Saietta, a British electric drive (eDrive) specialist, has signed a master supply agreement with AVTEC Limited, one of the largest independent manufacturers of powertrain and precision-engineered products in India. The partnership brings together AVTEC’s expertise in the design and manufacture of transmissions with Saietta’s motor and inverter capability.
The resulting eDrives have been designed for three- and four-wheel lightweight electric vehicles (EVs), including scooters, motorbikes, rickshaws and urban delivery vehicles, for its first set of commercial agreements. These have been secured with one of the largest original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the Indian light-duty mobility market. Production is on track to commence in the third quarter of this year.
In addition to the supply agreement, Saietta and AVTEC intend to proactively market the combined eDrive technology to other existing and prospective clients, tailoring the core eDrive design to meet the precise requirements of additional individual OEMs in India and beyond.
The timing is right, given the lightweight emobility market in India is growing rapidly, registering more than one million EVs last year. This is up 200 per cent compared to 2021. Designed in the UK, the eDrive units will be made in India.
Over the initial five years of the supply contract, Saietta and AVTEC will have the capability to produce a minimum of 150,000 complete eDrive units for customers globally. A total of 80,000 units are already reserved for the launch OEM in India. Saietta and AVTEC are also exploring the development of eDrive solutions for other lightweight vehicle sectors, including two-wheel applications.
Saietta VNA is a joint venture in India between Saietta Group and Padmini VNA. Saietta VNA will produce the electric motors and inverters in its Indian manufacturing plant and combine these with transmissions from AVTEC manufactured at its plant in India. The resulting 48V-96V eDrive solutions are designed to be lightweight, compact and cost-competitive for light-duty electric vehicles in India.
Tony Gott, Saietta Group Plc executive chairman, said: “When bringing any new technology to the mass market, it’s critically important to work with supplier partners who have a proven track record of delivering at the required scale, on time, on cost and on quality.
“AVTEC undoubtedly ticks every one of those boxes. We’ve been collaborating very effectively technically since Q3 last year and everything is on track for our planned start of production. Saietta’s collaboration with AVTEC is a significant step towards delivering our strategy for India.
“Working in partnership with AVTEC, we will benefit from their transmission expertise whilst we focus on our core competencies of motor and inverter development to ensure that together we deliver high-quality eDrive solutions to our customers in India and beyond.
“We intend to work together commercially to promote the features and benefits of our combined technology to our existing client bases.”
Neeraj Jain, AVTEC Limited CEO, said: “We are delighted to join hands with Saietta to develop and supply end-to-end eDrive solutions to customers, thus enabling the transition into a wider role.
“This is a unique proposition that has been forged at an opportune time, as the EV space continues to grow exponentially facilitated by favourable government policies and incentives.
“We are evermore prepared to provide an exceptional product range and are confident to play a paramount role in this transition, creating a sustainable revolution of EV mobility in India. This partnership will undoubtedly bring positive results and help us mutually to expand our portfolio and tap into emerging trends in the EV industry.”
Growing Domestic EV Market in India
India’s automotive industry has been identified as one of the primary sectors driving economic growth, job creation and manufacturing technology advances as part of the Government’s ‘Make in India’ policy.
The Indian government is committed to promoting indigenous manufacturing capabilities along with technological developments to deliver high-quality, cost-effective electric vehicles for Indian consumers.
Whilst the overall Indian automotive market is expected to be the third largest in the world by volume in 2026, India is currently the largest producer of two- and three-wheel vehicles globally.
