Que: Why did you choose to focus on both EV fast chargers and solar inverters under one platform?

Ans: We began developing EV fast chargers over three years ago, with our work on solar inverters commencing around the same time. The decision to accelerate both verticals in parallel was driven by the strong alignment of policy support and market momentum from the Government of India, making it strategically imperative for us to move decisively. Both product categories are built on a common power-electronics foundation, enabling us to optimise component sourcing, streamline R&D, and leverage operational efficiencies. Additionally, they cater to a significantly overlapping customer base, particularly across Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, allowing us to create stronger market synergies. Building both verticals concurrently also strengthens our business resilience by reducing reliance on a single product category. More importantly, we view this as a time-sensitive opportunity. Early-stage policy incentives, favourable pricing headroom, and market openness to emerging domestic players tend to narrow as industries mature. Recognising this, we prioritised developing a robust, cost-effective design tailored to current market conditions rather than deferring expansion in anticipation of future scale.

Que: You recently raised USD 2 Mn in seed funding. What were the key factors that attracted investors like Mohit Tandon and Himanshu Aggarwal?

Ans: The seed round, which we raised approximately a year ago, was anchored by two key factors: the scale of the opportunity and the depth of our technology. Power electronics represents a large and rapidly expanding market, both in India and globally. However, many products currently available are not engineered for Indian grid realities or climatic conditions. High ambient temperatures and frequent grid fluctuations significantly affect performance and reliability, and the industry has largely adapted to these constraints rather than solving them at the core. What resonated strongly with investors like Mohit Tandon and Himanshu Aggarwal was our focus on addressing this gap fundamentally. We own our technology end-to-end - from hardware design and firmware to manufacturing. Unlike players who primarily assemble imported kits, we build our products in-house. This enables faster iteration cycles, greater reliability, and systems that are truly engineered for Indian operating conditions. Our post-sales capability was another differentiator. Across the sector, service quality often suffers because companies lack deep technical ownership of the products they sell. Since we design and manufacture our systems internally, we have complete technical understanding, allowing us to provide stronger lifecycle support and build long-term customer trust.

Que: Power electronics is a complex and capital-intensive domain. What core technology capabilities has Zenergize built in-house?

Ans: Power electronics may appear to be a single discipline from the outside, but in reality, it is a convergence of multiple deep and interdependent capabilities. If even one layer is outsourced or approached superficially, the overall product performance and reliability can suffer. From the outset, we made a conscious decision to build the entire technology stack in-house to retain full control over quality, reliability, and speed of iteration. Our capabilities include complete power and control circuit design, engineered specifically for Indian grid conditions. We develop all hardware and firmware internally across power, communication, and safety controllers. This gives us precise control over protection logic, charging behaviour, and enables us to deploy feature enhancements or regulatory compliance updates quickly, without reliance on third parties. We also manage end-to-end mechanical design and advanced thermal modelling to ensure stable operation in high ambient temperatures and to extend component lifespan. Complementing this is our proprietary, AI-ready software platform that supports remote monitoring, diagnostics, and predictive maintenance. This system-level ownership allows us to build reliable and scalable power electronics solutions - not merely assembled products, but fully engineered systems designed for long-term performance.

Que: How are your AC and DC fast chargers designed to address Indian grid challenges such as voltage fluctuations, heat, and reliability?

Ans: Indian grid conditions require fundamentally different design considerations, particularly around heat management, voltage stability, and uptime. On the DC fast-charging side, our systems are engineered to operate with controlled derating up to 55°C, compared to the typical 40–45°C limits seen across much of the market. We utilise SiC MOSFET-based architectures, which are inherently more heat-tolerant and deliver higher efficiency at elevated temperatures. This improved efficiency translates into approximately 3 percent energy savings - a meaningful advantage for high-utilisation customers such as bus OEMs and fleet operators, where power costs directly impact margins. We have also designed our chargers to withstand short-duration voltage fluctuations without interrupting an active charging session, significantly enhancing uptime and operational reliability. For AC chargers, our design philosophy centres on continuity and ease of operation. Minor voltage fluctuations do not disrupt charging, and in the event of a power outage, the system can automatically restart based on customer-configured settings. This reduces manual intervention and minimises downtime, ensuring a smoother user experience.

Que: What level of localisation have you achieved today, and where do you see scope for further indigenisation?

Ans: Currently, our DC fast chargers are over 80 percent localised, while our solar inverters are approximately 60 percent localised. The gap primarily exists because certain critical components are not yet manufactured domestically at the required scale or performance standards. These include advanced power semiconductors such as MOSFETs, ICs, and diodes, as well as magnetic cores used in inductors and transformers. To meet stringent performance and reliability benchmarks, these components are presently sourced from global suppliers. In categories where partial domestic capability exists - such as relays and power supplies - we actively evaluate and onboard Indian suppliers as their quality, consistency, and manufacturing maturity continue to improve. Our sourcing philosophy remains clear: while localisation is strategically important, it will never come at the expense of performance, reliability, or long-term field durability.

Que: India’s EV charging infrastructure is expanding rapidly. Which customer segments are you targeting first - CPOs, fleet operators, DISCOMs, or OEMs?

Ans: While public EV charging infrastructure is expanding rapidly, utilisation levels remain uneven across many markets. Therefore, our initial focus has been on segments where charger utilisation is consistently high and the unit economics are clear from the outset. In the DC fast-charging segment, we primarily partner with fleet operators, charge point operators, and bus and commercial vehicle OEMs. These customers operate high-duty cycles, place strong emphasis on uptime and efficiency, and derive immediate value from reliable, high-performance charging infrastructure. For AC chargers, our focus is on light commercial vehicle and passenger car OEMs, where AC charging is closely integrated into the vehicle ecosystem and overall ownership experience. As utilisation across public charging networks strengthens over time, we will naturally expand our footprint. However, our current priority remains segments where charging demand is tangible and utilisation is already well established.

Que: How do you see India evolving as a global manufacturing hub for EV charging and power electronics?

Ans: India has made significant strides in electronics manufacturing over the past decade, with several EMS players scaling both capacity and execution capabilities. However, in power electronics, the more critical gap lies in R&D and true technology ownership. Without this foundation, manufacturing risks being confined to assembly-led models - often referred to as “screwdriver manufacturing.” At the same time, this gap represents a substantial opportunity. As the China+1 strategy gains momentum, global supply chains are actively seeking credible and scalable alternatives, and India is well-positioned to play that role. We already possess a strong and diverse engineering talent base. The next imperative is to make this talent industry-ready and to support deep-tech R&D with patient, long-term capital. Only then can India move beyond assembly and build globally competitive power electronics products that are genuinely designed and manufactured domestically.