Mumbai: As India’s electric vehicle (EV) industry gains momentum, it has set the ball rolling for women in leadership roles. Experts say it is in EV companies in the private, public and startup domains.

Sulajja Firodia Motwani is the CEO of Kinetic Green. Mahua Acharya, CEO of state-run Convergence Energy Solutions, is relatively new yet dynamic, who has been credited with pioneering a mini-revolution for electric transportation in the states. Rashmi Urdhvarshe, former director of the Automotive Research Association, has been working with several government bodies on EV-related policies. Mahindra Electric’s Suman Mishra also has a new woman CEO.

The EV startup ecosystem is seeing women play an important role in not only vehicle design but also in emerging areas such as energy management and storage, charging infrastructure, user interface applications and many more. These include Prabhjot Kaur, founder of Esmito and Prerna Chaturvedi, founder of Evolet.

An industry that is more electrical and electronics in nature, and less mechanical, naturally attracts women into such roles.

Digitization and new futuristic EV technologies such as embedded programming and systems engineering have made it easier for women to dive into this space, said Kaur, whose startup is offering e-mobility solutions such as batteries and chargers with charging and swapping management .

In terms of heritage, there were fewer women in traditional engine technology (where fossil fuels are used). “I see a natural push and a creative instinct for more women in the EV ecosystem,” Kaur said.