Ratan Tata ignited passion for EVs, inspired to set up Ola Electric: Bhavish Aggarwal

Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal credited Ratan Tata with inspiring the creation of Ola Electric. In a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter) titled "Ratan Tata, my personal hero," Aggarwal shared how Tata’s passion for electric vehicles (EVs) played a pivotal role in setting up his EV venture.

Aggarwal revealed that in 2017, Tata invited him to Mumbai with an intriguing offer. “He called and said, ‘Bhavish, I want to take you somewhere and show you something exciting.’” The two then flew to Coimbatore to visit Tata’s personal project involving electric vehicles based on the Tata Nano.

Ratan Tata, my personal hero

I’m at a loss with Ratan Tata Sir’s passing. His loss feels so personal because it is for me. He was my hero growing up, like for so many others. I consider myself blessed to have gotten the opportunity to know my personal hero deeply over the last… pic.twitter.com/52AFS0bAAL

— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) October 10, 2024

“Mr. Tata was so passionate about EVs. He even took me for a test drive in one and pointed out detailed improvements to the engineers,” Aggarwal said. That day marked the true beginning of Ola Electric, igniting Aggarwal’s interest in EVs.

Aggarwal also shared that Tata's mentorship extended beyond that initial spark. He routinely sought feedback from Tata on every product Ola Electric developed. “He patiently sat with me to ideate and give feedback on the concepts we designed,” Aggarwal noted.

Tata’s death, Aggarwal said, feels like a personal loss. Recalling his first interaction with Tata during his IIT Bombay graduation in 2008, Aggarwal shared that Tata’s words about serving one’s country resonated deeply with him. Their relationship began in 2015 when Tata invested in Ola, but it grew over the years through continued collaboration.

Aggarwal also noted Tata’s love for animals, a trait that inspired Ola to welcome stray dogs into its offices and factories. “Today, we have almost 30 of them living in our facilities,” he shared.

Reflecting on his last meeting with Tata, a year ago when Ola Electric was preparing for its IPO, Aggarwal said, “He was frail but his enthusiasm for cars and his encouragement for me remained as strong as ever.”

Ratan Tata, the former chairman of the Tata Group, passed away on Wednesday night at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. “I will deeply miss him, and India will deeply miss him. There will be no one like him again,” Aggarwal concluded.