Turned a stalled three-wheeler acquisition into India's newest passenger EV by brokering a Chinese licensing partnership built on structural fit.
Problem
India's largest solar installation company had acquired an EV startup and wanted a Chinese technology partner to build on it. The real problem was the premise: three-wheelers couldn't sustain a viable business in India, and the obvious question, which partner has the best technology, was the wrong one.
Strategy
Redirected the venture to four-wheel passenger vehicles, where the market could support a real business, and entered through licensing rather than acquisition. Built the partner test on structural fit, not reputation: a manufacturer with no right-hand-drive plans of its own, for whom the deal was a genuine win rather than a competitive risk.
Work
Evaluated the Chinese manufacturer landscape against that test, identified the one company with structural reasons to want the deal, and led the negotiation across both sides of the table. Closed three agreements: patent and copyright licensing, engineering services, and manufacturing support.
Outcome
The first vehicles are on the road in India. The client entered the passenger EV market with proven, licensed technology instead of a decade of internal development.