image source : yourstory
Ather Energy is led by two young, enterprising engineers from India, Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, transforming the country’s electric vehicle industry.
Both are alumni of IIT Madras.
They combined their passion for innovation and sustainability and founded Ather Energy in 2013.
The founders
Hailing from a family that encouraged curiosities and academic excellence, Tarun Mehta never let go of anything that interested him.
His interest at IIT Madras found fertile ground when he pursued dual degrees in Engineering Design-Product Development and Renewable Energy.
He emerged as an outstanding thinker and leader who focused on creating solutions that may actually make an impact on society.
Swapnil Jain graduated as a Mechanical engineer from the elite IIT Madras.
fantastic exposure to topics that involved working on thermodynamic systems to complex mechanical arrangements, he was excited regarding electric propulsion prospects.
Such technical competence along with his problem-solving capabilities served as an excellent alliance to collaborate with Tarun.
The birth of Ather Energy
The idea of Ather Energy was born out of dissatisfaction shared among them with the lack of quality electric vehicles in India.
At IIT Madras, during their stint there, Tarun and Swapnil found that electric scooters then available were underpowered, unreliable, and completely lacked appeal for the modern consumer.
There was a sense of opportunity to disrupt the two-wheeler market with an environment-friendly, yet superior-performance-and-design electric scooter.
Their motive was to bring it alive, so they worked out prototypes during their time at college.
They engaged all the facilities of the Incubation Cell at IIT Madras, using those laboratories, funding and guidance at their disposal.
The aim was to design an electric scooter from the bottom-up with advanced technology in battery, a productive powertrain, and also smart connectivity.
The end product of this relentless pursuit came in the form of India’s first smart electric scooter, the Ather S340, unveiled in 2016.
It featured lithium-ion battery packs, touch dashboards, and onboard navigation which, at the time, would have been considered a revelation for the Indian market.
Ather Energy today
Ather Energy has today become one of the leading players in the electric sector.
Their flagship products- the Ather 450 Plus and Ather 450X-are meant to set new benchmarks regarding performance, design, and technology for electric scooters.
Models are known to deliver some impressive acceleration and range capabilities and come with ride statistics, over-the-air updates, and smartphone connectivity.
One more success factor of the company is Ather Grid-fast-charging stations across major cities that eliminate a major bottleneck to EV adoption – Availability of charging stations.
It possesses a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu.
Investments by major industry giants like Hero MotoCorp along with funding by venture capitalists bolstered the growth of the company.
Tarun Mehta, the CEO and Swapnil Jain, the CTO, continue to propel Ather Energy forward toward innovation and excellence.
An inspiring journey forward
The story of Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain is a testimony to what visionaries can do with determination and ingenuity.
They, starting from college classrooms, rose to the top to be at the helm of a company reshaping urban mobility.
This inspires nascent entrepreneurs but, as such, emphasizes the relevance of sustainability in business approaches.
Their focus on green energy and smart technology sets them up as exemplary leaders.
As Ather Energy moves faster into the future, Tarun and Swapnil stick to their objective: making electric vehicles accessible, desirable, and integral to daily Indian life.
The work involved in making scooters transcends mere scooter production and ignites an idea for a sustainable means of transportation.
In a world where environmental issues are now on everyone’s minds, such leadership, full of innovation and hope, shines brighter in the lives of the rest.
insights into innovation, funding, and success with our startup article. Read today! TagZ Foods: Crunching the competition with a healthy solution
Rajeev – Digital Evangelist | Startup Consultant | Entrepreneur
With 20+ years in SEO, digital marketing, and data analytics, Rajeev has been instrumental in shaping successful online strategies for global brands. As the former Practice Head – SEO & Analytics at WPP/GroupM India, he led high-impact search and analytics teams for over 14 years.
Beyond corporate leadership, Rajeev is a Startup Consultant & Digital Trainer, helping early-stage ventures scale through digital strategies, investor readiness, and technical consulting. He has also been a lead trainer at Digital Vidya and associated with Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, where he empowered students with practical digital marketing knowledge.
An early-stage investor, he has backed Bihar-based startups like Mostech Softwares and Delhi Foods. His expertise spans SEO, SEM, media planning, mobile app distribution, and website development, ensuring businesses establish a strong digital presence.
He is also very passionate about his mother place or state Bihar and currently, he is working with local entrepreneurs to ensure more digital and e-commerce penetration and want to take it to the next level.
🚀 Exciting new venture coming soon! Stay tuned.
