Naming Ather Energy’s third R&D center ‘The Juggernaut’ was an easy choice, especially after what Swapnil Jain had to say.
“It was probably one of the fastest decisions I’ve ever made. Why the name ‘The Juggernaut’? Because the machines here were built to be strong, non-stop, and test every vehicle and part to its absolute limit,” explained by Swapnil Jain, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, in a LinkedIn post earlier this year.
Later, in an interview at Ather’s main office in Bengaluru, Jain told ET Auto, “We’ve spent a lot on this testing centre because it reflects our brand. We can’t afford to cut corners here. In fact, in some areas, we’ve even gone beyond what’s necessary when it comes to the testing.”
With the new R&D centre, Ather has achieved two main things: first, it has increased capacity to handle more new products, and second, it has sped up the process of testing and validation.
Swapnil Jain explained, “It’s good to aim for high-quality products and strong testing, but that doesn’t mean we should take six years to launch a product.”
He added that some competitors may have seem faster because they have bought ready-made technology and then made cost adjustments. In contrast, Ather built everything from the ground up with including the team, the systems, and the technology.
As business demands grow, it becomes even more important to have strong systems in place. This helps ensure that testing doesn’t take longer than it should — in fact, it should become faster. That way, products can still be tested properly but in less time, making the process both thorough and quick.
Jain emphasized that Ather has always aimed to build the products quickly, right from the beginning. In the early days, the team was very cautious were not because they were chasing perfection, but because they have a new company (OEM) launching a product for the first time in the market. So, they naturally took extra care in everything they did.
A Cautious Start, But Built from the Ground Up
In the early days, Ather’s founders, Swapnil Jain and Tarun Mehta, naturally took a very cautious approach. They didn’t want to get overconfident and risk failure. Jain explained, “As we gained more confidence in what we were doing, we didn’t need to be as cautious anymore.”
One key reason why Ather is now able to develop the products faster is data. Their vehicles constantly send back to real-world data, which has always greatly improved the company’s understanding of how things work in actual conditions. This helps Ather avoid unnecessary testing or over-engineering, because now they also can rely on data and real-world performance.
Jain also highlighted the fun potential of electric motorcycles, saying that motorcycles are already exciting and when you add an electric powertrain, “the fun multiplies four times.”
Some people believe Ather took six years to launch its first product, but they often forget an important fact: Ather is the only startup that built everything from scratch — the tech, the design, the team, everything. Jain pointed out that while others may have moved faster by buying existing technology and just tweaking it, Ather chose to build the entire company and product ecosystem from the ground up.
In the beginning, they didn’t have enough people or money to speed up development. The real product work started only when they had proper funding and a capable team. For the first-generation product, everything — the battery, battery management system, software algorithms, and even the dashboard — was designed and built by a small, young team of engineers.
Listening to Customers Over Chasing Market Share
Ather is not focused on growing fast just for market share. Instead, the company listens to customer feedback and uses data to guide its decisions. A new scooter platform, being developed at Ather’s new plant in Maharashtra, is designed to launch products faster and meet different customer needs.
Instead of building a product based on guesses, Jain prefers to build real products, launch them, and learn from customer reactions.
Changing Consumer Trends
Consumer behaviour is shifting — people are moving from family-owned shared products to personal, customized products. Like how people now watch shows on their phones instead of together on a TV, buyers are looking for more personalized vehicles. Ather believes it’s important to prepare for this trend.
Jain compared this shift to what’s already happening in FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), where people prefer boutique or niche brands over mass products. He believes the same can happen in the auto industry.
Building Aspirational Products
Ather wants to create products that people aspire to own — not just basic vehicles for daily use. While scooters are usually seen as boring, Jain thinks they can be made fun and exciting. Just like Apple became aspirational over time by making great products, Ather believes scooters can too.
He also hinted that Ather’s upcoming electric motorcycle platform, which will offer higher speeds, longer range, and more fun. “Electric motorcycles can be really fun… and with electric power, that fun multiplies,” said Jain.
Collaborating for a Stronger India
Jain believes Indian electric vehicle (EV) companies should collaborate, especially in areas like charging infrastructure, battery cells, and semiconductors — sectors where India still depends heavily on imports. Working together can help all OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), not just one.
He pointed out how Japan’s auto companies work together and compete at the same time, especially because they must export due to their small domestic market. India should take a similar approach and build export-worthy products instead of fighting among local competitors.
A Vision for the Future
Instead of seeing other Indian companies as rivals, Jain believes Indian EV makers should focus on competing globally — with companies from Japan, Europe, or the U.S.
“Let’s become the electric 2-wheeler superpower of the world. That should be our goal,” he concluded.
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