[Aditya]

Chetan Maini, the CEO of Mahindra Reva, is rumoured to be planning to exit the Bangalore-based company. Reva Electric Car Company, as it was formerly known, was taken over by Mahindra in 2010.

Chetan Maini holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (University of Michigan) and a Master's in Mechanical Engineering (Stanford University). He has over 20 years of experience in the development of solar, hybrid and electric vehicles in the U.S. and India and has worked for companies such as Amerigon Inc. (USA) and General Motors (USA).

In 1994, Maini founded the Reva Electric Car Company, India's first electric car company. The Reva, which was launched in 2001, became the first electric car in the country. In 2005, the company displayed a concept vehicle called the Reva NXR, the production version of which was launched in the market in 2013 as the E2O. Neither of these vehicles has been very successful in India. However, in the UK market, the Reva (renamed G-Wiz) managed to sell in decent numbers.

Apart from being CEO of Mahindra Reva, Maini is also a member of India's National Board on Electric Mobility and Chairman of the Personal Transportation Council, World Economic Forum. He currently holds and has filed over 30 global patents in electric vehicle technologies.

Chetan Maini's place in the company is likely to be taken by Arvind Mathew, former Managing Director of Ford India.



Source: Autocar India

[lillios]

Hes the unsung hero of the Indian Automotive community in my opinion. Hope his influence spreads well across the industry.

[yaseenar]

I have read about Chetan Maini's story in the book 'Connect the Dots' by Rashmi Bansal. Truly Inspirational!!

[Aditya]

Mahindra & Mahindra has announced that Arvind Mathew will take over as the CEO of the Mahindra Reva from May 1, 2015.

Link to Team-BHP News Article

[Screwdriva]

Smart guy. Great evangelist. But not the kind of CEO that an Electric Car company needs. Think about the differences between Chetan and Elon Musk. Musk is a ruthless pioneer and dangerously close to the line that exists between sanity and everything else. But that is what the industry needs.

Founders always gradually depart companies after they have been bought over. Its a way of ensuring that, internally and externally, the takeover isn't hostile.

[redcruiser]

Life of Chetan Maini

Chetan Maini is best known as the founder and advisor of Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicle Co Ltd. He was born in Bangalore. He loved his mother so much that he named India's first electric car in her name "REVA".

He holds over 40 patents in Battery and Energy management systems in electric vehicle technologies. Chetan Maini has over 20 years experience with electric vehicles during the course of which he has developed over 6 Electric, Solar and Hybrid-electric cars in India.



Read on here to find how Chetan Maini started his story of the ECO revolution in India.
http://yourstory.com/2016/04/chetan-...-electric-car/

As I am from from electronics background and keep reading articles, I thought of sharing another interview of Chetan Maini with Bhpians:

http://electronicsofthings.com/exper...an-automobile/

Can you guys Imagine the valuation of Tesla Motors and Chetan's venture was $20 Million. His only fault was the market he chose to start was India which had no proper electric vehicle incentives and regulations.

The Government of India has started new incentive scheme called FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles). Read more on Fame in the below link.
http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes...ently/48863968

Nevertheless hats off to Chetan Maini.

Hope you guys like the post.
Please add on if you have any stories on environment friendly ventures undertaken by Indian entrepreneurs who could change the Indian Auto scene.

Cheers,
Redcruiser.


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[Nikhilb2008]

If I am not mistaken the name Reva was for his wife Revathi.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

If I am not mistaken the name Reva was for his wife Revathi.

According to wiki, wife is Kimberly and mother is Reva.

[phamilyman]

Mr Maini has achieved a lot esp given the incredible constraints of the Indian market, but please don't call him the Elon Musk of India. Here's an image via social media that sums up his unbelievable impact. (source unknown)

[sgiitk]

I think Mr Maini, even though he single handedly created the EV market in India, is not exactly Elon Musk. Musk started by starting up Paypal, and then moved on to Tesla and SpaceX. I do not think, even with the constraints, Reva comes close to Musk, whether in technology or impact.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

I think Mr Maini, even though he single handedly created the EV market in India, is not exactly Elon Musk. .

Agreed - Musk has made a mark in terms of people actually switching. Reva is merely a fad or a tax dodge in London

Chetan had the backing of his family companies to establish Reva. However, the Reva Car Company was a cash burner, whatever money that the group companies made was consumed by RCC. They made a wise decision to sell to Mahindra who could afford the negative cash flow and invest further. More needs to be done to make a more desirable looking car. The Renault Zoe runs rings around the E20

That said, the passion and IP generated by him in this field is admirable

[Rehaan]

Here's another very interesting thread that provides a bit of a contrast to this thread's title:

Why doesn't India have an Elon Musk?

[johannskaria]

A comeback in the making?

Chetan Maini joins board of Lithium Urban Technologies

India's electric car pioneer Chetan Maini has joined the board of Lithium Urban Technologies and will play a pivotal role in enhancing the technology offering of the startup.

"What I saw in Lithum was a vision and a great team, what I saw for myself is a way to help in the technology front that could really be a differentiator in this space," said Maini. Lithium provides an integrated transportation solution for corporates — a fleet of connected cars enabled by a fleet management technology platform.

At the user level all employees have Lithium app and also an 'in-car' technology that ensures route optimisation in real time and security for travellers.

"There is a play for us in working with the first mile, last mile areas and the metros and shared mobility services, such that the net effect is to bring in efficiency and reduce cost to consumers and do it in a green way and reduce congestion in the city centres," said Maini.