adoption of smarter and sustainable mobility solutions as consumers have taken note of the dramatic improvement in the air quality since lockdown. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is likely to change the way Indians commute. And with the current spike in the petrol prices, turn to EV is the only way out.

Q4. What are your key focus areas for 2021-22?

Our focus areas are as follows: We are entering into new segment and are looking to launch 3 more E2W which will be completely Made in India. Our expansion plans are in-place, we are looking to widen our dealership network by adding 250 more outlets especially in the Northern &Eastern belt of the country. The current number stands at 350, and we are confident to touch all major cities and towns in the current fiscal year. After our successful inauguration of 1^st State-of-the-Art Facility OEM Plant based in Vadodara, Gujarat we are also looking at setting up future manufacturing facilities in Kerala and West Bengal and have lined up ₹200 crore corpus for that.

Currently we are exporting our products to Uganda and we are in the process of acquiring land there to set up an assembly plant. We are also planning to expand our market in other countries like Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana and European and Middle East Region in this fiscal year.

Q5. While you are a role model for a lot of young entrepreneurs however who are your role models or leaders who have inspired you over the period of time? 

As an entrepreneur I have always believed – “Don’t be afraid to get started. Don’t be afraid to start small.” My vision has always been aligned to “Aatmanirbhar Bharat – Make In India” proposed by PM Shri Narendra Modi. To align to this we are launching 3 more E2W which will be completely Made in India and are focusing on high-speed scooter category for the common man of India and salaried class.

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