Raptee.HV, a Chennai-based electric motorcycle manufacturer, has announced a significant milestone by becoming the first electric motorcycle OEM in India to secure funding from the Technology Development Board (TDB), Department of Science & Technology, Government of India.
The company, known for pioneering the integration of high-voltage (HV) electric car technology into two-wheelers, said the funding will strengthen its efforts to scale innovation in the performance electric motorcycle segment, which is estimated at USD 1 billion globally.
Dinesh Arjun, CEO & Co-Founder of Raptee.HV, said,
“This support from TDB is a strong endorsement of our mission to redefine performance electric mobility, from India, for the world. In the absence of a ready ecosystem, we built our own high-voltage motorcycle architecture through uncompromising engineering. With earlier support from the Ministry of Heavy Industries through ARAI-AMTIF and now TDB, the Government of India has clearly signaled its commitment to indigenous technological innovation.”
Raptee.HV previously received a non-dilutive grant of ₹3.25 crore from ARAI-AMTIF in 2021, reinforcing its research-first and deep-tech focus. With the latest backing, the company joins a select list of Indian innovations supported by TDB, including the TATA Indica and Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine. Notably, this marks TDB’s first-ever investment in the EV motorcycle segment, highlighting its push toward next-generation mobility solutions.
Unlike several EV players who build on existing platforms, Raptee.HV has spent over six years developing its technology from the ground up. Its motorcycles, powered by high-voltage car technology, offer car-level performance, reliability, and charging convenience—features rarely seen in the two-wheeler market.
With motorcycles forming two-thirds of India’s two-wheeler market, their electrification will play a key role in meeting India’s 2030 goal of 30% EV penetration. Raptee.HV believes true electrification requires disruptive leaps, similar to the global car industry, rather than incremental improvements to existing systems.