In 2020, Bajaj relaunched the Chetak as an electric scooter. The early response was lukewarm — the brand felt nostalgic in a category that was being defined by start-ups like Ola, Ather and TVS iQube with sharper marketing and bolder spec sheets. By 2024, the Chetak EV was a top-three selling electric two-wheeler in India.

Three deliberate operating choices

How did Bajaj do it? Three deliberate operating choices. One: they doubled down on quality and after-sales reliability while the start-up competitors were dealing with publicly reported fire-safety issues. Bajaj's dealer network, refined over decades, became the moat. Two: they restructured the product pricing aggressively in 2023 and 2024, taking the entry-level Chetak below the ₹1 lakh psychological mark. Three: they invested in the unsexy bits — charging, service training, spare-parts availability — that win the market once the launch hype fades.

Most EV failures will not be on technology. They will be on operating systems.

The lesson for EV SMEs

For Indian SME manufacturers entering the EV space — especially in cells, packs and powertrain — the case is instructive. The category is being defined right now. Capital is abundant. Marketing is loud. But the players that survive will be the ones with shop-floor discipline, supplier governance, and post-sale infrastructure. Most EV failures will not be on technology. They will be on operating systems.