How is India preparing for the EV revolution, and who is training the talent to lead it? Sharing how their platform is striving to bridge the EV skills gap through real-world, system-level learning, Rahul Bagdia from evACAD tells EFY’s Nitisha Dubey all about their unique executive programmes.
Q. What is evACAD, and how does it offer specialised training using pManifold’s expertise?
A. evACAD is a training and certification platform launched by pManifold, a global consulting and strategic advisory firm in the new energy space. While pManifold works across 60 countries on projects involving electric mobility, renewable energy integration, green hydrogen, and climate-resilient infrastructure, evACAD brings this deep domain expertise into structured educational programmes. It offers short-term certifications, executive education, and degree programmes in partnership with academic institutions, making it an applied learning arm of pManifold.
Q. What gap in the electric vehicle (EV) industry does evACAD aim to solve?
A. evACAD offers hands-on learning based on pManifold’s real-world consulting experience. Our programmes are designed to be practical and industry-relevant, helping professionals and fresh graduates gain expertise that aligns with current and future EV needs.
Q. What are some of evACAD’s most popular courses, and what skills do you focus on?
A. One of the flagship programmes is EV Applied Design or EV Systems Engineering. This course enables learners to model and simulate how different components of an EV interact. It also helps them understand energy consumption on various routes and make data-driven design decisions for motors and batteries based on specific applications. Another high-demand course focuses on battery cell and pack design, led by experts involved in cutting-edge research on battery chemistry and performance optimisation. Additional programmes include electric bus fleet planning and a new upcoming course on applied artificial intelligence (AI) in e-mobility, which explores AI use in diagnostics and fleet management, led by a trainer with Tesla experience.
Q. Who are the ideal candidates for your programmes: fresh graduates, mid-career engineers, or executives?
A. Our programmes cater to a wide range of learners. For degree programmes like the MTech with Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), fresh graduates looking to build niche skills in the EV domain are welcome. At the same time, mid-career professionals seeking a transition or career advancement also benefit. We even have learners with more than 20 years of experience who want to explore new roles or develop entrepreneurial ideas in the EV space. Programmes are designed based on the background and aspirations of different learner groups. For example, we are developing a programme with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar on electrification in heavy-duty industries, specifically tailored for the mining and steel sector in Odisha.
Q. Can anyone apply for the courses, or is there a specific eligibility criterion?
A. Eligibility varies by programme. For the MTech programme with VNIT Nagpur, a bachelor’s degree is required, and we are also considering adding a one-year work experience requirement. Certification programmes have more relaxed entry criteria, but a foundational understanding of physics, Excel, and matrix laboratory (MATLAB) is important due to the technical nature of the content. We seek learners who bring a mix of curiosity and baseline technical skills.
Q. Are you providing courses in partnership with colleges and institutions, or are they stand-alone programmes?
A. We offer both. Some courses are delivered independently by EV Academy as certification programmes. Others are offered in partnership with academic institutions like NITs and IITs, often as degree or diploma programmes. We also work with industry partners to co-develop programmes, such as our upcoming course in battery energy storage systems, which includes self-paced learning, live online sessions with industry experts, and joint certification with the industry partner.
Q. Are scholarships or financial aid available for underrepresented or disadvantaged groups?
A. Yes, evACAD keeps provisions for such scholarships and also engages in discussions with institutional partners to offer financial support. We typically facilitate partnerships with financing institutions that provide loans with varied instruments, tailored to suit the appetite and background of different learners, whether students, fresh graduates, or working professionals.
Q. What kind of faculty and trainers does evACAD work with?
A. evACAD’s programmes are taught by industry practitioners, including engineers with decades of experience in companies like Tata Motors and General Motors, as well as startup founders and researchers. These trainers bring deep technical knowledge and practical experience into the classroom, covering topics such as design validation, prototyping, battery development, and EV system integration.
Q. How do you hire faculty members in your institution?
A. Our faculty includes full-time educators at EV Academy and also domain experts from our consulting firm, pManifold. We leverage the expertise of consultants working on global projects who also contribute to our academic programmes. This approach allows us to bring real-world experience into the classroom and ensure our learners benefit from industry-relevant teaching on specialised topics.
Q. What is the duration of your courses?
A. Course durations vary depending on the type of programme. Some are as short as one month, while others extend to 11 months or even two years for full-degree programmes. For example, the upcoming Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kashipur programme is designed to run for 11 months, with 10 courses over 10 months, followed by a one-month live consulting project, leading to a postgraduate certification.
Q. Are the courses offered on campus or through colleges?
A. To ensure scalability, most evACAD programmes are offered in a hybrid or live online format. This allows participation from learners across the globe, not just in India. However, certain programmes include in-person immersion sessions hosted at partner institutions or labs, where face-to-face training is provided by instructors.
Q. Which software tools or platforms do your students get trained on, like MATLAB, LabVIEW, Simulink, and ANSYS?
A. We use open tools like Excel, MATLAB, and Simulink, as well as open-source alternatives. While tools like ANSYS are introduced through short tutorials or industry partner collaborations, we do not provide in-depth training on them. You see, the focus is on practical modelling and system-level thinking rather than tool dependency. We also introduce simulation tools relevant in management settings as we develop programmes like executive.
Q. How do you integrate real-world projects or industry case studies into your teaching?
A. We build our curriculum around real-world engineering problems. For instance, in a battery design module, students may work on designing an optimal battery size for an electric bus. They learn to evaluate energy consumption by analysing GPS and acceleration data, apply engineering principles to build battery models, and perform iterative optimisation for battery and charging systems. These are taught using real datasets, and students are given practical assignments to analyse and present solutions. The case study approach is integral to our classroom and assignment structure, promoting a systems engineering mindset.
Q. Do students receive any industry-recognised certification or credential after completion?
A. Yes, every programme concludes with a certification. These certifications are issued by EV Academy and are industry-recognised. In some cases, we partner with the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) to provide joint certifications. For degree programmes like the MTech in EV Technology with VNIT, the degree is awarded by the institution, while EV Academy provides an additional certification for module completion.
Q. What kind of support does evACAD provide for job placements, internships, or career guidance?
A. evACAD does not promise guaranteed jobs, as we avoid the non-ethical practices sometimes seen in the market. Instead, we focus on sustained and genuine support throughout the learner’s journey. Our programmes are designed around direct industry needs, and we facilitate connections between learners and employers through CV refinement, interview preparation, soft skills training, and group discussions on real industry problems. We also conduct one-on-one counselling to help learners identify their place in the EV value chain. For instance, someone with a sales background in IT might be encouraged to pursue EV-related sales roles.
We have memoranda of understanding with multiple companies, receive job descriptions directly from them, and share curated opportunities with our learners. Many of our programmes also include industry projects where students collaborate with companies under the mentorship of both industry experts and EV Academy professionals. Additionally, the industry is invited to validate programmes, serve as guest trainers, present real-world problem statements, and act as jurors during project evaluations. This ongoing and organic engagement with employers significantly enhances the chances of internships or placements aligning with learners’ skills and programme outcomes.
Q. How is evACAD different from traditional engineering education in India, and what makes its training approach unique?
A. Traditional engineering education often emphasises theory over application. While students learn concepts like motor design or thermodynamics, they rarely see how these are applied in real-world contexts. evACAD, on the other hand, focuses on system-level thinking and application-oriented training. For example, instead of just learning how motors work, learners are taught how to size and select a motor for different vehicle types and use cases. What further distinguishes evACAD is its practitioner-led approach. Unlike many training platforms that rely on academic or marketing partners, evACAD develops and delivers content based on real-world project experience. This combination of technical depth, systems engineering perspective, and delivery by professionals actively engaged in solving industry problems makes the training highly relevant, practical, and globally competitive.
Q. How does evACAD deliver hands-on learning in remote or hybrid formats?
A. Hands-on learning in a remote format is a recognised challenge, and evACAD addresses it through a combination of simulation tools, weekly assignments, and case studies. For degree programmes like the MTech in EV Technology with VNIT Nagpur, students also participate in on-campus practical sessions facilitated by the Centre of Excellence in EVs. For programmes like Applied AI in E-Mobility, evACAD uses sandbox environments where students can code and test AI applications directly. These formats ensure that learners not only understand the theory but also develop the skills to apply it in real-world scenarios.
Q. How do you see India’s EV talent gap evolving over the next five years, and how is evACAD preparing to address it?
A. There are talent gaps across multiple layers and parts of the EV value chain in India. The most visible and widely discussed is the skills gap at the technician level, especially those who will repair electric vehicles in garages and along highways. Many government and private programmes are targeting this space. evACAD recently partnered with the Art of Living under its Sri Sri Rural Development Programme to train two-wheeler mechanics in EV repair. This involves setting up labs, creating curricula, and training both existing and new mechanics.
Beyond technicians, there is also a need for skilled professionals in sales, after-sales services, and dealership roles. We have created customised training programmes for companies like Tata Motors to train their electric bus after-sales teams. On the engineering and design side, we are seeing growing interest and success in training professionals involved in original equipment manufacturer (OEM) design and development, which is becoming a strength for India.
The supply chain, including those producing motors, batteries, chargers, and electronics, also requires trained engineers. Financing EVs is another area that needs innovation, which calls for professionals with managerial and strategic skills. We are launching a new programme to address this.
Q. Are there plans to expand internationally or launch physical campuses in other regions?
A. Yes, we have already served learners from about 60 countries, as I said. There are ongoing discussions with universities in Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia to launch hybrid programmes tailored to regional needs. These may include in-person sessions conducted by university faculty and online sessions delivered by evACAD faculty. The goal is to experiment with mixed formats and expand global reach.
Q. What new programmes are being launched, and how will they work?
A. One key programme launching later this year is the postgraduate Executive Programme in Net-Zero Strategy and Sustainability Leadership in partnership with IIM Kashipur, as I mentioned before. This 11-month course will help learners understand climate economics, decarbonisation technologies, and strategies for implementing green solutions. It covers renewable energy, storage, electric mobility, hydrogen, carbon removal, and the circular economy. Learners will explore the supply chain and financing of green hydrogen, go-to-market strategies, startup funding, mergers and acquisitions, green financing, environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting, carbon markets, and change management.
Another new offering is a programme on AI applied in e-mobility, scheduled for launch in January next year. This course includes four modules, beginning with AI fundamentals and basic coding using a sandbox tool. It then explores use cases in e-mobility, such as AI in autonomous vehicles. Subsequent modules dive deeper into specific applications like diagnostics, using AI for predictive servicing and battery lifecycle management and fleet management, where AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) are used to optimise EV performance and logistics for companies like ride-sharing services or electric bus operators.
Q. Who can join the new AI in e-mobility programme?
A. This short programme does not have strict admission criteria. While an engineering background is helpful, it is not mandatory. Anyone with an interest can join, including IT professionals, automotive engineers, or students looking to explore AI applications in e-mobility. Admissions are expected to begin in October.
