
Mobility for Bharat
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
"Entrepreneurship is in my blood. I've grown up with it, it's a way of life," says Sulajja Firodia Motwani, the force behind Kinetic Green, doesn't just run a company, she carries forward a legacy shaped over three generations. As the granddaughter of mobility pioneer H. K. Firodia and daughter of Kinetic Group's founder Arun Firodia, Sulajja grew up immersed in machines, mobility, and the mindset of building for Bharat. But with Kinetic Green, launched in 2015, she chose to chart her own path which is driven by purpose, powered by sustainability, and deeply rooted in India's evolving needs.
"Kinetic Green is a venture that's very close to my heart. It's not just about being passionately involved, it's my purpose," she explains. "I wanted to contribute to the future of India's transport the same way my grandfather and father did for the past generations."
The startup launched at a time when EVs were barely on the national radar. There were no subsidies, no demand, and no local supply chains. Still, the company began building from scratch by collaborating with scientific institutions like CSIR and investing in homegrown R&D. "We didn't take shortcuts like importing from China. We started from the drawing board, invested in core technologies, and built everything around the Indian customer," she notes.
Today, Kinetic Green has sold over 1.5 lakh EVs, has a team of 500 people, and has clocked INR 1,500 crore in cumulative revenue. Their current run rate is INR 300 crore, and they aim to scale up to INR 750 crore soon with a long-term vision of becoming a billion-dollar enterprise within five years.
If there's one principle that defines Kinetic Green, it's accessibility. Motwani calls it "democratising e-mobility" ensuring electric vehicles are not just for the elite, but also for rural India, delivery workers, farmers, and first-time entrepreneurs. "Our e-Luna is India's only EV truly suited for rural markets. It gives 100 to 250 km range, can be charged at home with a 3-pin plug, and offers battery swapping for commercial users," Motwani says.
Kinetic Green has even installed over 300 rural charging stations and offers home charging as standard, addressing one of the largest adoption hurdles.
Motwani's journey hasn't been without challenges. She recalls the early years when belief in EVs was minimal, and her team had to work closely with policymakers to help shape India's early EV policy. "There were more questions than answers. There were no incentives, no awareness, and no demand. But we believed in the technology and worked on every front, from regulation and financing to supply chain and product engineering."
She played a pivotal role in shaping the sector, chairing the EV committee at Techies, heading the Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE), and participating in consultations with NITI Aayog and ministries to create demand and policy ecosystems for EVs.
One of her most satisfying achievements was deploying over 27,000 electric rickshaws in Uttar Pradesh, transforming the lives of cycle-rickshaw pullers who went from earning INR 200 to INR 1,000 per day.
Despite the progress, Motwani remains grounded about the road ahead. From financing constraints to misconceptions around battery safety and affordability, she continues to tackle industry barriers head-on. Her mantra for the team is if you can't hit a winning stroke, stay in the volley. "Entrepreneurship is not easy. You face a new problem every day. But I believe in thoughtful engineering not technology for the sake of speed or glamour, but innovation that truly solves customer needs."
With two major product announcements lined up, the company's next phase promises global flair. On July 17, Kinetic Green will launch a new line of golf and lifestyle carts in partnership with the Lamborghini family. Featuring Italian design and Indian engineering, the vehicles will be exported to the UAE, Europe, Asia, and eventually North America.
Closer to home, the company is also rolling out new high-performance electric scooters tailored for India's urban commuters and family users by FY27.
"We've raised USD 26 million from Greater Pacific Capital and Venture Catalyst to fund this next phase. Until now, we've built everything on promoter equity profitably. But now we're ready to scale."
Motwani is confident about the future. With government targets of 30% EV adoption by 2030, she believes two and three wheelers will account for 60–70% of this transformation and India will lead the world in these segments. "The green transport train has left the station. It's no longer about if or why EV. Now it's about how and when," Motwani concludes.
Factsheet:
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bright spots emerge in corporate earnings as tariff uncertainty lingers
(Reuters) -Some of the world's top tech firms, including U.S. search giant Alphabet, South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix and Indian IT services provider Infosys, have provided upbeat guidance in their latest earnings reports, shrugging off an uncertain U.S. trade policy. Corporate operations have been overshadowed by erratic U.S. trade action that has upended supply chains and left firms to navigate fluid tariffs on top of broader economic uncertainties such as regulatory change and currency fluctuation. But tech titans Alphabet, SK Hynix and Infosys - which all reported earnings that beat market forecasts - predicted brighter days to come, with Alphabet and SK Hynix both flagging plans to boost spending. Nvidia supplier SK Hynix booked record quarterly profit, boosted by strong demand for artificial intelligence chips and customers stockpiling ahead of potential U.S. tariffs. Indian IT services provider Infosys raised the floor of its annual revenue forecast range to 1% to 3%, from flat to 3%, matching analyst expectations. Among the major earnings on Thursday, Nestle, Reckitt, Roche and Wizz report before local markets open. TURBULENCE The upbeat guidance amounted to a bright spot in a turbulent second-quarter earnings season that has so far seen businesses as varied as chipmakers and steelmakers report downbeat results. Companies have reported over July 16-22 a combined full-year loss of as much as $7.8 billion, with the automotive, aerospace and pharmaceutical sectors being hurt most by tariffs. General Motors said tariffs knocked $1.1 billion from second-quarter earnings. On Wednesday, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said U.S. government cuts in support for electric vehicle makers could lead to a "few rough quarters", as his firm reported its worst quarterly sales decline in over a decade. TRADE DEALS News that the U.S. had struck a deal with Japan to lower new tariffs on auto imports and spare it punishing levies on other goods lifted Asian and European stock markets on Wednesday. It stirred hope for a similar deal with the European Union ahead of August 1, when the U.S. said new tariffs will go into effect. The European Union is moving toward a trade deal that could include a 15% U.S. baseline tariff on EU goods and possible exemptions, two European diplomats said. One surprise on Thursday was South Korea's finance ministry saying tariff negotiations had been postponed due to a scheduling conflict for U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The announcement cast fresh doubt about whether South Korea would be able to avert U.S. import duties that could hit some of its major exporting industries. All eyes are on Washington as governments scramble to close trade deals ahead of next week's deadline that the White House has already pushed back under pressure from markets and intense lobbying by industry. While the Japan deal has eased investor worry, the threat of higher tariffs on other large economies remains, including the European Union, Canada and Brazil. An EU-China summit on Thursday will test European resolve and unity as the bloc faces trade pressure from both China as well as the United States, while U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent meets Chinese officials in Sweden next week.


Bloomberg
9 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Philippines to Tap GCash to Sell Bite-Sized Bonds to Attract More Investors
The Philippines is tapping mobile wallet GCash to sell small-denominated government securities, according to the Bureau of the Treasury, seeking to broaden the investor base as it raises more money to refinance debt and fund the growing economy. The government will sell Treasury bills for a minimum 500 pesos ($8.80) net of fees, and retail Treasury bonds for minimum 5,000 pesos, Treasurer Sharon Almanza said on Thursday.


Bloomberg
9 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Asian Dollar Bond Rally Sends Yield Premiums to Record Low
Yield premiums on Asian investment-grade dollar bonds dropped to a record low, joining a wider regional rally in risk assets spurred by easing trade tensions and strong corporate fundamentals. The credit spreads tightened at least one basis point, traders said on Thursday. That leaves them at around 65.5 basis points, the narrowest ever in a Bloomberg index going back to 2009.