Hemalatha Annamalai

Hemalatha Annamalai as CEO of Coimbatore-based Ampere Vehicles, is leading the electric vehicles revolution in India. Her company manufactures electric cycles, scooters, three-wheelers and specially designed vehicles for the differently-abled. She has the backing of two of India’s biggest corporate honchos, Ratan Tata and Infosys co-founder, Kris Gopalakrishnan, who believed in her vision and have invested in her company. While the electric cycles cost ₹20,000 - ₹30,000 depending on the model, the electric scooter can cost anywhere between ₹20,000 and ₹45,000. The company has managed to indigenise almost two-third of its components through its R&D initiatives. Today, Ampere makes its own motors, chargers and controllers and has come up with an intelligent battery chip which ensures that the battery doesn’t bulge besides increasing the life of the battery. In the next five to ten years, she wants Ampere to become the go-to-destination for electric vehicles in India and thus become the Tesla Motors of India. Ampere Vehicles was set up to bring about affordable transport alternatives through battery operated cycles and scooters for rural and semi-urban markets. They empower people and businesses in the middle class segments to have a vehicle that would give them cost savings, convenience and freedom.