MUMBAI :

Uday Narang, Founder & Chairman, Omega Seiki Mobility (OSM), is a man who has made it his mission to bring about an electric revolution in India and going by the speed at which he is moving, there is little to stop him from going forth and accomplishing all that he has set out to do. Excerpts from the interview…

TOS: What can we expect to see from Omega Seiki Mobility (OSM) in the coming year in terms of new products? 

UN: Two years back, OSM, developed, Rage+. From then on we have come up with products like Rage+Frost, with a cold storage that can be used to transport food, medicine, vaccines, etc. Next up, we are developing a robust passenger vehicle, designed to operate in the rural area and it is set to be in the market in the next two – three months. We have our Rage+ Rapid already running on the road, the only fast charging 3-Wheeler vehicle in India currently. We also have our 2 Wheelers; M1KA, India's 1st LCV, etc, on the road. We will be announcing something exciting in the Electric Two-Wheeler Category by June 2022. Coming March, we are going to be testing and offering logistic players with 1.5 tons, 3.5 tons, 6.5 tons & 50 tons electric vehicles. We also have 75 dealerships across India, right now, and we aim to touch 150 by March and 300 by end of 2022. 

We also run last mile delivery for e-commerce companies under the brand name ‘UnoXpress’ which is operating its own fleet of vehicles for multiple eCommerce and FMCG customers. We have set up our own financing company called Anglian Finvest, which has already financed a very large number of electric vehicles. We have recently announced a joint venture in Bangladesh and are expanding OSM into Thailand and ASEAN countries. We are also offering vehicles with 6 years warranty and doing everything possible for enhancing our customer's experience. Omega Seiki Mobility is all about providing Eco Friendly solutions. This is a mission for OSM to bring about an electric revolution in India. 

TOS: With Clean Mobility being the Mantra, you have taken steps by foraying into our neighbouring countries as well. What are your goals there? 

UN: We have already signed a Joint Venture and have a very significant partner in Bangladesh, we will be announcing our Bangladesh factory's launch in February. The facility has already been set up and we will soon start producing EVs from Bangladesh for Bangladesh, for the electrification of the country, and certain parts of ASEAN. 

At our R&D centres in Thailand and Korea, we have been working on building 4 Wheelers, which are now ready to be rolled out in India. We are trying to build a global company, a Global Cargo Company with Make-in-India and Atma Nirbhar Platform. We are working on skateboard technology with battery manufacturers. We at Omega Seiki are also a parts manufacturer, we are going to announce a Joint Venture in January on building our own power trains. The aim is to provide mobility and build a better environment with green sustainable energy. We also have Africa plans.

TOS: When do you plan to start in Africa?

UN: Africa story will start latest by March 2022. Some major announcements will be made about our African branch soon. 

TOS: Talking of batteries, you already have a unique product, what’s else is new in that space at OSM? 

UN: We have fixed batteries; we have swap battery options; we are working with Sun Mobility; we are rolling out large number of vehicles on the swap… over 10 thousand vehicles in last mile delivery. We have done fast charging vehicle in association with Log9, Rage+ Rapid which charge in less than 35 minutes. We are working on a very futuristic technology with advanced technology batteries with Dr. Shailesh Upreti, a leading battery entity (C4V) in the US. Our aim is to bring lower cost, faster charging and build an ecosystem for EVs globally. 

TOS: What is happening at OSM in terms of design?

UN: Our Rage+ 2.0, will be a much more aerodynamic, sleeker, and faster vehicle which will be coming out in January. We are working closely with the team in Korea to come up with better and more efficient designs, safe and cost-effective vehicles that one can ride on any Terrain. 

TOS: You have been one of the early players in the EV sector, do you feel that the Government is doing enough to ease the transition to EVs?

UN: I feel both the state and the central government along with the policy makers have been doing their part efficiently. But at OSM we believe even if we have to walk alone and make a difference, we will do it with or without support. Seeing the governments pushing towards a greener future, gives OSM the energy to take this revolution forward. We are doing well and we can always do more. 

TOS: With changes in emission laws happening and with some states introducing new policies and doling out incentives for faster adoption of EVs, realistically speaking, how long, according to you, before most embrace India’s clean energy ecosystem?

UN: The future is electric. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We will take electrification into every nook and corner. 60-70% in the next 5 years will be electric 2 wheelers. For 3 wheelers that number will be 45-50%. With cost effective vehicles coming in, volumes will be high. Tier II cities will be very welcoming of the EV revolution. But we need more electrification in the Tier I cities also. The days for IC engines are over and the sooner people realise it, the better it will be. Tier I, Tier II, Tier III and even Tier IV are approaching electrification.