Why Ather Chose to Go It Alone, Despite Hero’s Backing
The company could have plugged into Hero MotoCorp’s 6,000 dealerships, decades of manufacturing scale, and entrenched vendor relationships, but chose not to.
In an era when every EV startup seems eager to partner, license, or piggyback off legacy giants, Ather Energy is doing the opposite. Despite having Hero MotoCorp — the titan of India’s two-wheeler market — as a major shareholder, Ather has drawn a deliberate line between the investor and the operator: No shared tech, no joint retail, and no shortcuts.
For Tarun Mehta, Ather’s co-founder and CEO, this isn’t a rebellion—it’s strategy, a focused and fiercely independent one. At first glance, it seems counterintuitive. Why wouldn’t a young electric startup tap into Hero’s vast manufacturing muscle, dealer network, and ...
RELATED ARTICLES
Built for 30,000, Running at 6,000: Godrej's New Forklift Plant is Waiting for India to Catch Up
The 63-year-old business has moved almost all production to a new plant built for 15,000 units a year and is already eng...
KNR Hands Over a Transformed TVS Motor. What Next for Kargar?
The incoming CEO inherits a stronger global business, growing positions in premium motorcycles and EVs, and the task of ...
Škoda‑Volkswagen Bets Big on India for a Strategic Turnaround
Localisation and electrification are set to transform the group’s footprint in its most critical growth market outside E...


23 Apr 2025
7387 Views
Shahkar Abidi

Autocar Professional Bureau
Ketan Thakkar