Pawan Munjal’s Road to EV Manufacturing

It took some time, but Pawan Munjal has finally announced a foray into electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing. His biggest competition? Family. Last year, Hero Electric, India’s largest electric two-wheeler firm run by his nephew Naveen Munjal, sold over 50,000 EVs. Pawan, who is Chairman and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, India’s largest two-wheeler company, is therefore late into the game. But to be fair, a 2010 family settlement barred him from using the ‘Hero’ brand name for any electric vehicle made by his firm while the global rights for Hero’s EVs were given to Naveen. So, what’s the workaround? Hero MotoCorp is soon expected to launch a new sub-brand, VIDA Electric, which will allow Pawan to sell his upcoming range of electric scooters and motorcycles. The firm has registered names like VIDA Electric, VIDA EV, VIDA MotoCorp, VIDA Scooters, etc. The first VIDA product will most likely be launched by next March, from Hero’s latest facility—Garden Factory—in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. Will VIDA Electric help Pawan make up for lost time?