How Ragul Nishant Is Powering the Future with Portable EV Battery Swaps
Entrepreneurship
India
29 Years
I started my business after identifying a gap in EV battery swapping for light vehicles and robots. Using my engineering background, I built a solution from scratch, formed a small team, and launched Mechlae Energy to offer user-friendly, cost-effective battery swap systems for B2B partners.
Our Mission: Our mission is to remove the biggest friction in EV adoption: downtime. Whether it's a delivery partner, a fleet operator, or a robot in a warehouse no one should have to wait hours to charge. We’re building a future where energy is always available, without complex infrastructure or long queues.
At Mechlae Energy, we’ve reimagined the battery swap model to be more accessible, lightweight, and easy to deploy. Instead of investing in heavy, fixed infrastructure, businesses can now plug into our portable ecosystem reducing costs and scaling faster. It's not just about clean energy; it’s about practical, everyday usability.
We believe energy should adapt to people, not the other way around. That’s why our solutions are built for real-world chaos, not just lab conditions. From immersive cooling to twin-shield safety and modular design, every part of our system is made to work with minimal downtime and maximum reliability.
Ultimately, our mission is to democratize energy for the next billion users making electric mobility and robotics truly unstoppable.
I was 26 years old when I officially started the company. But the journey began a bit earlier with freelance design work, garage experiments, and a strong urge to solve real-world EV problems.
"I didn't start in a fancy lab, I started in a mechanic’s garage. That's why our solutions aren't theoretical; they're built for real people and everyday use."
What inspired you to start your own business?
I started Mechlae Energy because I saw a real problem that no one was solving properly. I had dropped out of engineering college because I wasn’t learning anything that felt useful. Instead, I went to work in a local mechanic shop, where I got my hands dirty and learned how machines actually worked.
During that time, I began freelancing as a CAD designer for clients around the world. That’s when I noticed a pattern: the EV space was growing fast, but in India, battery swapping was either too expensive, too complicated, or not designed for real-life use. Riders were getting stuck. Fleet operators were wasting time. There was a serious gap between tech on paper and tech on the street.
So I decided to build it myself, something simple, user-friendly, and affordable. I spent months designing, testing, failing, and trying again. What started as a small project turned into Mechlae Energy with a clear mission: to create fast, portable, and zero-downtime battery swapping for light EVs and robots.
It wasn’t easy. I had no investors, no fancy labs, just an idea, grit, and a belief that real solutions come from understanding real problems.
I worked in a garage after dropping out of engineering college. I learned hands-on skills. While freelancing as a CAD designer, I saw how unreliable and time-consuming EV charging was especially for light vehicles and delivery fleets. That’s when I came up with the idea for a portable, zero-downtime battery swap system. I started Mechlae Energy to turn that idea into a real-world solution.
How did you turn your idea into a business?
Once I had the idea, I started by building a basic prototype using my CAD and engineering skills. I didn’t wait for funding or a perfect plan. I just started testing designs, materials, and thermal performance. I spent time in workshops, consulted local fabricators, and used my savings to build the first working model.
Then I started showing the prototype to people mechanics, fleet operators, and even small EV companies. Their feedback helped me refine the product quickly. Once I saw consistent interest, I registered the company, applied for government grants, and protected the IP with patents.
Slowly, I built a small team, started pilots with early partners, and proved that the swap system could actually work in tough, real-world conditions. That’s when Mechlae Energy really became a business, not just an idea.
How did you get your customers?
Our main strategy to attract customers was to solve a very real and visible pain point downtime. Most businesses running EV fleets or robots can't afford long charging times or unreliable batteries. So, we built a solution that was not only portable and quick to deploy but also cost-effective and easy to integrate.
Instead of selling to the masses, we focused on B2B partnerships where the impact would be immediate and measurable. We offered pilot runs, customized solutions, and flexible leasing models which made it easier for companies to adopt without huge upfront costs.
Word-of-mouth and real-world performance helped us grow. Early partners like Sampoorn EV (fleet-focused) and Anscer Robotics (robotic operations) came on board because they saw how our swap station and battery packs could fit directly into their operations. Our focus on reliability, ease of integration (like CAN & RS485 support), and long-term service made them stay.
Retention came from keeping things simple: quick support, consistent performance, and ongoing tech upgrades without interrupting their daily workflow. We make sure our clients never feel stuck just like their vehicles.
What is your average monthly revenue?
We're currently in the early deployment phase, so revenue is just starting to come in. While I can’t share exact monthly figures yet, we’ve already signed pilot agreements and Letters of Intent with key partners like Sampoorn EV and Anscer Robotics
What makes us proud is that we’ve moved from a single prototype to confirmed commercial pilots and even repeat interest from clients. We’ve also secured multiple government grants, raised early-stage funding, and filed multiple patents for our technology.
The real milestone? Our solution is already running in the field, proving itself not just on paper, but under real-world pressure. That’s what matters most right now. Revenue will follow, but we’ve already built what most said wasn’t possible.
How are you doing today and what plans for the future?
What’s Working:
What’s working for us is focusing on B2B partnerships and offering a leasing model instead of upfront sales. This made adoption easier for clients like Sampoorn EV and Anscer Robotics.
We also avoided paid marketing instead, we shared our journey on LinkedIn and got organic features on Startup Pedia and Inshorts. Protecting our IP early and building real prototypes helped build trust and open doors faster.
Mistakes and Challenges:
One mistake early on was trying to perfect the tech before showing it to real users. We lost some time building in isolation instead of getting quicker feedback from the field.
Another challenge was navigating regulations and certifications. They slowed us down more than expected and required more resources than we planned.
We also missed some early partnership opportunities because we didn’t have a dedicated person for business development. Balancing product, operations, and outreach alone was tough in the beginning.
But each of these taught us to move faster, involve users early, and build a stronger team.
What advice do you have for budding founders?
Start small, but start real. Don’t wait for the perfect version, build a working prototype and get it in front of users as early as possible. Their feedback is more valuable than any pitch deck.
Protect your IP early, even if you're just testing it builds long-term value and credibility.
Also, don’t try to do everything alone. Find people who believe in the vision and can fill the gaps you have whether it's tech, business, or operations.
And most importantly, stay close to the problem. Trends come and go, but if you deeply understand the pain point you're solving, you'll always find a way forward.
One piece of advice that stuck with me was: Don’t just build a product, build trust. Especially in the EV space, reliability matters more than flashy features.
Another important lesson focuses on solving one core problem really well. It’s tempting to add more features or chase every opportunity, but staying focused helped us move faster and build better.
Also, keep your early users close. Their feedback, even the harsh ones, are what shape a real solution not investor slides or lab tests.