In a conversation with CNBC-TV18, Ather’s CEO and co-founder Tarun Mehta said the company remains focused on competing on product quality rather than discounts. “We don’t play on discounts. What we win and lose on is our products and the experiences we build for the consumers,” he said.
At its annual Ather Community Day event on Saturday, the company unveiled its EL platform, its first new vehicle architecture since the 450. Mehta said this would enable Ather to launch a wider range of scooters — commuter, maxi and sportier variants — over the coming years, while still maintaining a premium experience. “I don’t think the market is for products below ₹1 lakh. Going below that, we’re just leaving money on the table and not building a good enough experience,” he noted.
Alongside scooters, Ather showcased Redux, a crossover concept between scooter and motorcycle, signalling eventual entry into the electric motorcycle segment. While still one to two years away, Mehta said Ather was “investing deeply in R&D for motorcycles.”
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The company’s biggest push, however, is on distribution. Mehta said Ather plans to expand from 200 outlets today to 400 this year, with a target of 700 stores by FY26. “The story for FY26 for us is simply: expanding distribution. That’s the biggest piece that anybody should track,” he told CNBC-TV18.
Still, policy hurdles remain. Mehta expressed disappointment that Ather did not qualify for the government’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme despite what he called some of the highest investments in EV R&D globally. “If we had PLI, we would be able to launch even lower-cost products. But we can’t compete in those strategies today, because the definition wasn’t startup-friendly,” he argued.
For FY26, Mehta summed up Ather’s focus in one phrase: expanding distribution. With a new platform, broader product line-up and a growing retail footprint, the company is aiming for both improved margins and a 20% share of India’s EV scooter market.
