Gurugram-based Venture Studio Xponents Completes One Year with Four Startups Launched

• Founded startups include Commercial EV maker ‘Dandera’, Smart Water Solutions provider ‘Agua’, Cargo EV Financer ‘Tri-Ark’ and Water Management Solutions provider ‘Watterr’
• To launch new ventures in Clean-tech, Fintech, Mobility, and SpaceTech domains

Gurugram-headquartered venture studio ‘Xponents Ventures’ today announced it has completed the first year of its operations with the launch of four startups – Dandera Ventures, Agua Wireless Systems, Tri-Ark and Watterr. Sustainable mobility startup Dandera Ventures recently announced the launch of ‘OTUA’, its first commercial three-wheeler EV featuring an industry-leading range of 165 kilometres on a single charge.

Clean-tech startup Agua has developed an intelligent Wireless Water Management System that uses cutting-edge technologies to help save water. Agua’s solutions are targeted at residential apartment complexes, commercial buildings, city municipalities and industrial or manufacturing facilities. Watterr, an ONDC enabled marketplace for all needs related to water, be it domestic, industrial or agriculture. It brings all stakeholders together for a seamless experience to the end user. Tri-Ark aims to provide financial freedom to three-wheeler cargo drivers and promote micro-entrepreneurship.

Sarth Jain, founder of Xponents Ventures said, “Xponents was conceived as a venture studio to found and build from scratch high-impact businesses in four diverse domains - clean-tech, Fintech, Mobility and SpaceTech. We have had a really busy first year in putting together the right entrepreneurial team, capital and resources, along with a powerful network of large and successful ‘Family Owned Businesses’ to support our ventures. We’re also proud that our first two ventures in Dandera and Agua already have a market-ready product and are both ready to unlock the next stage of their growth journey.”

Xponents also said it is working to found and launch new ventures in the four chosen domains. “We are keen to join hands with entrepreneurs with big but untested ideas in clean-tech, mobility, fintech or spacetech domains,” Sarth added.

India is home to the world's largest population of Family-managed Businesses (FMBs) and also boasts of the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. However, there are very few established opportunities for partnerships or synergistic growth among these two sets. Xponents has developed its platform with the goal of enabling successful FMBs find viable investment or strategic partnership opportunities in the startup ecosystem. The venture studio currently has 4,000 FMBs on its platform.

Dandera Ventures Launches OTUA, India’s Most Advanced 3Wheeler Cargo EV

OTUA is designed for use by logistics and last-mile delivery companies and independent delivery operators; offers highest performance, volume and load carrying capacity in the category

Sustainable Mobility startup Dandera Ventures yesterday launched India’s most advanced cargo electric three-wheeler, OTUA. The cargo EV sports several industry-leading features, including highest volume, highest load carrying capacity of 900 KGs, and the longest range of 165 kilometres on a single charge. OTUA variants to be priced between ₹3,50,000 – ₹5,50,000 and will also available on a subscription basis. The vehicle is targeted for use by logistics and last-mile delivery companies and will soon be available for retail purchase by individual drivers or owners in select markets across India.

Today’s launch of OTUA marks a significant milestone for India’s logistics and last mile delivery industry as it prepares for transition to sustainable mobility. OTUA has been designed completely from the ground up as an electric vehicle and is a 100% indigenous product, with all parts and components, including the batteries designed and manufactured in India. Dandera Ventures’ R&D division has designed and engineered OTUA’s battery and drivetrain with the single goal of surpassing both end-customer expectations as well as current industry standards.

Key OTUA features

• First cargo EV to be designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle
• Industry’s highest range of 165km on a single charge*, further expandable to over 300km*
• Industry’s largest carrying volume of 183,CC *
• Industry’s highest load carrying capacity of 900 KGs*
• Best-in-class road visibility for drivers
• Unique aerodynamic design that reduces the ‘air drag coefficient’ by 25% over comparable vehicles
• India’s roomiest, and ‘air-conditioning’ compatible driver cabin
• Connected EV - comes with its own Driver and Fleet management app

* when compared to currently available cargo three-wheelers in the L5 segment

Kshitij Bajaj, Founder and CEO of Dandera Ventures said, “OTUA raises the bar for everything that last mile delivery drivers and fleet owners have come to expect from a cargo EV. From world-class and industry-leading driver ergonomics and safety to outright performance in terms of range, volume, capacity; OTUA is the first cargo EV to offer an uncompromising vision of transitioning to sustainable mobility for the global logistics and last mile delivery industry.”

The Indian last-mile delivery and logistics industry is witnessing an exponential growth and is set to grow to a $5 billion market1 over the next couple of years. The industry is consciously moving towards electric vehicles and other sustainable mobility solutions as part of its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

Kanav Manchanda, Founder and COO of Dandera Ventures said, “Dandera is committed to not just support, but also fast-track the logistics industry’s transition to sustainable mobility with its industry-leading portfolio of commercial EVs. Both OTUA, and Dandera, have been developed to set new standards in the EV industry. Where the OTUA is primed to be India’s most sophisticated EV, its roll out is also planned in a manner that enables efficient adaptability. The future is ours for the taking.”

Dandera Ventures is a portfolio company of Xponents Venture Studio has raised capital from Xponents and its partners. Sarth Jain, Founder of Xponents said, “The launch of OTUA marks a major step in Dandera’s journey to develop a complete ecosystem for the transition of last-mile delivery logistics to electric vehicles, serving the needs for both B2B and B2C logistics. OTUA’s launch has the potential to fundamentally change the way intracity and in-city distribution is executed, the impact it has on our environment. The team at Dandera will continue to work on design innovation and developing newer technologies for more efficient and widely usable EVs.”

Founded in 2018, Dandera is a sustainable mobility-focused startup with a vision to develop and market world-class sustainable mobility products from the ground up. The Founders of Dandera, Kshitij Bajaj and Kanav Manchanda are senior industry professionals with decades of experience in automotive design, business management and operations between them.

India’s commercial EV market has seen rapid growth in recent years. Electric three-wheelers made up 47% of all three-wheelers sold in the previous financial year, as per an analysis by EVreporter magazine of the Indian government’s Vaahan database.

As per the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles (FAME) policy in FY23 budget document, the Indian government is supporting the growth of the EV industry through subsidies, favourable regulations, and policies, 100% FDI approval, increased push for battery R&D, and improved charging infrastructure.

Actor and Humanitarian Sonu Sood To Be Brand Ambassador for Dandera’s Electric Vehicles

Sustainable mobility startup Dandera Ventures today announced that popular actor, model, philanthropist and humanitarian Sonu Sood will be the Brand Ambassador for its forthcoming lineup of commercial Electric Vehicles (EVs). Dandera recently announced that it will be launching its first commercial EV in September.

Through this association, Sonu Sood will support Dandera in championing the cause and adoption of environmentally sustainable mobility, and also communicate the brand’s values and EV’s features and benefits to Dandera’s customers and other stakeholders.

Kshitij Bajaj, Cofounder and CEO of Dandera Ventures said, “Sonu and Dandera as a brand both believe in doing good for the people around us, and in protecting our planet for the future generations. All of us at Dandera have long admired his untiring humanitarian efforts and we are confident that like Sonu, Dandera as a brand will soon become synonymous with qualities like conviction and reliability.”

Dandera will launch its advertising campaign with Sonu as the face of its first EV in September 2022.

Dandera’s upcoming commercial EV will be targeted for use by independent delivery operators and last-mile delivery companies.

Sonu Sood said, “Dandera as a young startup has impressed me with their clear vision to protect our environment through its innovations in sustainable mobility, backed by their solid product roadmap, strategy and execution capabilities. I am glad to endorse their vision and firmly believe that together, we can make a meaningful difference to protecting our planet while simultaneously putting smiles on the faces of Dandera’s customers”.

Kanav Manchanda, Cofounder and COO of Dandera Ventures said, “We believe that Sonu’s support will go a long way in establishing Dandera as the commercial EV manufacturer of choice for millions of owners and drivers in the near future. We are equally excited to align our business and growth strategy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for ‘Make in India, for the world’.”

Dandera’s soon-to-be-launched EV will feature industry-leading performance and capacity benchmarks. The vehicle has been completely designed from the ground up as an EV. All parts and components, including the batteries will be fully manufactured in India, for both Indian and export markets.

About Dandera: 

Founded in 2018, Dandera is a sustainable mobility-focused startup with a vision to develop and market world-class sustainable mobility products from the ground up. The Founders of Dandera, Kshitij Bajaj and Kanav Manchanda are senior industry professionals with decades of experience in automotive design, business management and operations between them. Dandera is a portfolio company of Xponents Venture Studio and has raised capital from Xponents and its partners. For more information, please visit https://www.danderaelectric.com/

Sustainable Mobility Startup Dandera Ventures Launching Its 1st Commercial EV Next Month

Dandera Founders - Kanav Manchanda, Sarth Jain and Kshitij Bajaj

• Announces Successful completion of road tests
• First Commercial vehicle designed from the ground up to be an EV; not modified or retrofitted from any existing ICE vehicle
• EV to set new Industry standards in performance and technology

Sustainable mobility startup Dandera Ventures today said that it is gearing up to launch its first commercial Electric Vehicle (EV) in the Indian market in September 2022. The company said that it has successfully completed road tests for the EV and is currently in the process of setting up charging stations and finalizing service locations ahead of the launch.

The first EV from Dandera will be exclusively targeted for use by last-mile delivery companies and independent delivery operators. Dandera added that the EV will feature industry-leading performance and capacity benchmarks and will be priced competitively. The upcoming vehicle has been completely designed from the ground up as an EV. All parts and components, including the batteries will be fully manufactured in India, for both Indian and export markets.

Dandera Ventures was founded four years ago by senior industry professionals Kanav Manchanda and Kshitij Bajaj. Kshitij has over 16 years of experience in automotive design and engineering and has earlier founded Ion Ohms, dedicated to designing and developing Lithium Phosphate batteries and Electric Drive kits. Kanav has over 16 years of experience in managing key functions of factory operations, finance and sales for different businesses.

Kanav Manchanda, Founder and COO of Dandera Ventures said, “Dandera was founded with a vision to develop world-class sustainable mobility products from the ground up. The successful completion of road tests for our first EV is a happy culmination of four years of research and development efforts in creating a fully indigenous electric vehicle and platform from scratch, and we are really proud that our very first EV will redefine industry benchmarks in design, performance and capacity.”

Unlike several other EV manufacturers that source batteries or drivetrain components from abroad, Dandera has designed and developed the underlying battery system and drivetrain technology completely in-house. The company employs more than 50 people in its R&D division located in Pune.

Kshitij Bajaj, Founder and CEO of Dandera Ventures said, “We have invested significant time and resources in ensuring that the design and ergonomics of Dandera’s first EV as well as the entire upcoming EV range will not only meet or exceed the expectations of our customers in India, but also redefine the value of investing in EVs as they embrace the future of sustainable mobility.”

Sarth Jain, Founder of Dandera Ventures said, “We firmly believe that the biggest disruptors and eventual leaders of the fast growing and yet highly-competitive EV market will be those companies that can design and develop complete automotive platforms and products end-to-end, and can truly innovate while doing so. Dandera is conceived to be one such company and we are thrilled to bring to the market our first vehicle next month, which we believe will revolutionize the commercial EV space.”

India’s commercial EV market has seen rapid growth in recent years. Electric three-wheelers made up 47% of all three-wheelers sold in the previous financial year, as per an analysis of the Indian government’s Vaahan database by EVreporter magazine. As per the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles (FAME) policy in FY23 budget document, the Indian government is supporting the growth of the EV industry through subsidies, favourable regulations and policies, 100% FDI approval, increased push for battery R&D, and improved charging infrastructure.