How women are driving EV industry growth

As India’s electric vehicle (EV) industry grows, many women leaders are finding themselves in driving seats. This is true of EV enterprises in the private, public, and startup sectors, reports The Economic Times, quoting experts. Sulajja Firodia Motwani, Kinetic Green’s CEO, is leading the charge. Mahua Acharya, the CEO of state-run Convergence Energy Solutions, is being credited with sparking a mini-electric mobility revolution across states.

Rashmi Urdhwareshe, a former director of the Automotive Research Association, is working on EV-related legislation with a number of government agencies. Suman Mishra has joined Mahindra Electric as the company’s new CEO.

Women In EVs

Women are naturally drawn to such professions in an industry that is more electrical and electronic in nature than mechanical. “E-mobility is a new disruptive and vibrant field with abundant scope for building new technology and development of the ecosystem,” the publication quoted Motwani as saying.

According to Kaur, whose company provides e-mobility solutions such as batteries and chargers with charging and swapping management, increasing digitalisation and newer futuristic electric vehicle technologies like embedded programming and systems engineering make it easier for women to enter this space.

In the traditional engine technology (where fossil fuels are used) domain, there were fewer women.

Stating that collaboration is the way to go, Motwani said,  “We often brainstorm among the women leaders in this space, trying to build an EV ecosystem in partnership.”

Kaur said India needs to catch up in the electric vehicle race . We are far behind the global peers in EV technology, she added.

According to Convergence Energy’s Acharya, women contribute a good form and type of leadership, good camaraderie, and an inclusive attitude to doing business. Because this is a new technology, women are more confident in stating what works and what doesn’t, as well as demonstrating a strong willingness to listen and learn, she added.

Electric Vehicles Sector

The sector is responding well, but there is still much more work to be done to satisfy demand and ensure a smooth supply chain, according to Acharya.

Women have an inborn protective instinct that causes them to be more concerned, which contributes to making EVs a safer method of transportation, according to Kaur.

As per Urdhwareshe, the former Automotive Research Association director, it is easier for women to be a prominent part of the EV ecosystem since they can effortlessly play a big role in data analysis, modelling, validation, mobility solutions, and disruptive technology processes. Women have the potential to make a substantial contribution to the overall engineering redesign.

Women’s advancement in the industry can only offer innovation and a fresh viewpoint to the industry. Female leaders are leading the drive for a quick transition to electric vehicles as they become a cleaner and greener means of transportation.

It is already expanding, indicating the most significant change in movement. In fact, EV sales more than tripled to 1,18,000 units in the first half of fiscal year 2022, while passenger vehicle sales fueled by fossil fuels slowed due to a serious shortage of semiconductors.