As India accelerates its electric mobility ambitions under the national PM E-DRIVE roadmap, a quiet but critical battle is being waged not on the streets, but in the nation’s R&D labs. The country’s ability to build a robust and reliable EV charging network hinges on the resilience of the core technology inside its chargers. For years, the heart of these fast chargers—the high-frequency power converter module—has been predominantly imported, creating a strategic vulnerability and a performance gap in the demanding Indian market.
The decision to engineer a solution from the ground up marks a pivotal moment in the nation’s journey toward technological self-reliance. We sat down with Mr. Abhijit Chaudhari, Head of R&D at a leading domestic power electronics firm, to understand the strategic calculus and technical execution behind this crucial innovation: a homegrown 30 kW DC fast charger power module.
Confronting the Design Flaw: Why Off-the-Shelf Fails in India
Relying on imported converters was more than a matter of supply chain logistics; it was a fundamental misalignment of technology with market conditions. Standard power modules, designed for milder climates and stable grids, consistently underperformed in India. “Designing for India’s diverse climates and grid conditions is no easy feat,” says Chaudhari. The country presents a trifecta of engineering challenges: extreme ambient temperatures that degrade electronic components, unpredictable grid voltage fluctuations that threaten system stability, and harsh outdoor environments characterized by high levels of dust and humidity. For charge-point operators (CPOs), this translated into higher failure rates, increased maintenance costs, and lower charger uptime—undermining the business case for public charging infrastructure.
“Strategically, it was about achieving self-reliance and reducing dependence on imported converters, aligning with the national vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” Chaudhari explains. But the technical mandate was just as critical. “The indigenous design allows optimization for Indian operating conditions.”
Engineering for Resilience: A Modular, Intelligent Architecture
The R&D team’s response was to engineer a solution rooted in three core principles: thermal resilience, grid intelligence, and modularity. To combat the heat, the team employed advanced thermal design and efficient forced-air cooling systems. To manage grid instability, they implemented sophisticated digital power control algorithms with an active front-end system that maintains a near-unity power factor and low Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), even under significant voltage variations. Finally, to ensure long-term reliability, the design incorporates extensive component derating and rigorous environmental testing.
However, the most transformative innovation is the module’s architecture. The 30 kW unit was designed as a “building block.” As Chaudhari describes it, “The 30 kW module is designed as a modular building block, enabling higher-power EV chargers—from 60kW and 120kW up to 360kW—by connecting multiple identical modules in parallel.”
This modular approach provides immense strategic flexibility. OEMs can standardize their hardware and software platforms across a wide range of charger ratings, simplifying product development, streamlining inventory, and accelerating time-to-market.
The Operational Advantage: Maximizing Uptime and Minimizing TCO
For CPOs and fleet operators, the benefits of this modular design are immediate and tangible. A multi-module charger gains inherent redundancy. “If one module fails, the remaining modules automatically share the load, minimizing downtime,” Chaudhari notes. This feature directly addresses one of the biggest pain points for the profitability of public charging infrastructure: charger availability.
Furthermore, the design radically simplifies maintenance. Instead of requiring a specialized technician to diagnose and repair a complex, monolithic system, a faulty module can be quickly identified and hot-swapped in the field without a prolonged system shutdown. This “plug-and-play” serviceability dramatically reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO) and ensures that charging assets remain operational and revenue-generating.
Beyond the Charger: Building a Unified Power-Electronics Platform
With the successful launch of the Yonder 30 kW module, the team’s vision now extends far beyond just EV charging. The same core power conversion technology is being adapted for the nascent green hydrogen economy. “The same power-conversion building blocks are being extended for hydrogen electrolyzer and fuel-cell systems, where precision control, reliability, and efficiency are equally critical,” says Chaudhari. The R&D roadmap includes next-generation, higher-efficiency SiC-based topologies and bi-directional, grid-interactive charging systems capable of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) applications.
This cross-domain strategy signals a larger ambition. The goal is no longer just product-specific innovation but the creation of a unified Indian power-electronics ecosystem—one built on the principles of Modularity, Intelligence, and Indigenisation. It’s a foundational play that aims to power not only the country’s electric vehicles but its entire clean energy future.