Swapnil Jain: The Engineer Behind Ather Energy’s Smart Electric Scooters

Introduction

Swapnil Babanlal Jain is an Indian engineer, entrepreneur and co-founder of Ather Energy, a Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler company. As of July 2026, Ather Energy’s corporate records list him as Executive Director and Chief Technical Officer.

Jain is best known for helping build Ather’s electric scooters and the technology system surrounding them. His work covers hardware, software, electronics, mechanical engineering, batteries and connected-vehicle systems. This article is about Swapnil Jain of Ather Energy, not the Observe.AI co-founder who has the same name.

Who Is Swapnil Jain?

Swapnil Jain is one of the two founders of Ather Energy. He started the company with his IIT Madras classmate Tarun Mehta in 2013.

Their goal was not simply to place an electric motor inside a traditional scooter. They wanted to design an intelligent electric scooter from the ground up. This required the team to develop the vehicle, battery pack, electronics, software, mobile application and charging system as connected parts of one product.

Tarun Mehta became Ather Energy’s Chief Executive Officer, while Jain took responsibility for the company’s technology and engineering work. The official Ather Energy governance page identifies him as Executive Director and Chief Technical Officer.

Swapnil Jain Quick Facts

Detail	Verified information
Full name	Swapnil Babanlal Jain
Profession	Engineer and technology entrepreneur
Known for	Co-founding Ather Energy
Company	Ather Energy Limited
Current role	Executive Director and Chief Technical Officer
Co-founder	Tarun Mehta
Education	Engineering Design graduate of IIT Madras
Company founded	2013
Main industry	Electric vehicles and clean mobility
Major recognition	Forbes India 30 Under 30 in 2018

Education at IIT Madras

Jain studied Engineering Design at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. A direct interview published by YourStory reported that he joined IIT Madras in 2007 and completed a master’s degree in Engineering Design in 2012.

His university years played an important part in his future career. IIT Madras gave him opportunities to work with students who were interested in building physical products, testing technologies and solving engineering problems.

Jain also helped lead the chassis team for IIT Madras’s first Formula SAE team. The student project involved designing, analysing and producing a tubular space-frame chassis for a racing vehicle.

It was also at IIT Madras that Jain met Tarun Mehta. The two students worked on energy-related projects, including ideas connected with solar power. Their shared interest in energy systems later developed into the plan that became Ather Energy.

The IIT Madras Foundation’s account of their journey confirms that Jain and Mehta were IIT Madras graduates who founded Ather Energy together in 2013.

Early Engineering Experience

Before becoming a full-time entrepreneur, Jain gained practical experience through an internship and a role in the automotive industry.

During an internship with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited in Bengaluru in 2011, he worked on a test system designed to study boiler slag deposits. The work included design, simulations, prototype development and physical testing.

After completing his studies, Jain joined General Motors. He later explained that the job helped him understand how automotive machines, engines, systems and production lines were developed.

However, Jain and Mehta wanted to create something of their own. They were interested in connected devices, energy technology and the possibility of applying modern software to vehicles. They eventually left their jobs and began developing their startup.

How Swapnil Jain Started Ather Energy

Swapnil Jain and Tarun Mehta founded Ather Energy in 2013.

Their first plan focused on electric vehicle battery packs. As they studied the market, they decided that improving only the battery would not solve every problem. The vehicle itself also needed better design, electronics, software, performance and charging support.

The founders therefore chose the more difficult path of developing a complete electric scooter. Instead of changing an existing petrol scooter into an electric model, Ather planned a vehicle specifically for electric power.

The early company operated within the IIT Madras startup ecosystem. Its engineers spent several years researching, designing and testing prototypes before offering a commercial product.

This long development period helped Ather build knowledge in several connected areas:

• Battery packs and battery management
• Vehicle electronics
• Mechanical engineering
• Embedded software
• Cloud connectivity
• Mobile applications
• Vehicle diagnostics
• Public charging infrastructure

These areas became important because a connected electric scooter is not only a mechanical vehicle. It is also a battery-powered computer that must collect information, manage energy, communicate with software and remain safe in changing road and weather conditions.

His Role as Chief Technical Officer

As Chief Technical Officer, Jain is responsible for the broad technology direction of Ather Energy.

Ather’s official leadership information says that hardware, software, electronics and mechanical systems fall under his area of responsibility. This makes his position wider than that of an executive who manages only software or only vehicle engineering.

His role connects several teams that must work together. For example, the battery must communicate with the vehicle’s software. The dashboard must provide useful information to the rider. The mobile application must receive vehicle data, while diagnostic tools must identify possible technical problems.

Ather’s connected scooters have used sensors to collect information about battery temperature, voltage, movement, location, riding patterns and vehicle health. This data can support remote diagnostics, servicing information and charging features.

Ather’s First Commercial Scooters

Ather spent years developing its early scooter concept, known as the S340. The company later introduced the Ather 450 as its first commercial electric scooter in 2018. The Ather 450X followed in 2020 as a newer performance-focused model.

These scooters helped Ather become known for combining electric mobility with connected technology. Features developed across its products included digital dashboards, navigation, software updates, ride information, mobile-app connections and access to a charging network.

The company later expanded beyond performance scooters with the Ather Rizta, a model designed for family use.

In a June 2025 regulatory release, Ather described its product range as two main lines:

• The Ather 450 range for customers seeking performance
• The Ather Rizta range for customers seeking family convenience

The company reported that Rizta had crossed 100,000 retail sales within one year of its introduction.

Building Ather Grid

Ather Energy also developed Ather Grid, a public charging network for electric two-wheelers.

Creating charging infrastructure was an important part of the company’s approach. Selling an electric scooter without providing accessible charging could make ownership difficult, particularly during the early growth of India’s electric vehicle market.

By March 31, 2025, Ather reported 3,611 fast and neighbourhood chargers globally. This included 3,578 chargers in India and 33 across Nepal and Sri Lanka. These figures are date-specific and may have increased since that reporting period.

Ather’s work shows why successful electric mobility depends on more than manufacturing vehicles. It also requires charging, servicing, software, customer support and a reliable supply chain.

Recognition Through Forbes India 30 Under 30

Swapnil Jain and Tarun Mehta were selected for the Forbes India 30 Under 30 list in 2018.

The recognition came as Ather was preparing to sell its first commercial scooter. Forbes India highlighted the founders’ decision to design and engineer an electric scooter from the beginning rather than depend on a simple conversion of an existing vehicle.

Their inclusion also reflected the scale of the challenge. Building an automobile company requires more time, testing, equipment and funding than launching many software-based startups.

Ather Energy’s Public Listing

Ather Energy completed its initial public offering and was listed on Indian stock exchanges on May 6, 2025.

The listing marked an important change in the company’s journey. Ather had developed from a university-linked startup into a publicly listed electric vehicle manufacturer with shareholders, formal reporting duties and an expanded board structure.

Company records from its September 2025 annual general meeting identified Jain as an Executive Director and CTO. Ather’s governance information continued to show the same position as of July 2026.

What Makes Swapnil Jain’s Work Important?

Jain’s main contribution is his role in connecting different types of engineering inside one electric vehicle company.

A scooter may look like a simple product, but a modern electric model requires cooperation between mechanical engineers, battery specialists, electronics teams, software developers, cloud engineers and manufacturing experts.

Ather’s decision to build many important systems itself gave its teams direct knowledge of how those systems behaved together. It also allowed the company to study problems through real vehicle data and make improvements through both hardware and software.

This approach represents a wider change in the automobile industry. Vehicles are increasingly becoming connected technology products, while software is becoming nearly as important as motors, batteries and physical components.

Readers interested in other Asian entrepreneurs and business leaders can explore more people-first profiles on Fame Katha.

Is Swapnil Jain the CEO of Ather Energy?

No. Swapnil Jain is Ather Energy’s Chief Technical Officer and Executive Director.

Tarun Mehta, his co-founder, serves as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. Jain’s work is mainly connected with engineering, product technology and the systems used across Ather’s vehicles.

Is Ather’s Swapnil Jain the Founder of Observe.AI?

No. They are two different technology entrepreneurs who share the same name.

Swapnil Babanlal Jain co-founded Ather Energy and works as its CTO. Another Swapnil Jain co-founded Observe.AI and serves as that company’s CEO. Their careers and companies should not be mixed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Swapnil Jain?

Swapnil Babanlal Jain is an engineer, entrepreneur, Executive Director and Chief Technical Officer of Ather Energy. He co-founded the electric scooter company with Tarun Mehta in 2013.

What is Swapnil Jain known for?

He is known for helping develop Ather Energy’s smart electric scooters and overseeing technologies involving hardware, software, electronics and mechanical engineering.

Where did Swapnil Jain study?

He studied Engineering Design at IIT Madras and completed his studies in 2012.

When was Ather Energy founded?

Swapnil Jain and Tarun Mehta founded Ather Energy in 2013.

What is Swapnil Jain’s current position?

As of July 2026, Ather Energy lists him as Executive Director and Chief Technical Officer.

What did Swapnil Jain do before Ather Energy?

He completed an internship at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and later worked at General Motors before starting Ather Energy.

Final Summary

Swapnil Jain is one of the engineers who helped turn Ather Energy from an IIT Madras-linked idea into a publicly listed electric vehicle company.

As co-founder and CTO, he has worked across the technologies that make an electric scooter function as a connected product. His career is closely linked with Ather’s development of electric scooters, battery systems, software, vehicle electronics and charging infrastructure.

His story is mainly about building complex physical technology in India, bringing different engineering fields together and helping create an electric vehicle around software and connected systems rather than simply changing an older petrol-powered design.