Chetan Maini’s New Role at Mahindra Reva

Q: How have the last 16-18 months been?
A: I think it has been very positive. So we have been working on our new programmes which we will be showcasing shortly. Our new facility is up and running now and we are also building our technology to electrify some of the Mahindra platforms. So there are a lot of positive areas. Not a whole lot on the sale perspective but there is a lot happening behind.

Q: How was the shift from an entrepreneurial company to M&M?
A: The key areas that we were looking at were in areas of distribution, car finance, leveraging the supply chain, bringing in some of the manufacturing practices. Most of that I think has been great. Our core R&D was always our strength, so the nice thing is that we are able to focus more on that and this allows us to get into areas where we can build capabilities. So there is a very good synergy now between our so-called areas of weaknesses to opportunities and strengths.

Q: What’s the role you are playing at the company now?
A: I look at all the new technologies and the strategy of the company. I do product development. I don’t handle day to day operations and I think this allows me to focus on the future. Our business is like that because it is driven by technology. I started doing that 15 years ago; I got away from it because I had to build a business up and get the money and get everything done and now I am going back to the core technology area.

Q: You seem much more at ease now.
A: (Laughs) Oh, of course I am. It has been a very interesting time, you know.

Q: This year at the Auto Expo there is a lot of talk about compact SUVs. There’s no major excitement around clean and green? What’s going on?
A: But anyway, what I am seeing in the last 18 months or so is a shift that I haven’t seen before. On one side you have oil prices which have climbed higher. On the other side you have new emission standards and carbon taxes coming in Europe. You have a host of change in policies by governments to do things like hybrids and electric. You have looked at a shift in the technology space. So batteries charge more efficiently and you have seen huge investments. Large original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are investing $100 million, which five years ago they had said they are not going to touch it.

So, all of this has probably the first time come together. It started when I saw it at the Frankfurt Motor show in 2009 where 45 electric cars were shown. You just know that, that’s it. It is coming here. The last most important thing is the consumer mindset. Ten years ago if you would talk about electric people would laugh at you. Today they say hmmm, it kind of makes sense, let me at least try it out. In the US, things have changed from people using the Hummer to now the Smarts and Mnis running around. So there is a mindset change with the new generation coming in who are looking at very different value propositions. So, with that you will see a change in the automotive industry. So that’s going to be more electric but in a way change the 120-year-old DNA of the industry. This is the beginning.

Q: I am kind of surprised though with the kind of reception the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt have got in the US market. I was expecting more sales. What did you make of it?
A: Look at it like this. Last year there were zero sales, right. And in the last couple of months each one of them has been selling about 1,500 cars each, so that’s 3,000 a month. That’s pretty good, right? The highest selling car in Norway is the electric car. There is a shift and I think consumers are looking at it very differently. It is here. I think the only difference that I see is that you had EV 1 in the 1990s, where all the companies came out with products but in three years they sold a thousand vehicles. Today, in one month they are selling 3,000. And it’s pretty much the same thing which happened with the Toyota Prius in 1997. So, I think the timing is right and the market is more receptive now. It has been a long journey but I think finally the time has come. And we are all very excited.