Venkatesh Challa of Keto Motors on Scaling Electric Mobility, Intelligent EV Platforms, and Building India’s Last-Mile EV Ecosystem

StartupTalky presents Recap'25, a series of exclusive interviews where we connect with founders and industry leaders to reflect on their journey in 2025 and discuss their vision for the future.

In this edition of Recap’25, StartupTalky speaks with Venkatesh Challa, Director of Keto Motors, who reflects on a transformative year marked by strategic expansion, strong market validation, and deeper integration of technology across electric mobility solutions. Challa shares how Keto Motors entered the electric bus manufacturing segment with the successful certification of its 9M Type 1 electric bus, navigated supply-chain and infrastructure challenges, and responded to rapidly growing demand for electric two-wheelers and last-mile mobility. He discusses the growing role of AI, telematics, and battery intelligence in shaping product roadmaps, the importance of uptime and total cost of ownership in EV adoption, and how key partnerships strengthened the company’s position in India’s evolving e-mobility ecosystem. Looking ahead, he outlines opportunities in charging infrastructure, fleet-based models, and integrated urban mobility, while sharing practical advice for founders building in India’s EV space.

StartupTalky: How would you summarise Keto Motors journey in 2025? What key milestones, product updates, or deployments made this year special? 

Mr Venkatesh Challa: The year 2025 marked a pivotal chapter for our company, solidifying our position as a pioneer in electric vehicle manufacturing while strategically expanding our horizons. The most significant milestone was our successful entry into the electric bus manufacturing segment. This ambition was swiftly realized with the completion of the rigorous certification process for our inaugural model, the 9M Type 1 electric bus, a major technical and regulatory achievement. Fueling this expansion was an exceptionally high demand from the market across all our segments, validating our product quality and strategic direction. This combination of successful segment diversification, key product certification, and overwhelming market validation made 2025 a truly transformative and special year. 

StartupTalky: What were the biggest challenges you faced in the EV and mobility sector this year, and how did your team navigate them? 

Mr Venkatesh Challa: The sector grew quickly this year, but it also came with a few clear challenges. Supply chain fluctuations continued to affect key components, which meant we had to plan production more carefully and work closely with multiple suppliers to avoid delays. 

Another challenge was the overall ecosystem. Charging and service infrastructure is improving, but it still has gaps, especially in newer markets. We focused on strengthening our support network, training technicians, and guiding customers on reliable charging options. 

There was also a need to build more awareness among buyers. Many still evaluate EVs only on upfront cost, so our team spent time explaining long term savings, of ering trials, and sharing real usage data. 

Overall, the year called for steady execution and clear communication. By staying close to customers and tightening our internal processes, we managed to navigate these challenges ef ectively. 

StartupTalky: How has demand for electric two-wheelers / last-mile mobility changed in the past 12 months? Any shifts in adoption, customer segments, or use cases? 

Mr Venkatesh Challa: The past year has seen a clear and steady rise in demand for electric two-wheelers and last-mile mobility solutions. The shift shows up strongly in the numbers as well. In January 2025, retail sales touched 97,677 units, which is a 19 percent jump from January 2024. Over a longer window, cumulative sales from April 2024 to January 2025 reached 9,41,552 units, up 30 percent from the same period last year. This shows that demand is no longer coming from a niche group but from a wider, more stable base of users.

Daily commuters are increasingly choosing EV two-wheelers for short-distance travel, of ice runs, and regular city use because the savings and convenience are now well understood. Last-mile delivery operators have also become a major driver of growth, since electric vehicles fit naturally into high-frequency, low-distance operations. 

We are also seeing stronger traction in smaller cities. As awareness improves and more models come in at different price points, first-time buyers who once preferred petrol scooters are now considering EVs as their primary choice. 

Overall, adoption has broadened, and the use cases have become far more practical and everyday in nature. This is a strong indicator that electric mobility is moving from early adoption to mainstream acceptance. 

StartupTalky: How is technology, especially AI, telematics, and battery intelligence, shaping your product roadmap? 

Mr Venkatesh Challa: Technology is starting to influence the EV sector roadmap in a very real way. We can study riding patterns, charging behaviour, battery temperatures and overall vehicle health in real time. This helps us fine-tune power delivery, improve range, and extend the life of the battery pack. 

AI is also helping us plan smarter features. We can optimize energy consumption based on riding conditions, predict when a component may need attention, and reduce downtime for fleet users through early alerts. For everyday riders, this translates into a smoother experience, better safety and more consistent performance. 

Battery intelligence is another major focus. Smarter BMS systems allow us to monitor cell balance, manage heat more ef ectively, and prevent issues before they occur. Over time, this helps us bring down operating costs for users and improves trust in electric mobility. 

Overall, these technologies are pushing us to move from simply building vehicles to creating connected, intelligent mobility platforms. It helps us prioritise what to improve next and ensures each new model is more ef icient, more reliable and more aligned with real-world usage. 

StartupTalky: What operational or manufacturing learnings helped you improve performance, cost efficiency, or reliability this year? 

Mr Venkatesh Challa: The significant improvements in performance, cost ef iciency, and reliability during 2025 were driven by crucial operational and manufacturing learnings. A primary focus was on Quality enhancement, which included rigorous testing and refinement processes applied across the board. This was coupled with the critical learning of sourcing the right products and components, optimizing our supply chain for both quality and cost. Strategically, we prioritized vehicle uptime, leading us to meticulously maintain our sourcing and stock strategies, particularly by focusing on and securing long lead time items well in advance. This necessary shift toward strategic planning for maintaining stock minimized production delays, drastically improved component availability, and ultimately ensured higher reliability and better cost control. 

StartupTalky: What partnerships, collaborations, or ecosystem developments played a key role in your company’s growth in 2025? 

Mr Venkatesh Challa: A major driver of the company’s growth in 2025 was the technology partnership with Tron Energy from Taiwan, which allowed access to a mature electric bus platform, proven component ecosystem, and well-tested vehicle architectures. Leveraging Tron Energy’s experience in high-efficiency drivetrains, battery systems, and control electronics helped accelerate product development cycles, reduce engineering risk, and improve overall reliability of the bus lineup. In particular, the collaboration brought in optimized thermal management, better range and performance per kWh, and enhanced diagnostics and safety systems tailored for intensive urban and intercity operations. By integrating Tron Energy’s bus-division know-how with local manufacturing and market insights, the company could launch more competitive, future-ready electric buses while shortening time to market and strengthening its position in India’s evolving e-mobility ecosystem. 

StartupTalky: What metrics matter the most to you when evaluating product success and market fit in the EV mobility space? (e.g., uptime, TCO, charging time, safety, range) 

Mr Venkatesh Challa: When evaluating product success, we look at a mix of operational, financial, and user-centric metrics. Uptime is critical for fleet reliability, particularly in last-mile logistics. Total cost of ownership drives adoption decisions for commercial operators and fleet managers. Charging time and battery range are key for user convenience, as they affect route planning and operational efficiency. Safety, both in design and real-world performance, is non-negotiable, because trust in the vehicle directly impacts brand credibility. 

Beyond these, customer satisfaction and repeat usage provide qualitative validation of market fit, while adoption rates and utilization patterns of er quantitative proof. Balancing all these metrics ensures we deliver products that are not only technically capable but also commercially viable and user-friendly. 

StartupTalky: Looking ahead to 2026, what opportunities do you see emerging in India’s EV and last-mile mobility market? 

Mr Venkatesh Challa: India’s EV and last-mile mobility sector is set for rapid growth in 2026, driven by urbanization, rising fuel costs, and government incentives. Two- and three-wheelers will lead adoption, especially for last-mile delivery and intra-city transport, as fleet operators seek lower operating costs and sustainable solutions. 

There is also a growing opportunity in charging infrastructure, battery swapping, and telematics solutions. Optimizing battery life, scheduling charging, and managing fleets ef iciently will be key for businesses operating at scale.

Innovative business models, such as fleet-as-a-service, shared EVs, and subscription platforms, will make adoption more accessible and cost-effective for consumers and operators alike. 

Finally, integrating EVs with public transit, for example e-rickshaw or shared 2W feeder networks, can solve first- and last-mile connectivity while supporting sustainable urban mobility. 

StartupTalky: What is your long-term vision for the company, and what strategic steps are planned for the next phase of growth? 

Mr Venkatesh Challa: Our long-term vision is to lead India’s electric mobility revolution by creating innovative, eco-friendly vehicles that reduce carbon footprints and promote sustainable urban living. We aim to build a fully localized ecosystem for EVs, combining cutting-edge technology with af ordability, high quality, and superior customer experience. 

Strategically, the next phase of growth includes our upcoming public listing through a reverse merger with Taaza International Limited, approved by the National Company Law Tribunal in June 2025. This move will strengthen our capital base, accelerate product development, and expand our reach across urban and last-mile mobility markets. Beyond this, we are focused on scaling operations, enhancing localization, and building a holistic EV ecosystem that supports infrastructure, technology, and end-to-end customer experience. 

StartupTalky: What practical advice would you give to founders building in India’s EV ecosystem today? 

Mr Venkatesh Challa: Founders entering India’s EV ecosystem should focus on solving real operational challenges rather than just building vehicles. The key areas are affordable and reliable charging, battery management, and fleet optimization. Partnering with logistics operators, e-commerce companies, and city transport authorities can provide early traction and valuable feedback. 

It is also critical to design for local conditions. India’s roads, climate, and energy infrastructure require durable vehicles and smart solutions that are cost-effective and maintainable. 

Finally, founders should leverage technology, including telematics, predictive maintenance, and data-driven fleet management, to reduce operating costs and improve reliability. A strong ecosystem approach, rather than a standalone product mindset, will help scale quickly and build long-term trust with consumers and fleet operators.

Explore more Recap'25 interviews here.