Vijay Kumar, CEO and Founder of Tsuyo Manufacturing, outlines a bundled propulsion and financing model focused initially on electric three-wheelers and LCV retrofits, with future expansion into mining trucks.
14 Feb 2026 | 17 Views | By Mukul Yudhveer Singh and Kiran Murali
As policy discussions around electric retrofits gather pace, Tsuyo Manufacturing is attempting to shift the industry narrative from battery subscription to propulsion accountability.
Vijay Kumar, CEO and Founder of Tsuyo Manufacturing, is positioning what he calls “Motion as a Service” as a structured retrofit solution, beginning with electric three-wheelers ...
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As policy discussions around electric retrofits gather pace, Tsuyo Manufacturing is attempting to shift the industry narrative from battery subscription to propulsion accountability.
Vijay Kumar, CEO and Founder of Tsuyo Manufacturing, is positioning what he calls “Motion as a Service” as a structured retrofit solution, beginning with electric three-wheelers and light commercial vehicles.
“People talk about battery as a service,” Kumar said. “But a vehicle does not move because of the battery alone. The real reliability and downtime challenge sits in the powertrain. We are saying motion as a service, not battery as a service.”
India’s largest ageing vehicle parc lies in three-wheelers, LCVs and commercial vehicles, segments that form the backbone of last-mile logistics and livelihood mobility. Much of this fleet is over a decade old and faces rising compliance and operating cost pressures.
The Delhi government recently indicated its intent to introduce a policy framework around vehicle retrofits, although detailed guidelines are yet to be notified. Industry players expect clearer norms around homologation, safety and potential incentives.
Against this backdrop, Tsuyo’s approach integrates motor, controller and battery into a single, homologated propulsion kit structured for financing and backed by warranty.
“Today the ecosystem is fragmented,” Kumar said. “One supplier gives the motor, another the controller, another the battery. When the vehicle stops, nobody takes ownership. If we combine powertrain and power source into one engineered and warranted package, accountability improves.”
The company is currently focusing on electric three-wheelers and Tata Ace-type LCV conversions. Mining truck pilots are being explored as a next phase, particularly in controlled quarry environments where duty cycles are predictable.
“In mining applications, electrifying an existing truck reduces both operating emissions and embedded carbon from new vehicle production,” Kumar said. “That is a natural extension once the three-wheeler and LCV model stabilises.”
A key pillar of Motion as a Service is financial structuring. Kumar argued that past stress in the electric three-wheeler segment stemmed from limited component accountability and weak recovery frameworks.
“Financiers were funding black boxes,” he said. “If the vehicle defaulted, recovery was difficult. In our model, the propulsion kit is standardised, traceable and recoverable.”
By underwriting the propulsion system under a unified warranty, Tsuyo believes financiers can gain better visibility over asset value and redeployment potential. In the event of default, propulsion components can be retrieved and reused.
“We are not trying to become an OEM,” Kumar clarified. “We want to be the enabling powertrain partner. Our role is to guarantee motion.”
The retrofit discussion may generate resistance from established OEMs concerned about cannibalisation of new vehicle sales. Kumar, however, sees retrofit as a transitional layer rather than a competitive threat.
“India is a middle-income country,” he said. “You cannot expect every operator to scrap and buy new immediately. Retrofit offers a bridge.”
As India’s ageing three-wheeler and LCV fleet faces tightening compliance norms and rising fuel costs, the debate may increasingly shift from component supply to propulsion responsibility. With Motion as a Service, Tsuyo is betting that electrification’s next chapter will be defined not just by batteries, but by who guarantees motion.