Saravanan Balakrishnan: Striving To Be State Of Art Electric Vehicle Firm That Thrives On Sustainable Energy
Saravanan Balakrishnan
Founder & Director
Saravanan Balakrishnan(Founder & Director, Visaiyon Energies and Electro Motors Pvt Ltd) has six years of professional experience as a CAE and a Crash Engineer for Airbus and Nissan Motors. He holds a thorough understanding of the automotive product development process as well as the technical expertise required for it. Saravanan us about his professional experience and the motivational aspects that led to the company's formation in an exclusive interaction with CEO Insights.
Share with us the inception story of your company and what inspired you to establish Visaiyon Energies & Electro Motors?
It all started when we were in college. We competed in SAEINDIA's 'Efficycle 2012' electric tricycle competition and placed first in Tamil Nadu state and seventh nationally. We were interviewed by news stations and received calls from viewers who were interested in our product. This inspired me to use my engineering skills to benefit society. We are a six person team that was hired by several organi zations after graduating from college. I called them again and began discussing the possibility of building an electric vehicle. They, too, had the same amount of passion for the concept, and it all began from there. We worked on BLDC controllers, DC motor controllers, electric bicycles, and finally the electric motorcycle for four years in parallel with our day-to-day jobs.
Visaiyon is a Tamil name: Visai + Udaiyon = Visaiudaiyon which means'The one with Force'.
What different roles have you been undertaking at Visaiyon Energies & Electro Motors?
Our goal is to establish a cutting edge electric vehicle firm that accelerates and propels the planet forward using renewable energy.
I want Visaiyon to be recognized as a technology company rather than a product company because the EV transition is massive and there are a lot of startups/ companies emerging. As a result, our objective is to develop cutting edge technology for electric mobility. However, without a complete system, it is difficult to gain client visibility. So, we planned to create an electric motor cycle that delivers industry leading per formance using systems developed inhouse at Visaiyon. We will be able to promote our technologies with our brand of motorcycles as a result of this. The motorcycles will be created in small quantities to demonstrate what Visaiyon's technology can achieve on the road to potential buyers.
We have applied for four patents so far, two of which have been awarded. One is for the ultra fast charging battery pack, while the other is for the electric motor cycle frame to make battery shifting easier.
What has been the biggest challenge during the initial days of the profes sional journey? How did you manage to overcome it?
For startups, every day is a new challenge. Being a technology startup in Automotive segment is way more challenging that other startups since in India automotive market is huge and so the competition. The time and money required to develop the core technologies like battery pack and motor, for an electric vehicle is enormous, and it entails all aspects of engineering, including electrical, electronic, and mechanical. We must do everything on our own because our startup requires technological competence, and we cannot afford to hire resources and complete the task. On the other side, looking for investments while in the ideation stage proved challenging, since everybody is looking for a working prototype.
With over five years of Industrial experience and interest in EVs, how does your experience help you out
Our goal is to establish a cutting edge electric vehicle firm that accelerates and propels the planet forward using renewable energy.
I want Visaiyon to be recognized as a technology company rather than a product company because the EV transition is massive and there are a lot of startups/ companies emerging. As a result, our objective is to develop cutting edge technology for electric mobility. However, without a complete system, it is difficult to gain client visibility. So, we planned to create an electric motor cycle that delivers industry leading per formance using systems developed inhouse at Visaiyon. We will be able to promote our technologies with our brand of motorcycles as a result of this. The motorcycles will be created in small quantities to demonstrate what Visaiyon's technology can achieve on the road to potential buyers.
I want Visaiyon to be characterized as a technology based firm rather than a product company because the EV transition is massive and there are a lot of startups/companies emerging
We have applied for four patents so far, two of which have been awarded. One is for the ultra fast charging battery pack, while the other is for the electric motor cycle frame to make battery shifting easier.
What has been the biggest challenge during the initial days of the profes sional journey? How did you manage to overcome it?
For startups, every day is a new challenge. Being a technology startup in Automotive segment is way more challenging that other startups since in India automotive market is huge and so the competition. The time and money required to develop the core technologies like battery pack and motor, for an electric vehicle is enormous, and it entails all aspects of engineering, including electrical, electronic, and mechanical. We must do everything on our own because our startup requires technological competence, and we cannot afford to hire resources and complete the task. On the other side, looking for investments while in the ideation stage proved challenging, since everybody is looking for a working prototype.
With over five years of Industrial experience and interest in EVs, how does your experience help you out
to chalk out business operation for the company?
I have six years of technical expertise in the Aerospace/Automotive industry. This aided in the development of a technically competitive product and the resolution of technological issues. Visaiyon's core team consists of technical experts from all of the fields required to construct a full motorcycle. We do what we're good at. Our motorcycle, as well as the engine and battery pack technologies that we are developing inhouse, will be unveiled soon. Without my industry experience from Airbus and Nissan, none of this would have been feasible.
How do you update yourself with the latest technologies and trends in the renewable industry?
It's fairly easy to keep up with what's going on right now thanks to the Internet's power and the information available online. However, when developing a product, particularly one that is subject to rapid technological change, knowing what is happening now is in sufficient rather, knowing what will be required in two years is essential. I read a lot of patents and OEM documents to figure out where the electric mobility area is headed and estimate future requirements and solutions. Then it's up to you to decide where you want to go from there.
Tell us the major facets & achievements of your professional journey.
In the last two years, we have applied for four patents, two of which have been awarded, which we consider to be a significant step forward. We've created two prototypes thus far, with a third in the works. We are one of the few companies that work on the core EV power train technologies. We're working on a 30kW motor with cutting edge dynamic torque control, as well as a 3kW liquid cooled battery pack where 80 percent of the battery can be charged in 20 minutes which can give a range of about 80-100 kms.
EDII has also awarded Visaiyon a grant of Rs.2lakh to build the super rapid charging battery pack.We were one of 1500 finalists in the Startup Tamil Nadu competition.
Saravanan Balakrishnan, Founder & Director, Visaiyon Energies and Electro Motors
Saravanan graduated from Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering and Technology in Karaikudi with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. He began his career at Airbus, where he worked on aircraft wing structural analysis, before moving on to Nissan Motors, Chennai where he worked as a crash engineer. Saravanan started his own company named 'Visaiyon Energies and Electro Motors' after six years of his professional experience.
I have six years of technical expertise in the Aerospace/Automotive industry. This aided in the development of a technically competitive product and the resolution of technological issues. Visaiyon's core team consists of technical experts from all of the fields required to construct a full motorcycle. We do what we're good at. Our motorcycle, as well as the engine and battery pack technologies that we are developing inhouse, will be unveiled soon. Without my industry experience from Airbus and Nissan, none of this would have been feasible.
How do you update yourself with the latest technologies and trends in the renewable industry?
It's fairly easy to keep up with what's going on right now thanks to the Internet's power and the information available online. However, when developing a product, particularly one that is subject to rapid technological change, knowing what is happening now is in sufficient rather, knowing what will be required in two years is essential. I read a lot of patents and OEM documents to figure out where the electric mobility area is headed and estimate future requirements and solutions. Then it's up to you to decide where you want to go from there.
Tell us the major facets & achievements of your professional journey.
In the last two years, we have applied for four patents, two of which have been awarded, which we consider to be a significant step forward. We've created two prototypes thus far, with a third in the works. We are one of the few companies that work on the core EV power train technologies. We're working on a 30kW motor with cutting edge dynamic torque control, as well as a 3kW liquid cooled battery pack where 80 percent of the battery can be charged in 20 minutes which can give a range of about 80-100 kms.
EDII has also awarded Visaiyon a grant of Rs.2lakh to build the super rapid charging battery pack.We were one of 1500 finalists in the Startup Tamil Nadu competition.
Saravanan Balakrishnan, Founder & Director, Visaiyon Energies and Electro Motors
Saravanan graduated from Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering and Technology in Karaikudi with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. He began his career at Airbus, where he worked on aircraft wing structural analysis, before moving on to Nissan Motors, Chennai where he worked as a crash engineer. Saravanan started his own company named 'Visaiyon Energies and Electro Motors' after six years of his professional experience.