Visionary Insights from Dinesh Arjun, Cofounder and CEO, Raptee
Raptee, a revolutionary force in the electric motorcycle industry, is transforming urban commuting with its advanced technology and sustainable practices. Founded in 2018, Raptee addresses both the emotional and practical needs of Indian consumers, offering electric motorcycles as an upgrade from traditional petrol vehicles.
With a strong commitment to innovation and a vision for a greener future, Raptee is set to lead the electric vehicle market, driven by the expertise of its cofounder and CEO, Dinesh Arjun.
- Vision and Innovation: Can you discuss the initial inspiration behind Raptee and how your background with companies like Tesla influenced its inception?
When we began in 2018, we noticed that despite the logical benefits of electric two-wheelers in a country like India (lower total cost of ownership, reduced noise and pollution in cities), the transition was sluggish. People simply weren’t embracing electric two-wheelers, even with subsidies of up to 40%.
What was more surprising was that, despite the subsidies, momentum wasn’t building. We delved into why customers were overlooking these vehicles, seeking to understand what mattered most to an average Indian consumer.
We realized that purchasing a vehicle is a deeply emotional decision. It serves as a symbol of one’s socio-economic status. Drawing parallels to Tesla’s brand strategy, we understood that success wasn’t solely about highlighting the cost-effectiveness or environmental benefits; it was about making electric vehicles feel like an upgrade from traditional petrol vehicles. That’s what Indian products needed.
- Technological Edge: Raptee boasts 72 technological patents. Could you highlight a couple of these patents that uniquely contribute to Raptee’s market differentiation.
We at Raptee are reimagining the powertrain on e2Ws. We are developing the first High Voltage drivetrain for electric two wheelers. This means a lot of the tech stack, both hardware and software, had to be designed and developed in house. We have a little over 72 pieces of IP covering various sub components on the motorcycle and this is constantly growing. Since our differentiator is at an architectural level, we’ve been able to build a comprehensive patent portfolio of 72 thereby creating a strong moat for Raptee.
IOT/smart tech has been extensively used along with emobility. True to our vision of revolutionizing personal commuting, we wanted to understand how we could use this shift to electric as an enabler for smarter mobility. How can the vehicle you drive add value to your everyday life? This has been one of our biggest focus areas and our teams have been working to make our vehicles nothing less than datacenters on wheels, so to speak. Our vehicles have the capability and the hardware (dedicated onboard data processing and neural engine cores) that help the motorcycle learn from its mistakes and from its peers to make your experience better one ride at a time.
- Manufacturing and Scale: With the new manufacturing plant set to produce up to 1 lakh units annually, what strategies are in place to ensure quality and efficiency as you scale?
With our new manufacturing plant geared to produce up to 100,000 units annually, we’re implementing robust strategies to uphold quality and efficiency as we scale. Led by our Quality expert and CTO, Keerthi Vasan, we’re integrating innovation and frugality from product design to manufacturing processes. Our focus will extend to enhancing active safety systems, aiming to significantly reduce accidents on a broader scale.
We’ll initiate production gradually, starting with a fraction of the total volume, and increase over a 12-month period. This meticulous approach is designed to instill confidence in our customers regarding the reliability and excellence of our products.
- Market Expansion: As you look towards expanding Raptee’s presence internationally, what markets are you targeting and why?
Raptee’s primary focus will always be the domestic market. As the world’s largest motorcycle market, India offers enough diversity for us to continue building innovative products for years to come. However, to truly establish as a global brand, we aim to expand into overseas markets. This expansion will, in turn, aid us in developing better products for the domestic market.
Over the next two years, we will begin by targeting India-like markets such as Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, with plans to later expand into the Middle East. We understand that consumer requirements in these markets closely resemble those of the domestic market, making it a logical move in terms of volumes. Our focus will be on increasing volumes rather than the number of markets we enter.
- Future of EV Motorcycles: What do you envision for the future of electric motorcycles over the next decade, and how is Raptee positioned to lead in this arena?
