How Easy Is It To Buy Electric Car? What ChargeZone CEO Said At NDTV World Summit

If 30 per cent of vehicles on Indian roads are electric by 2030, the country could save $80-90 billion in foreign exchange, funds that could support education and healthcare, ChargeZone CEO Kartikey Hariyani has said.

Asked whether it is feasible to own an EV, the entrepreneur and EV pioneer, speaking at the NDTV World Summit on Saturday, assured prospective EV buyers that charging infrastructure is no longer a concern.

"Yes it is, the credit goes to the ecosystem - peers, competitors and stakeholders- OEMs who have started investing in EV charging stations," Hariyani said.

He spoke of the rapid development of charging infrastructure. "Electric vehicle OEMs are investing or co-investing in EV charging stations, putting valuable capex into city hubs and highway stations. A year ago, the answer might have been mixed, but today, I can say with confidence: go and buy an electric car. And yes, if you face range anxiety, just call me."

Comparing EV charging networks to petrol pumps, he said, "They don't sell molecules; they sell electrons. It's a realisation of a long-held vision." He credited government initiatives like Startup India and Standup India for enabling first-time entrepreneurs. "Today, access to capital is no longer a bottleneck."

Hariyani also shared his journey from a trained electrical engineer with a stable corporate career to pioneering entrepreneur in the EV ecosystem, "During my university days, I wanted to create something innovative, something from scratch, something that could bring technology to the masses. That instinct never left me. The journey began in 2010 in renewable energy, and eventually, the EV ecosystem found me and my team."

On workforce and innovation, Hariyani said, "30 per cent of our workforce are millennials, with Gen Z joining in. They are brimming with ideas and need the right environment to test and execute them. Risk-taking is now accepted in ways it wasn't 15 years ago."

On the permanence of the EV ecosystem, he said, "Currently, 80 per cent of our energy needs are imported. With solar and wind resources, we should leverage renewables to power electric mobility. EVs are gaining real penetration in India, from two-wheelers to buses and trucks, reaching 5 per cent of new vehicle sales last quarter."

"The EV ecosystem is here to stay," he said. "As infrastructure grows and technology advances, electric mobility will become not just viable but preferable for millions of Indians."