After four years of intense research and development, Saietta is ready to revolutionise the Indian market with its new partnership with Padmini VNA. The company’s patent-pending Axial Flux Technology (AFT), with liquid cooling, aims to replace the 110 cc IC engines in motorcycles in the country. We talk to Wicher Kist, CEO and Graham Lenden, Chief Commercial Officer of Saietta, to know more about the AFT technology and the company’s plans for the country.

How do you evaluate the Indian two-wheeler market?

Wicher: India’s two-wheeler market is one of the biggest opportunities on the planet. During our visits to India and China, we observed that while in Shanghai people preferred mopeds, we saw car and bike parks full of 110 cc motorbikes in India. We tried to understand his trend and set out on a mission four years ago to develop the perfect motor to replace the 110 cc engines in India. This led us to develop an efficient motor that can ultimately work with swappable batteries. We have used cheap ingredients and chosen what we believe is the right topology. Looking back at the early days of Formula E, we realised Axial Flux technology is the most efficient technology but is extremely expensive. So, Saietta went on a mission to bring AFT to the mass market, and the collaboration with Padmini VNA has assured us that we got it right. For example, if Delhi would switch to eight kilowatts electric motorbikes and scooters with the same swappable batteries, we believe that one could switch batteries for less money than what they pay for fuel per month. This technology has already been proven by Gogoro in Taiwan. The one segment where leading technology solution providers and the government need to work together is to clean up the air in large cities by building docking stations. We need docking stations on every street corner.

India doesn’t have a standard battery technology. Do you think it will be a limitation in the large scale deployment of swappable battery technology?

Wicher: I think we are three years away from achieving the standard battery technology. Companies like Sun Mobility, Greenfuel, Panasonic and many more have already started work in this regard. For example, in Japan, vehicle manufacturers are signing agreements to develop the same battery cartridges. At Saietta, we focus on providing extremely affordable eight kilowatts powertrain solutions to support the electrification with our partner Padmini in India.

Graham: We believe that the recent memorandum of understanding signed between Hero MotoCorp and Gogoro for smaller bikes will fast track the swappable battery solution for India in terms of infrastructure.

Considering the condition of the Indian roads and the high payload Indian households carry on a motorbike, do you think there is a need to offer a customised solution for the Indian bikes?

Wicher: We have fine-tuned the motor to carry higher payloads so that Indian families can still commute like they do today.

Graham: The duty cycle of an Indian motorcycle is less than 25 kilometres in a day carrying heavy payloads in high ambient temperature. So, to answer all these criteria, we created a motor with very high torque and for the first time, with liquid cooling to help keep the motor temperature low and maintain a high continuous power. So, at Saietta, we have managed to engineer water cooling at the right price for the first time in this segment, helping us improve efficiency and allowing us to use a smaller battery to reduce weight and cost. The final thing is the price; we have been rigorous at designing the motors to be manufactured at a price suitable for the Asian market.

The low voltage is a critical aspect of these motors as we believe that these motorbikes will not be serviced by franchise trade but by individuals who are not trained in high voltage. If you deliver high-voltage motors to untrained electrical personnel to service, then you have a real safety problem on your hands. So, we’ve instead designed it at low voltage to deliver the efficiency required at a price needed while maintaining the high torque and constant power, and ease of use and maintenance.

You have moved from a DC motor to an AC motor with the second-generation AFT motor. Can you explain the changes and the advancements made with the second-generation motor?

Wicher: The first-generation DC motor was more of an industrial application motor. So, we looked at the technology and realised that the motors for the Asian market cannot have brushes given the hot climate. So, the first generation was a learning exercise, where we sold small volumes but always knew that we had to start from scratch for mass-market adaptation of AFT, which we have been doing over the last four years.

So, you mentioned liquid cooling and the use of cheap materials. Can you elaborate on the reliability?

Wicher: I’m a big fan of the lean principles. Eighty percent of the cost is defined on the drawing board, and we knew what the market wanted. So, we define the specification and design a product which we believe is capable of low-cost, mass market production. Reliability is number one and will always stay number one. Still, the beauty is because it’s a pancake-shaped motor, so it’s a bit bigger in diameter and a bit flatter, making it easier to integrate into a motorbike. Also, the high torque helps us delete the transmission, which reduces the overall vehicle price.

Graham: Our motors deliver the power and torque required at low rpm compared to our peers which ensures less wear and tear on the motor, helping extend its operating life, and hence reducing cost of ownership. We have developed this technology because this is fundamentally a commuter tool and reliability is key. It’s not just the low-cost materials, but it’s also the way that it goes together. We know that one can assemble this motor in a highly automated way in mass volume.

You mentioned the idea of ‘designed in the UK and manufactured in India’. Can you elaborate on your plans to produce in India?

Wicher: We plan to have a base production plan at Padmini to cater to the smaller players, but we also offer to set up mini plants for the more prominent players based on their requirements. Over the years of working in the industry, we have learnt that when a vehicle manufacturer wants our technology, we add value to them from the first meeting by working together to integrate the product into their bike and help them reduce the overall components. Then the tailor-made designs are prototyped with the demo fleets built for durability testing. Our durability centre in the UK can run the motor 24x7 to build customers’ confidence in the product, helping iron out any possible defects or reliability concerns before the product goes into production. So, in the future, the aim is to have several plants across India producing Saietta’s technology.

We have seen multiple manufacturers moving away from conventional motors and starting development on the axial flux motors. Can you explain the recent advancements made in the axial flux technology contributing to this rise in its adaptation, and how do you plan to stay competitive with it?

Wicher: The ability of the technology to provide a better range from the same battery while being compact in size is the primary reason. At Saietta, we believe that our technology will provide the client with the most cost-effective option while taking them further down the road. This will help in the natural migration of the clients towards our technology. We recently achieved 10 percent more range from a battery pack without regen during one of the application tests. For India, we have the same plan. We are already converting a couple of bikes for a demo. These will be available at Padmini later in the year for 2-wheel OEMs to experience the advantages of our motor and our patent pending technology.

Can the AFT technology be used to create a 200-250 cc replacement motor?

Wicher: We are developing an 800 volts version for a specific client in Asia that is a similar size as an AFT 140 but making more than 160 kilowatts of power. If the client’s application wants high voltage, we can build it to make it feel like a 250 to 350 cc, but the bottleneck is often battery technology. The battery has a certain limitation on current. Therefore, the marriage between the right battery technology and the powertrain can tune the AFT 140 to make it feel like a 250 cc, while with an AFT 110, we can fine-tune it and bring the cost down further for the 110-cc market segment. If you look at the international scene, Saietta focuses on two categories: L3E (Motorcycles) and L7E (Quadricycles).

Has the use of liquid cooling impacted the weight of the motor?

Wicher: As the liquid is heavier than the air, we have observed an increase in weight, but that has not impacted the motor negatively. So, we believe that it is a good compromise to introduce liquid cooling and manage the additional weight for the longevity of the motor and the inverter. Also, an electric water pump is extremely cheap because most Asian motorcycles are already water-cooled with a small radiator and a water pump. As you know, this is also a speciality of our new partner, Padmini.

Are you going to cater to other applications as well?

Wicher: The time has arrived to think about the electrification of vehicles for agricultural and humanitarian applications. We feel that companies need to start thinking about using solar panels to replace diesel generators in the agricultural sector and help purify air quality in big cities and countries. (MT)

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Detroit Engineered Products (DEP) has introduced DEP AIWorks, an engineering platform designed to integrate machine learning with physics-based simulation. The launch follows the conclusion of a five-city industry conclave held across Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai.

DEP AIWorks is built as a physics-agnostic and tool-agnostic environment, allowing it to function across various datasets and engineering domains. The platform combines neural networks and physics-informed models with computer-aided engineering (CAE) solvers to provide predictive and generative capabilities within the product development lifecycle.

Core features of the platform include modular architecture, operational speed and ecosystem compatibility.

The platform is intended for use in the automotive, aerospace, energy, manufacturing and telecommunications sectors. It supports various stages of development, from early design exploration to manufacturing validation. By utilising data-driven learning alongside physics-based validation, the system aims to improve engineering productivity and accelerate decision-making cycles.

Radha Krishnan, President & Founder, DEP, said, “DEP AIWorks reflects the next step in how engineering organisations will adopt AI, not as a standalone tool, but as an integrated part of the product development lifecycle. By combining decades of simulation expertise with advances in AI, we are enabling teams to move faster while maintaining engineering rigor and reliability.”

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German tier 1 supplier ZF has introduced SolarBoost, a retrofittable solar panel system designed to support the 24-volt on-board electrical systems of city buses and coaches. The technology generates electricity during vehicle operation to recharge batteries, intended to reduce fuel consumption and maintenance requirements for fleet operators.

The system reduces the load on the drive engine by providing an alternative power source for on-board systems, which are traditionally supplied by the alternator. According to ZF, the additional energy can reduce fuel consumption by up to 3.5 percent, depending on weather conditions and application profiles.

The company states that key benefits for operators include battery longevity, as continuous recharging extends battery life. ZF reports potential savings equivalent to one battery per vehicle per year.

Furthermore, it enhances uptime by reduced requirement for stationary battery recharges and lower maintenance frequency. The system includes Bluetooth connectivity, allowing operators to track energy generation in real-time via a mobile application.

SolarBoost utilises a plug-and-play architecture designed for installation in an operator's own workshop using standard tools. The process does not require drilling into the vehicle structure or extensive rewiring, allowing for fleet-wide scaling with minimal disruption to service.

The hardware is engineered to withstand vibrations and weather conditions associated with heavy-duty transit. ZF provides a 5-year warranty and repair kits to support the long-term durability of the flexible panels.

The product is positioned as a scalable solution for bus operators to meet environmental targets. By utilizing renewable energy for electrical loads, the system assists in reducing the carbon footprint of intercity and urban transport fleets. It aligns with ZF’s broader strategy to deliver innovations that improve vehicle efficiency while supporting climate-friendly mobility.

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Recyclekaro, an e-waste and lithium-ion battery recycling firm, has been cleared for eligibility under the Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Critical Mineral Recycling. The scheme is administered by the Ministry of Mines under the National Critical Minerals Mission.

The company has committed an investment of approximately INR 3 billion to expand its operations. This brownfield expansion aims to increase total processing capacity to 50,000 metric tonnes.

Its targeted waste streams for mineral recovery include spent lithium-ion batteries, electronic circuit e-waste, rare earth magnets and spent catalytic converters.

The project is designed to increase the domestic recovery of lithium and rare earth elements, reducing reliance on mineral imports for the electric mobility and renewable energy sectors.

Recyclekaro plans to invest over INR 5 billion over the next five years into a research and development facility. This centre will focus on technologies for the recovery of rare earth and critical minerals. The objective of the expansion is to align with national resource security and circular economy targets.

Rajesh Gupta, Founder and Managing Director, Recyclekaro, said, “We are proud to have secured eligibility under the Government of India’s Critical Mineral Recycling Incentive Scheme and sincerely commend the Ministry of Mines for instituting a visionary and robust framework under the National Critical Minerals Mission. This marks a decisive step toward strengthening India’s energy security that relies on securing critical minerals domestically. This will support India’s net zero goals. Over the past 15 years, we have built world-class in-house technologies, conducted thousands of pilot-scale experiments, and are now investing over INR 5 billion next 5 years in our newly developed R&D facility. It is going to be amongst the biggest privately owned facilities in India dedicated to rare earth and critical mineral recovery. At Recyclekaro, we remain deeply committed to this national movement and invite researchers, innovators, and technology partners to collaborate in accelerating India’s clean energy and circular economy transition.”

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Kochi-headquartered deep-tech company RoshAi has raised INR 220 million in funding, which was led by IAN Alpha Fund, part of the IAN Group.

The capital is designated for product development, expansion of deployments and scaling operations across international industrial markets.

RoshAi develops autonomy solutions that can be retrofitted to existing heavy vehicles in sectors such as ports, mining and logistics. This approach allows operators to implement driverless operations without the requirement for new fleet investments.

The technology stack comprises three primary components:

Retrofit Hardware: Physical kits to enable autonomous control of conventional vehicles.

In-Vehicle Autonomy System: AI-powered software and sensors for navigation and obstacle detection.

Cloud-Based Fleet Management: A platform for remote monitoring and operational coordination.

The company reports that its systems have completed over 100,000 km of testing with no safety incidents.

The global industrial autonomous vehicle market is projected to reach USD 162.8 billion by 2030, up from USD 47.6 billion in 2024. RoshAi aims to capture this growth by targeting the United States, Australia and Southeast Asia. It currently collaborates with Tier 1 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and industrial operators on pilot projects.

Sarika Saxena, Managing Partner, IAN Alpha Fund, said, “RoshAi is solving industrial autonomy through a retrofit-first approach, enabling operators to upgrade existing fleets rather than invest in new infrastructure. With strong early validation, repeat customer engagement, and a scalable autonomy platform, the company is well-positioned to build a globally relevant deep-tech business from India.”

Roshy John, Founder & CEO, RoshAi, added, “Our focus is to make industrial operations safer and more efficient by enabling existing fleets to operate autonomously. This investment allows us to accelerate product development, scale deployments across global markets, and continue building a robust autonomy platform for industrial use cases. We are glad to have IAN’s support as we move into this next phase.”

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