Home-grown player on hyper electric drive
With a wealth of experience in electric vehicles and fiberglass technology, backed by professional expertise and a strong client base, the home-grown Electric Vehicle (EV) maker GOENKA ELECTRIC MOTORS (GEM) has been able to carve a niche for itself by meeting customer requirements and is now aiming to break into the top three in the field in the country. Founded in 2013, the company has emerged one of the fastest growing manufacturers of e-rickshaws and other electric vehicles built with high-grade automobile and fiberglass technology. The domestic EV maker is poised for unprecedented growth in the wake of the Government’s FAME policy to boost adoption of electric mobility in the country.
The Journey
The establishment of GEM is a confluence of the founder’s passion for technology and his drive to reduce environmental impact of vehicles. Says Mr. Sanjay Goenka, Managing Director, Goenka Electric Motor Vehicles Pvt. Ltd., in a freewheeling conversation with Motorindia: “Even though I do not come with an engineering background, I was always fascinated by hi-tech products since childhood. When one of my friends came up with the idea of making electric vehicles nearly three years ago, I took great interest in it and am now able to fulfil my passion in the field. In order to curb pollution, electric vehicles were the need of the hour, and so we decided to start with e-rickshaws and have developed a variety of e-rickshaws and electric vehicles, all made in India, based on the fiberglass body to ensure high performance and longevity.”
While GEM was founded in 2013 and its first product was unveiled in 2014, the company began its market research a couple of years earlier. This included a deep study of the segment and understanding the customer requirements, apart from analysing competing products that existed at the time. “Before our company commenced operation and the first product was developed, we made a complete study of the segment we were looking to enter to gain a sound understanding of the market and its requirements. We found that most products were imported and sold at very high costs, which is why we decided to localize our products so as to be able to deliver cost advantages to our customers”, shares Mr. Zafar Equbal who was appointed as CEO of the company in 2012. An automobile engineer by qualification, he comes with rich experience in the automotive space with stints at leading brands in the industry.
The company has set up two manufacturing facilities at Sonepat in Haryana with two assembly lines – a 2,800 sq. m. one for assembly and another 3,000 sq. m. one for body-building. The facilities, with a combined production capacity of 50 vehicles per shift, are equipped with excellent infrastructure to ensure offer of world-class products at fairly competitive prices. With the support of its R&D team comprising of 15 experienced engineers and technicians, GEM has developed a wide variety of products, including the first full fiberglass vehicle in India.
Product range
GEM has come up with a range of products to cater to different applications and varying requirements of end-customers. While the vehicles’ electric powertrain makes them eco-friendly, their FRP construction makes them stand out in terms of performance as well. Their FRP body gives them longer life, easy repair option and strength which is better than metal. GEM vehicles provide added functionality such as front glass, better security and water-resistant system without increasing the overall weight and cost of the product.
“We offer our clients an array of e-rickshaws and electric vehicles and support them with the necessary spare parts. GEM vehicles are widely used in public transportation and are extensively available in various designs. Our products, all of which are patented, are developed using material of exceptional quality and components in sync with global quality standards and are environment-friendly in nature. They are user-friendly, consume less energy, have high-load tolerance and can endure challenging external conditions”, explains Mr. Goenka.
GEM’s model line-up includes a top-of-the-line variant called ‘King’ suitable for hotels and resorts, ‘Prince’ for last-mile connectivity, accounting for half of its total sales, ‘Queen’ for common public transport, ‘Samrat’ for carrying loads of up to 600 kg, and a modified version of Samrat. In their power, speed, carrying capacity, life-cycle and cost, these products have been widely popular in India, sold through GEM’s large dealer and service network across the country.
Aftersales service
GEM has a strong sales and distribution network covering many authorized dealership facilities that offer a complete range of services to its customers. The company gives top priority to the views and feedback of its customers and dealers which are suitably incorporated in the design and development of products.
“We believe in customer satisfaction and provide excellent service support for our vehicles across India. We currently have close to 100 dealers spread across the country, with Rajasthan accounting for the maximum share of our sales among all States because registration starts in Rajasthan. We have vehicles running successfully on Delhi roads and have inked a deal with Jaipur Metro for supplying 100 odd vehicles for metro feeding,” adds Mr. Equbal.
Future plans
GEM has plans to enter the electric two-wheeler segment by next fiscal and to subsequently bring out a four-wheeled EV. The company is targeting an exponential rise in turnover from Rs. 3 crores during FY15 to Rs. 30 crores in FY16, while it has set a goal of reaching around six million vehicle sales by the turn of the decade.
The company currently exports its products to Nepal and is looking to expand its overseas destinations to India-look-alike markets such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and South Africa.
GEM Advantages
• High product performance and excellent drive quality
• Highly durable and very long vehicle life
• Warranty on most parts
• Very easy to repair in case of accident
• Pan-India service support
• Low maintenance cost
