Tata Motors has been a strong force in the Indian EV market, with a substantial 38.10per cent market share as of March 2025. The company has cumulatively sold over 2 lakh EVs in India as of February 2025, underscoring their significant contribution and presence in the nation’s electric mobility journey. The Tata EV story began in January 2020 with the Nexon EV, widely regarded as the spark that ignited the EV revolution in India. Its compelling blend of affordability and SUV appeal went a long way in making it a major success. While the Nexon has been a pivotal product for the company, the newly-launched Tata Curvv EV, boasting a striking coupe-SUV design and a range of up to 502 km, has the potential to become the biggest blockbuster in their lineup. In a conversation Anand Kulkarni, Chief Products Officer, Head of HV Programs and Customer Service, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, shed light on the design philosophy and road map for the Curvv EV, and on the company’s EV infra and plans for the future. Edited excerpts:
A big reason why Chinese EV makers have grown aggressively is the built-in EV mindset in terms of design. But in India, we generally see ICE vehicles being adapted to EVs. Tata Motors is driving the change in this segment as well. What is your opinion on this?
Anand Kulkarni: This is a topic we love to discuss, so let’s dive into what you mentioned about the Chinese approach to electrification.The Chinese have been focused on electric vehicles for almost two decades, supported by a massive market — six or seven times the size of ours. In the early stages, electrification was heavily incentivised, especially when battery prices were extremely high. These early incentives helped manage the cost. The Chinese approach also began with what we call the “conversion approach,” where existing assets were used to transition to electric vehicles.
When India started its electrification journey around 2017-2018, electric vehicle sales were minimal, around 400 cars. This low number was largely due to high battery prices, which limited the capacity that could be packed into cars. At that time, there was little point in pushing for higher capacity because it wasn’t necessary. Therefore, the conversion approach worked best.
By 2018, battery prices had significantly dropped — from around $950 per kilowatt-hour in 2010 to about $120-$130 by the start of 2018, an 85per cent decrease. This drop opened doors for further innovation.
However, in India, even after six years, the electric vehicle market penetration is still only about 2.5%. Back in 2018-2019, there was little clarity on what the market would look like, making it difficult to justify investing heavily without a definite answer. The logical approach was to create solutions and see if there was demand before committing large resources.
The solution at that time addressed four key barriers: range, reliability, charging anxiety and cost. A reasonable range of 200 kilometers was introduced, allowing people to drive within the city on a single charge for a week. There were also concerns about the technology’s durability in India’s extreme weather conditions, which needed to be addressed for reliability. Charging infrastructure was another critical hurdle, and making the vehicles affordable was essential, as early technology was too expensive for most buyers.
This combination of solutions formed the foundation for electrification in India. As more people experienced the technology and recognised its potential, optimisation began. The focus shifted to improving battery design, such as flatter batteries that could hold more capacity, now that people were more willing to buy as battery prices continued to fall.
As battery prices continue to fall, the focus shifts from cost to how efficiently we can package more batteries into a vehicle. This is where the Punch and Curvv, based on a Born EV-like platform, come in. “Born EV” is a term used to describe designing the vehicle around the battery, as opposed to a conversion approach, which involves inserting a battery into an existing vehicle.
In the case of the Punch, our first step into the active EV platform, we flattened the entire floor and created an orthogonal space for the battery. This square volume design allows us to standardise the battery modules and use different chemistries and cell configurations, removing many of the constraints that a conversion approach would impose.
With respect to infrastructure, what’s the roadmap for chargers and expansion?
When we started in 2020, we were talking about chargers with 25 kilowatts, with some going up to 40-50 kilowatts. Fast forward to January 2025, and there are now 18,000 chargers, with many offering 60 kilowatts or more. Some even exceed 100 kilowatts.
This progress was evident during our Kashmir to Kanyakumari trip two years ago, when we drove a Nexon EV with a 40-kilowatt battery over 4,000 kilometers in about 96 hours. At that time, most chargers were 40 kilowatts, with some initial 60-kilowatt chargers. Fast forward to this year, we made the same journey in a Curvv.ev. Thanks to the increase in 60-kilowatt chargers, we shaved off 12-15 hours from the trip. This shows that the entire length of the country is now accessible with charging speeds that are much faster, and we no longer have to meticulously plan the route based on charger locations. Most of the charging was done at public stations without prior planning.
This demonstrates the vast improvement in charging infrastructure. We now have the largest number of electric vehicles on the road, which gives us a unique opportunity to collaborate with all charging point operators. Not only are we enhancing accessibility for EV users, but Tata EV customers also benefit from a 25per cent discount on charging tariffs and priority access, ensuring they always have convenient access to chargers.
With the growing number of chargers, there’s no concern about availability. Additionally, Tata EV customers have access to a 24/7 helpline for support, especially if issues arise due to voltage fluctuations or network problems. This helps alleviate any anxiety customers may feel if they encounter difficulties.
This is significant progress, and as someone who uses an electric vehicle daily, not out of necessity but out of preference, I can confidently say we’re moving in the right direction.
While AI might not have a direct impact in mobility, do you see it helping automakers in simulation and design of EVs?
AI is already here, and it’s not something distant for us. In the automotive industry, we constantly focus on improving efficiencies, optimising processes, and speeding up development. As industries around us develop new tools, the automotive sector quickly adopts and utilizes them. AI, in particular, is already playing a significant role.
AI is useful in processing large sets of variables, offering intuitive solutions and options, which can then be quickly implemented. This is invaluable when shortening development cycles, as it brings both accuracy and efficiency. AI can be applied in various areas, starting with design. In vehicle styling, for example, AI helps balance form, function, features, and aerodynamics, considering engineering and aesthetic factors. Once you provide the right inputs, AI generates multiple design options, allowing you to move forward rapidly.
AI also streamlines tooling, which involves complex data such as cutting speeds and settings based on form profiles. With AI, we can input this data into simulations to optimize machining processes, reducing machining times significantly.
In simulations, AI accelerates crash testing, deformation analysis, and sheet metal operations by using prior models and improving accuracy. For electric vehicles, AI also plays a critical role in battery management systems (BMS). By processing billions of kilometers of data, AI optimizes algorithms, enhancing the battery’s performance over time. AI’s predictive and optimization capabilities are especially valuable in BMS development.
While India is still catching up in the electrification space, we are well aware of AI’s benefits. The industry is already utilising these models, although there are no out-of-the-box AI engines. Companies are developing their own databases and knowledge bases to train AI models. We may not be at the cutting edge yet, but we are reaping the benefits of the data we’ve gathered. In the next few years, AI will become even more integral, and its presence will be more evident and commonplace in the industry.
