India Launches Indigenous 30 kW EV Drive System to Cut Imports

Developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Thiruvananthapuram, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Lucas TVS, the technology aims to strengthen domestic capabilities in advanced power electronics. The system was officially unveiled by MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan at the IIT Madras campus in Chennai, an official release from the Ministry of Electronics and IT said.

The 30 kW power class targets India's growing electric passenger vehicle segment, focusing on compact cars and fleet mobility platforms. The initiative addresses the current reliance on imported high-performance EV powertrain systems and semiconductor-based drive components. By developing these integrated systems locally, the government seeks to reduce import dependency, lower costs through localisation, and support manufacturing aligned with the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes.

The integrated drive technology combines the electric motor and inverter into a single compact, high-power-density unit, replacing conventional separated configurations. "The technology has been successfully designed, fabricated, and validated in collaboration with Lucas TVS and is now ready for commercialisation and large-scale deployment," the Ministry said.

The adoption of this system is expected to strengthen the domestic EV supply chain and create manufacturing opportunities for MSMEs in power electronics, thermal systems, and control hardware.

Addressing the gathering at the launch, S. Krishnan stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Make in India, Make for the World" is being realised through the indigenous development of advanced power electronics technologies.

He noted that the transition from a technology-importing nation to a technology-developing and exporting nation is being strengthened by collaborative innovation among R&D institutions, academia, and industry.

The Secretary further explained the technical advantages of the new system, noting that the design integrates components to enhance efficiency. He also highlighted that the newly launched 30 kW Integrated Drive System integrates the electric motor and inverter into a single compact, high power-density unit, replacing the conventional separated motor-drive configuration.

Krishnan added that such design-led innovation in India will help create strong domestic intellectual property, accelerate the start-up ecosystem, and strengthen high-value manufacturing in the EV sector.

The project was executed under the National Mission on Power Electronics Technology (NaMPET). The event saw participation from E. Magesh, Director General, C-DAC; Manoj Kumar Jain, Group Coordinator (R&D in IT & CC& BT), MeitY; Ramanathan N S, CTO, Lucas TVS Chennai; Renji V Chako, Senior Director, C-DAC, Thiruvanthpuram; Om Krishan Singh, Scientist 'E', MeitY; Prof Kamlesh Hatua, IIT Madras, and representatives from industry.

- ANI