Saietta VNA’s new plant to come up in Delhi, appoints senior leadership team

Saietta VNA, the joint venture between Saietta Group (Saietta) and Padmini VNA will begin eDrive (electric drive) volume production in India in 2023.

The JV has developed a new eMotor targeted specifically at the Indian market and is on plan with the construction of its eDrive manufacturing facility in Delhi. The company has announced the strengthening of its leadership team by appointing Prad (Pradumna) Walimbe as its MD, who will be responsible for India operations.

Saietta Group is a specialist in providing flexible eDrive solutions for electric vehicles with a portfolio of technologies designed for rapid integration into a wide range of vehicles and marine craft.

The JV is said to be uniquely positioned to offer vehicle manufacturers in India a range of turnkey light duty eDrive solutions to help them meet rapidly growing demand for clean and sustainable mobility in large cities.

A new Radial Flux Technology (RFT) eMotor has been developed for lightweight two- and three-wheel applications. Specifically with Indian market applications in mind, the RFT85-65 was designed by Saietta’s Light Duty eDrive (LDE) team in conjunction with Saietta VNA. The compact air-cooled unit produces 4 kW of continuous power at 48V, is lightweight and efficient, and can be fully integrated with Saietta’s power electronics and transmission.

The RFT85-65 is anticipated to be produced in India alongside Saietta’s AFT140, an Axial Flux Technology (AFT) eMotor ideal for premium motorbikes and lightweight three- and four-wheel applications between 1-tonne, 2-tonne and 2.5-tonne, such as last-mile delivery vehicles.

The construction of Saietta VNA’s new manufacturing facility in Delhi is on track, with volume production slated to start in 2023. The groundwork for the 30,000 sqft factory was started in Q1 2022 and the outer shell is complete. Fit-out will begin in Q1 2023.  

Prad Walimbe said, “India is one of the largest and most strategic auto and electrification markets in the world, and we have high ambitions for it. Our focus will be on strengthening the strategic partnership with Padmini VNA to secure market share and valuable contracts and help our customers and partners transition to electric mobility faster by enhancing access to our ground-breaking technology and engineering expertise.”

“We are very excited to bring our engineering and manufacturing capabilities to the Indian market. With the Saietta AFT and RFT eDrives, we intend to develop an affordable and scalable eco system that will accelerate the adoption of electric mobility. Saietta VNA is uniquely positioned to be a leader in the country’s electrification revolution,” added Walimbe.

Wicher (Vic) Kist, CEO, Saietta Group said: “We were among the first e-mobility technology developers to recognise the importance and potential of the rapidly evolving Indian transport landscape. Through our joint venture with Padmini VNA, we are delivering a portfolio of turnkey eDrive solutions that are ideally suited to the market, and – crucially – they will be produced in India, for India. We are currently working with a number of OEMs and Tier 1 partners in the L-Category segment and will release more information on this over the coming months.”

Kabir Bhandari, MD, Padmini VNA said: “We are excited to be at the vanguard of clean eMobility technology with Saietta. Through Saietta VNA, we are giving Indian vehicle producers access to industry-leading eDrives, and are investing in high-quality manufacturing capability and processes in India. Should India achieve its EV ambitions and targets, the market opportunity for the decade to 2030 is estimated to be worth around $206 billion (Rs 16,97,234 crore) by 2030, and the government has a clear commitment to electrify the auto sector. Saietta VNA believes that the time has come to democratise zero-emission mobility in India, beginning with the most popular forms of mobility, such as motorcycles, scooters and lightweight commercial vehicles.”

In addition, Dr Seshu Bhagavathula joined the board at Saietta Group in 2021 as a non-executive director. He has previously held senior executive positions at Ashok Leyland Group, Great Wall Motor Company, Daimler Trucks and Daimler Chrysler.

Dr Bhavathula said, “It is an honour to be part of Saietta Group at such a pivotal moment. The pioneering RFT and AFT eDrives are the right technology at the right time for the Indian automotive scene. With Saietta VNA, we are well placed to meet local market requirements in the country and work closely with major Indian OEMs as they look to electrify their product line-ups, meeting tough upcoming legislation and, most importantly, providing clean mobility to customers.”