Energizing India Podcast

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May 2026

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About the show

Energizing India Podcast focuses on electric vehicle mobility in India, the E-Mobility industry, and how rapid change can be brought about to grow this industry. In a series of conversations, Ravin MIRCHANDANI, Chairman of Ador Digatron speaks to major influencers of E-mobility in India including policymakers, regulators, CEOs of electric vehicle manufacturers & electricity distributors, industry leaders managing charge point operators & charging infrastructure companies to uncover the roadblocks that hamper rapid growth in this sector. These conversations are candid, often insightful, and unfiltered.

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60 recent

May 21, 202658 min

Oil, War and the Rupee: Vijay GOKHALE on What Global Turmoil Means for India

Welcome to the Energizing India Podcast. Today, we have the privilege of welcoming back to the podcast for a third time one of India’s sharpest strategic minds — former Foreign Secretary of India. Vijay served as India’s 32nd Foreign Secretary after a distinguished 39-year career in the Indian Foreign Service. He has served as India’s Ambassador to China and Germany, as well as the High Commissioner to Malaysia, and worked extensively on China and East Asia policy throughout his career. He is widely regarded as one of India’s most experienced China watchers and is currently a Non-Resident Fellow at. He has also authored five books on geopolitics. His latest,, which explores the politics and diplomacy behind China’s military coercion, was released earlier this month. We meet him at a time when the world feels increasingly unstable. The conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has already shaken assumptions around oil, gas, fertilizers, shipping, currencies, and global investment flows. India, which imports the overwhelming majority of its crude oil and a significant portion of its gas needs, is exposed not only to price shocks but also to supply disruptions, inflationary pressures from currency fluctuations, and delays in major projects. Recent reporting has already linked the conflict and disruptions in energy markets to renewed pressure on the rupee. There is also a deeper strategic question now emerging. India has historically maintained a relationship with Iran. It has built close ties with Israel. India also depends heavily on the Gulf, while continuing to strengthen its partnership with the United States. This makes the current moment especially sensitive for Indian diplomacy. At the same time, Pakistan appears to be positioning itself as a potential mediator between Washington and Tehran, with China closely watching and encouraging Islamabad’s diplomatic role. So the question for India is no longer just: how do we manage this crisis? It is: how does India protect its energy security, economic growth, strategic autonomy, and global influence in a world where the old certainties are beginning to break down? Vijay Gokhale, welcome to the program.

April 16, 202639 min

EP 68 | India’s EV charging story is entering its toughest phase — execution | Kartikeya Hariyani, Founder & CEO of ChargeZone

Five years ago, EV charging in India was a promise… today, it’s a battlefield. Billions of dollars committed, networks being built at speed, and yet—range anxiety, broken chargers, and questions on profitability still linger. The hype phase is over. This is now about execution, resilience, and who actually survives the decade. My guest today isn’t theorising about this transition—he’s building it. Brick by brick. Charger by charger. For the third time on Energizing India, I’m joined by Kartikey Hariyani, founder and CEO of ChargeZone—one of India’s largest independent EV charging networks, taking on giants and redefining what scale looks like in this space. Kartikey, welcome back—this one’s going to be fun. In this podcast Episode, Chargezone CEO Kartik Harani discusses the rapid maturation of India's electric vehicle charging sector as it transitions from a growth phase to an execution-focused grind. He debunks the misconception that network size equals success, emphasizing instead that energy sales, reliability, and supercharging capabilities are the true drivers of profitability. Harani highlights Chargezone’s shift toward ultra-fast intercity infrastructure and its "open access" strategy that serves both personal cars and commercial fleets. The conversation also explores how India can achieve national energy security by following China’s integrated approach to electrification, particularly through subsidizing electric trucks. Looking toward 2030, Harani envisions a consolidated market where traditional banking capital and innovative franchise models fuel expansion. He concludes by sharing his bold vision for sustainable microgrids, aiming to control the entire lifecycle of an electron from solar generation to vehicle propulsion.

March 26, 20261 hr 3 min

EP 67 | Geopolitics has returned to the centre of the energy conversation. | Pramit Pal CHAUDHURI

Over the past decade, the energy transition has largely been framed as a technology and capital story—batteries getting cheaper, EV adoption accelerating, hydrogen scaling, and climate capital flowing across borders. But in the last few months, something fundamental has shifted. Geopolitics is back at the center of energy. The escalating conflict involving Iran, the return of a more protectionist and unpredictable United States under President Trump, and the increasingly assertive roles of China and Russia are no longer distant headlines—they are now shaping supply chains, energy prices, and strategic decisions in boardrooms across the world. For CEOs in the energy transition space, this raises urgent questions: Are we entering a new era of energy fragmentation? Will supply chains be redrawn along political lines? And most importantly—how should businesses prepare for a world where geopolitics, not just economics, drives outcomes? To help us unpack this, I’m delighted to welcome Pramit Pal Chaudhary. Pramit is one of India’s most respected voices on geopolitics and global strategy. He has been a foreign policy advisor to the Indian government, a senior fellow at leading global think tanks, and a long-time analyst of how power, policy, and economics intersect. Today, we go beyond headlines—to explore the tectonic shifts shaping the future of energy, and what they mean for India and the world. (00:00:15) Introduction: The Fundamental Shift: Geopolitics Returns to Energy (00:01:57) Is the World Entering an Era of Permanent Conflict? (00:05:51) Assessing the Escalating Iran-US-Israel Conflict Dynamics (00:11:13) Unpacking Trump's Personal Animus and Iran Strategy (00:17:29) Decades of Missteps: Why US Foreign Policy Fails (00:23:30) China's Strategic Advantage in Energy Independence (00:25:58) Tiptoeing Around Global Energy Infrastructure Attacks (00:29:49) India's LPG Crisis and Long-Term Energy Security (00:35:30) India's Regional Energy Role and LPG Supply Challenges (00:40:01) Modi's Israel Visit and Rules of Naval Warfare (00:47:37) How China and Russia Benefit from Global Instability (00:52:49) Lessons from Conflict for Taiwan Strait Scenarios (00:54:49) Preparing for Geopolitical Risks: Advice for Energy CEOs (01:01:52) Energizing India Podcast: Episode Conclusion and Credits

November 7, 202543 min

EP 66 | Designing Cities for People, Not Just Cars: Rethinking Urban Mobility with Zohra MUTABANNA

Designing Cities for People, Not Just Cars: Rethinking Urban Mobility with Zohra MUTABANNAWhat happens when we plug electric vehicles into cities that were never built for them? Urban designer Zohra Mutabanna joins us to unpack the real design challenges of India’s mobility future...from shared transport to the Avoid-Shift-Improve model, and how our cities can evolve into living, breathing ecosystems instead of chaotic grids.Welcome to the Energising India Podcast. On this program, we engage with the key protagonists shaping the future of energy, mobility, and sustainability within India and globally. I’m your host, Ravin MIRCHANDAN, and today we step into the world of cities, the spaces that hold our daily lives together yet often crack under the weight of growth, congestion, and unsustainable planning. Today, we speak with Zohra MUTABANNA —an architect, urban designer, and thought leader who believes that cities must be designed as ecosystems, not afterthoughts. She works with the intersection of design, policy, and sustainability, asking bold questions about whether India’s cities are truly ready for electric mobility or whether we risk building EVs into an already broken urban fabric. Zohra brings years of experience reimagining the built environment through resilience, inclusivity, and innovation. With her, we’ll explore the Avoid-Shift and improve framework,the realities of urban transport and shared mobility, and design choices that will determine whether our urban future is chaotic or truly sustainable.

September 22, 202539 min

EP 65 | FreshBus: Driving India’s Intercity Travel Electric | Sudhakar CHIRRA

Welcome to the Energizing India Podcast! On this program, we engage with the key protagonists shaping the future of energy, mobility, and sustainability in India and globally. I’m your host, Ravin MIRCHANDANI, and today we’re stepping into a completely new lane of India’s transport story in relation to zero-emission intercity travel going electric. We’re talking about FreshBus, a young but ambitious player redefining what it means to move people cleanly, comfortably, and efficiently across states.Joining us is Mr. Sudhakar CHIRRA, a serial entrepreneur synonymous with innovation in India’s bus mobility space. Before FreshBus, he founded and led AbhiBus, India’s first bus-ticketing app that reshaped how travelers connect with operators.Now he heads FreshBus, an all-electric, full-stack intercity bus platform that’s rewriting expectations of cost, speed, and sustainability in mobility. Since launching in 2019, FreshBus has built a battery-powered fleet, carried hundreds of thousands of passengers, and is now backed by a $10.5 million Series A round to scale that ambition nationwide.With Sudhakar as our guide, today we’ll explore:● What does it mean to start fresh with a 100% electric fleet?● How does one build profitability in a capital-intensive asset under real Indian conditions?● What’s the passenger experience really like when “EV+Tech” replaces convention?Sudhakar, welcome to the program.

August 29, 202538 min

EP 64 | Under the Hood: Hyundai’s Clean Mobility Journey with Puneet ANAND

Three decades, countless innovations, one mission...redefine how India moves. PuneetANAND pulls back the curtain on Hyundai’s journey in clean energy, EVs, and community-driven mobility. Buckle up, it’s a ride into the future.Welcome to the Energizing India Podcast. On this program, we engage with the key protagonists shaping the future of energy, mobility, and sustainability, both in India and globally. I’m your host, Ravin MIRCHANDANI, and today we’re in the driver’s seat with one of India’s most exciting automotive journeys. The transformation of mobility as we knew it in this country. Joining us is a man who quite literally has his fingerprints across the evolution of the Indian automobile industry. Puneet Anand is the vertical head of corporate affairs, corporate communications, and social responsibilities as AVP with Hyundai Motors, India, and has an enviable 3 decades of experience in the Indian automotive sector. Since 1998, Puneet has been an integral part of Hyundai’s leadership in India, steering pivotal functions and driving growth in a dynamic and often unpredictable automotive sector environment. Today, we look under the hood of Hyundai’s clean energy transition from investments in EVs, hydrogen technology, and renewable energy to localization strategies that boost the resilience of India’s economy. We explore the role of public policy, infrastructure, and community engagement that Hyundai plays in redefining mobility in the next generation. What does the road ahead look like for India’s clean mobility revolution? How does a giant like Hyundai balance cutting-edge innovation with deep local relevance? Puneet ANAND, welcome to the program.

August 20, 202544 min

EP 63 | Reimagining India’s Mobility Future | A Visionary Talk with Uday Narang

Today, we welcome back Uday Narang San. Uday is one of the few real innovators of electronic mobility in India. Focusing on the 2-wheeler, 3-wheeler, and 4-wheeler transport space in India. And it’s always exciting to have Uday on the show to have a candid conversation about what gives and often what does not. Uday San, welcome to the program.

August 11, 202532 min

EP 62 | Peter Varghese on China's Tech Dominance, Trump's America, and the India-Australia Partnership : Energising India Podcast:

Can democracies compete with China's algorithmic hegemony in the energy transition?In this pivotal episode, we sit down with Peter Varghese AO, former head of Australia's Office of National Assessments (Australia's intelligence agency), former High Commissioner (Ambassador) to India, and former Australian Secretary of Foreign Affairs, for an unfiltered discussion about the new world order reshaping energy and technology.Varghese challenges conventional wisdom on self-reliance, warning that abandoning comparative advantage could make us "a heck of a lot poorer." He reveals why containing China is "not feasible," but allowing it to become the Indo-Pacific hegemon would resurrect the Middle Kingdom where "hierarchy was harmony."With Trump's America imposing 50% tariffs on India and creating "perceptions of unreliability," Varghese explores whether the Quad and AUKUS can survive, and why India-Australia cooperation on critical minerals and AI remains slower than anticipated despite evident synergies.Key Discussions:Why China's control of energy technology may be irreversible.The "salad days" of US leadership and what comes after Trump.How AI will disrupt diplomacy, universities, and the very concept of expertise.The hidden risks in post-COVID self-sufficiency drives.What policymakers consistently get wrong about the China-India-Australia triangleCo-hosted by Ravin Mirchandani and special guest co-host Ritu David (ex-intelligence analyst, seconded to CIA Afghanistan), this episode delivers rare insights from one of Australia's most experienced strategic thinkers on navigating the collision of energy transition, AI disruption, and great power competition. Essential listening for anyone working in energy, technology, or international business in the Indo-Pacific.[Runtime: 32 minutes]

July 17, 20251 hr 11 min

EP 61 | 1991: India’s Near-Default Moment. How Did We Survive — and in 2025 What Challenges Comes Next? | Montek Singh AHLUWALIA

⚡️⚡️Energizing India Podcast Alert! ⚡️⚡️1991: India’s Near-Default Moment. How Did We Survive — and in 2025 What Challenges Come Next? | Montek Singh AHLUWALIAOn this program, we engage with the key thinkers and leaders shaping India's economic, energy, and policy landscape. I'm your host, Ravin MIRCHANDANI, and today, honestly, I'm a little bit starstruck. Joining us on the show is someone we have admired for years and who really needs no introduction at all to the business audience, as he was one of the true architects of the modern India that we inhabit today.A journey that the country commenced in 1991, Montec Singh AHLUWALIA is an economist, a policy visionary, and also a civil servant who, along with the then-prime minister Manmohan Singh, played a pivotal role in steering India during its 1991 economic crisis. A moment of near default, where the country had to pledge its gold to keep the economy afloat. He served as the deputy chairman of the planning commission from 2004 to 2014, holding the rank of cabinet minister, and before that, he was the first director of the Independent Evaluation Office of the IMF. Today we go behind the scenes of that 1991 crisis, what really happened in those 10 stays, battles that were fought in the coridoors of power and how india chose the path of liberalisation, we will also look ahead to the turbulence of the present moment, global trade wars, tariff barriers, and the new era of supply chain of geo politics, what does all of this mean to india and how do we charte the path forward. This is a rare and candid conversation with a man who has seen it all from Washington to New Delhi and has helped shape India's economic destiny. Montec Singh AHLUWALIA, the man with the perennial blue turban, welcome to the program!

April 24, 202536 min

EP 60 | Bangalore's pollution- a victim of its own economic success. Can EVs change that? | Thirumalai NC

⚡️⚡️Energizing India Podcast Alert! ⚡️⚡️ Bangalore's pollution- a victim of its own economic success. Can EVs change that? | Thirumalai NC, Sector Head - Strategic Studies at CSTEP In this episode of the Energizing India Podcast, we head to India’s tech capital — Bangalore — a city at the heart of innovation, but also at the edge of an infrastructure overload. With startups like Ola, Ather, and Exponent leading India’s clean mobility revolution, Bangalore is setting the stage for what’s to come in 20 more cities. However, rapid economic growth comes with a paradox: 80% of households now own personal vehicles, and the city’s air quality is plummeting. We’re joined by Thirumalai NC, Sector Head at CSTEP, one of India’s leading think tanks in science, tech, and policy. He helps us understand the unique urban challenge Bangalore faces: Can a traffic-choked city leap into an electric future — and where will all that charging power come from? This is a story of hope, policy innovation, and the race to plug into a cleaner tomorrow.

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