Salcomp taps Flowtrik to manufacture EV chargers

Salcomp, a Tamil Nadu-based manufacturer of chargers for mobile phones and other electronic devices, has partnered with Flowtrik, a start-up incubated at Indian Institute of Technology Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC), to manufacture chargers for the electric vehicles.   

Salcomp, in a statement, said that it will be the exclusive manufacturing and business development partner for Flowtrik, which is housed at IIT Madras Research Park, one of India’s first University-based research park and is home to over 75 R&D companies, 270 startups and nine centres of excellence (CoE).  

Flowtrik and Salcomp will jointly work together right from initial product identification for research and development, design, product qualification and subsequent global production. Flowtrik will also continue to develop new charger products as per market requirements in consultation with Salcomp, according to a joint statement.    

Sasikumar Gendham, Managing Director of Salcomp India, said that the collaboration marks an important step in the advancement of R&D in the country. “This partnership with Flowtrik will augment us to be a significant player in the EV space,” he said, adding that the company is looking to provide the “highest quality and reliable products at very competitive pricing to spur the country’s EV revolution”. 

Flowtrik, which designs chargers for advanced batteries (such as Li-ion, advanced lead acid, other alternate batteries) used in EVs is already banking on IITMRP’s R&D capabilities. It is also ready to enter the market with a range of Portable & AC chargers and DC fast charging controllers.    

Ashok Jhunjhunwala, President at IIT Madras Research Park, IITM Incubation Cell & RTBI, said, “India is surely on the way to become a manufacturing nation.” As an R&D partner of Flowtrik, Salcomp will commercialise this R&D and take it to the markets in India and the world.  

According to a report conducted by Centre for Energy Finance (CEEW-CEF) in, the EV market in India is at a nascent stage but is slated to become a $206 billion opportunity by 2030, driven by the continuous hike in fuel prices as vehicle owners and new buyers look at cheaper options. However, this would require a cumulative investment of over $180 billion in vehicle production and charging infrastructure, the report said.  

Another report by India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) projects that the Indian EV market will grow at a CAGR of 36 per cent till 2026. The EV battery market is also projected to grow at a CAGR of 30 per cent during the same period. Companies such as Delta Electronics India, Mass-Tech, Exicom, ABB India, EVQpoint and BrightBlu, among others are already dominating this space.