As the electric mobility megatrend progresses, suppliers in the EV ecosystem are also building/strengthening their engineering verticals to play in the tech-intensive industry well. Pune based Electra EV is one such player. The company has recently hired Chandrakant Awate, a veteran with 30 years of experience at Tata Motors, to strengthen its team.
Awate will have the key responsibility for all engineering and technology development activities at Electra EV. A key mandate for him will be to expand the company’s portfolio with solutions for multiple segments and applications. According to sources, the Ratan Tata- backed firm is looking at venturing into new EV segments as a powertrain supplier. Off highway segment could be the next one.
During his stint at Tata Motors, Awate, an M.Tech (powertrain electronics) degree holder held multiple positions in the OEM’s Engineering and Research Centre (ERC) and was involved in projects for the passenger vehicle business. He had joined the company as a diploma trainee engineer in 1993.
Awate’s appointment will be the second key hire by Electra EV in a span of 2-3 months. It appointed Chetan Chawla, a quality control professional, as the Chief Quality Officer. Chawla, an industry professional with over 35 years of experience, has had stints in organisations like Mahindra Navistar, Tata Motors, and RSB Transmissions before joining Electra EV.
Currently, Tata Motors is a major and only OEM customer which Electra EV supplies to for commercial production. Xpres-T, its passenger EV for commercial fleet operations, and the Tata Ace EV are powered by Electra EV powertrains.
