Monday | Apr 28 2025 | 02:08:43 PM
_20250308154122_original_image_9.webp)
As the automotive industry undergoes a historic transformation, Madhumita Agrawal, Founder & CEO of Oben Electric, is at the forefront of innovation in India’s EV sector. A trailblazer in a traditionally male-dominated industry, she has successfully built a company driven by cutting-edge technology and a long-term vision for sustainable mobility. In this exclusive interview with Utkarsh Agarwal, Editorial Lead of BW Auto world, she shares her leadership journey, the challenges she has overcome, and how Oben Electric is shaping the future of electric motorcycles in India and beyond.
Read the excerpts below: -
Q. As a woman CEO in the automotive sector, what have been your biggest challenges and key leadership lessons in this male-dominated industry?
The automotive industry has long been a male-dominated space, but the landscape is changing. We are seeing more women step into leadership roles, driving innovation, and shaping the future of mobility. I am proud to be a part of this transformation.
A key challenge women face in this sector is the initial skepticism about their ability to lead. Doubts about whether they can deliver often persist until they prove their expertise and results. However, leadership isn’t about gender, it’s about vision, resilience, and execution. In a highly technical industry like automotive and EVs, credibility comes from building great products and solving real problems. If your solutions make sense, people will follow, regardless of whether you are a man or a woman.
That said, women must claim their space with confidence. Too often, we hold ourselves back due to self-doubt or societal conditioning. But the industry needs diverse perspectives, and it’s up to us to break barriers, step up, and create a more inclusive space for the next generation of women in automotive.
Q. Women’s leadership is often discussed in terms of resilience and adaptability. How have these qualities shaped your journey as CEO of Oben Electric?
Resilience and adaptability aren’t just leadership qualities; they are fundamental traits every leader must embody. Agility, quick learning, and the ability to navigate challenges are essential, regardless of gender.
Throughout my entrepreneurial journey—both in my past and current ventures—every decision has been rooted in data and factual analysis rather than fleeting trends. In 2016, I founded a company focused on Innovation & R&D as a Service, a niche segment in India at the time. This experience laid the groundwork for my approach to building businesses that are ahead of the curve, driven by research, and designed for long-term impact.
These qualities have also helped me make tough decisions and take unconventional paths that have yielded significant long-term benefits. For example, when the entire EV market was focused on scooters, we made a bold decision to enter the motorcycle segment because the data showed it was a much larger market. While it was not the industry trend at the time, this strategic call positioned us uniquely and has since proven to be a key differentiator.
Similarly, in the early days of Oben Electric, we faced challenges as the EV ecosystem was still in its early stages. Supply chains were underdeveloped, policies were evolving, and consumer skepticism was high. No vendor could deliver a battery that met our specifications, so we took the harder path, investing in R&D to design, develop, and manufacture India’s first high-performance LFP battery for electric two-wheelers.
This philosophy extended beyond batteries. We applied the same approach to in-house development of motors, VCUs, chargers, and other critical components, building a strong foundation of vertical integration instead of relying on fragmented supply chains. This required immense grit and resilience, but it allowed us to maintain quality, accelerate innovation, and build a foundation for long-term success.
As these components are businesses in themselves, taking up this challenge demanded a bold vision and the endurance to keep solving problems without getting deterred by obstacles. For me, resilience isn’t just about-facing difficulties, it’s about using them as catalysts to build something stronger and more impactful
Q. What advice would you give to young women looking to enter the automobile sector?
Be fearless. The automotive sector is undergoing a once-in-a-century transformation, and there has never been a better time for women to enter. Whether it’s core manufacturing, R&D, design, or policy, there are massive opportunities to make a meaningful impact.
Be prepared to be challenged but also know that your perspective and creativity are valuable. This industry needs innovation, and innovation thrives on diversity. Bring your unique strengths to the table, whether it’s problem-solving, leadership, or design thinking.
Most importantly, don’t wait for permission. If you’re passionate about clean mobility, take the plunge. The future of transportation is being built today, and there’s no reason women shouldn’t be at the forefront of this revolution.
Q. Who have been your biggest influences and mentors in your journey as a leader?
I have been fortunate to have incredible mentors and influences throughout my journey. My parents played a foundational role in shaping my mindset, instilling in me the importance of perseverance and independent thinking. My husband, who is also the co-founder of this venture, has been a constant source of support, challenging my perspectives and pushing me to think bigger.
Among industry leaders, Indra Nooyi has been a major inspiration. Her philosophy on trade-offs of balancing a demanding career with personal life, particularly for women and meticulous planning resonates deeply with me. She has spoken about how success requires making tough choices and planning every step carefully, principles that have guided me in my journey
Q. As a leader, how do you balance short-term business goals with long-term sustainability and impact?
At Oben Electric, we believe sustainability and business success are not at odds, they are deeply interconnected. Every decision we make is viewed through the lens of long-term impact.
For instance, choosing LFP battery technology was not the easiest path in the short term. It required extensive R&D and in-house development. But in the long run, it gives us greater control over quality, enhances rider safety, and aligns with India’s push for sustainable energy solutions.
Similarly, our decision to manufacture core EV components in-house rather than relying on imports was driven by a vision for long-term autonomy. This approach strengthens India’s self-reliance in EV technology and allows us to innovate faster.
True impact isn’t just about meeting quarterly targets, it’s about creating a legacy of change and that’s the philosophy that drives us at Oben.
Q. How do you personally define success - not just in terms of business metrics but in terms of legacy and impact?
Success, for me, is measured in impact. While sales and top-line growth are important, what truly defines success is the number of lives we touch and the lasting change we create. The real measure of success is the problem we are solving and the experience we are creating for consumers.
When someone switches from an ICE vehicle to an Oben electric motorcycle, they are making a conscious choice for a sustainable future. That choice doesn’t just stop with them, it influences their families, their communities, and eventually, the broader mobility ecosystem.
True success lies in creating a trustworthy, dependable brand that continues to shape industry standards and drive meaningful change. That’s the vision guiding us as we shape the future of electric mobility.
Q. What keeps you motivated every day in this fast-evolving and challenging industry?
The sheer scale and complexity of what we’re building. The automotive industry is one of the most complex in the world, and the challenge of creating an electric motorcycle company from the ground up is what drives me every day.
We’re not just building bikes, we’re creating something that will touch millions of lives, becoming an integral part of their daily mobility. The responsibility of developing a product people rely on, ensuring safety, performance, and sustainability, is both challenging and deeply fulfilling.
Beyond that, breaking barriers in a traditionally male-dominated industry adds another layer of motivation. Pushing past limitations, proving that innovation and leadership have no gender, and carving a path for future women leaders in automotive keeps me inspired every day.
Q. What is your vision for Oben Electric over the next five years, and what milestones are you most excited about achieving?
At Oben Electric, our vision is clear, to become the number one electric motorcycle company. Over the next five years, we are focused on scaling aggressively and leading the transformation of the EV industry. Over the next five years, we aim to:
Our aim is to make Oben synonymous with high-performance, sustainable electric mobility, not just in India, but worldwide.
Q. If you could implement one policy change to accelerate India’s EV transition, what would it be?
One critical policy change that would significantly accelerate India’s EV transition is addressing the inverted GST structure in the two-wheeler segment. While the current 5 per cent GST on EVs encourages adoption, the 18-28 per cent GST on essential raw materials like battery components, motors, and chargers creates high working capital demands for manufacturers. This disparity increases costs unnecessarily, slowing down large-scale EV adoption.
A uniform 5 per cent GST across the entire EV value chain, including components, charging infrastructure, and raw materials would lower production costs, improve affordability for consumers, and make EVs more accessible to the masses.
BW Auto World's 'Most Influential Women' is an annual initiative to celebrate the leadership spirit of women captains in the automobile sector in India.
