OSM, an alliance based company
Narang
stated that his company always believed in having alliances with international
based companies. It is extremely important, locally as well as internationally,
he affirmed. “We believe that this is the only way we can build a very big eco
system in this country. We have been on a non-stop alliance drive. We did an
alliance with US based C4V (to manufacture solid-state batteries) which is the
future of batteries. We did an alliance with multiple partners in powertrains.
We did an alliance with Valeo (for electric powertrains). Valeo is a very
significant 20 billion Euro company based in France,” he said..
The
OSM Chairman noted that even though his company is like a start up, though the
Group is more than 50 years old and has been in the business of steel bright
bars, several European and American companies are willing to sign up with the
company because they view OSM as a major player in the electrification of this
country.
“We
have done a tie up with Log 9 in the area of battery fast charging. It is an
amazing thing because while the driver is having his tea or lunch he can very
quickly charge the batteries of his electric vehicle and thereby enhance his
income. You are going to see us doing some major alliances. This is just the
beginning, we will continue many more in the coming months and you will know
that OSM is a major brand to reckon with,” he stressed.
OSM
has only managed to sell a few 100 units of the Rage+ range of electric three
wheelers since it was launched recently, but Narang is confident that very soon
there would be a very large roll out to Africa, Bangladesh, ASEAN and Latin
America. “We initially limited the number of vehicles we had on the road. We
have around 300 odd vehicles that are on the road right now. But from here to
the rest of the financial year we believe that we will roll out six to seven
thousand of these vehicles. A large amount of vehicles will be going to Africa
and to the other parts of the world,” he revealed.
ARJUN MAINI AND DTM
RACES: As for signing up Arjun Maini for an OSM endorsement at the
DTM races, Narang clarified that “OSM is not in India alone, OSM is a global
e-cargo company. People should understand that our vision is to build India’s
first global electric cargo company…So this is where Arjun Maini comes in. He
is bold, he is what we call rocket Maini, he is somebody who is young and one
who takes up challenges. And the best thing about Arjun Maini that I love is
that Arjun Maini never gives up. We at OSM never give up. We also believed that we want to put
our brand awareness across Europe and the US and what best than to have it in
DTM and we also believe that we want to be the future of electric racing. The
three wheelers are just a taster. We are growing into two wheelers and four
wheelers”.
Optimistic despite stiff competition
Acknowledging
that there is already a lot of competition in India in the electric vehicles
space, Narang said, “A lot of competitors will come, we welcome Ola, we welcome
Ather, they are amazing companies, we want to be an amazing company too. India
and the world is big enough that can accommodate many players and we claim to
be one of the players too. I am into fitness, I am an athlete, I compete every
day, let the best man or woman, whether it be Ather or whether it be Hero or
whether it be Ola, they build a better product, they win, we should be ready
for competition. One thing is for sure, OSM isn’t going away.”
“We
have calculated our space. We are not just focusing on electric two wheelers
but even electric three wheelers and four wheelers. We are talking about
building buses, tractors, etc. Our scale is going to be quite large. In the B2B
space we are going to focus on the last mile delivery segment. In the two
wheeler space, we will sell to B2C but our major products will go to B2B. We
believe that we are a cargo company. We
will do certain products that will be B2C. Our product portfolio should have
everything,” he said.
Giving
the example of Elon Musk of Tesla, Narang said that Musk “build a company and
today the value of his company is more than the combined valuation of all the
old IC engine companies. The new world is not about IC engines. The structure
is completely new. The people who build the IC engine world are not the same
who will build the electric world. Just because someone is good in the IC
engine space will be also successful in the electric vehicle space. They will
move and they have the firepower. But people like us are quick, we are agile,
we are new brand, new quality.”
Referring
to his idol Muhammad Ali, he pointed out, “I always look up to him. He did not
come from the richest family. He was hungry. But in a world where there are new
young men and women who have joined us, we will need capital. I have spent 35
years working in the financial markets of US and Europe. We will go to the
private equity market and we will go for alliances. At this moment we are very
close to finalising an agreement with a very large European OEM that will work
with us in producing 3 wheelers for Europe and exports out of there. And we
shall be producing electric buses with them here in the country.
“The
question is how come a small company like OSM out of nowhere has got a product
out there. These companies are valued at Rs 1 lakh crore in the stock market, but
it’s not about the stock market, it about the product, it’ about the design and
technology, and it is about believing in yourself.”
Narang
is firm with his vision. He is working hard and claims 24 hours a day is not
enough. “There is not a single day that I am not living this with my team. If
we are not a major player in the next three years, then it’s too late. We have
a huge amount of work, I will be hiring a lot of smart people, I want a lot of
young blood with me, men and women. I want people to be part of this journey.
For me, my biggest pay off will be that the people who work here do so well
that they go out and build new companies to make a better India, to make a
clean India and to make a more electric India. In the next three years we have
to be a force to reckon with”. Let’s just hope, like his idol Muhammad Ali,
Uday Narang too is able to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee” when
it comes to selling his products and warding off the stiff competition all
around!
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