What does it take to build a reliable EV test lab in an industry where technology changes every few months? Delving into answers, challenges, and solutions, Rahul Gautam of Exeliq speaks with EFY’s Vidushi Saxena about helping OEMs build smart, scalable labs.
Q. Can you tell me about the company Exeliq?
A. Exeliq is a test and measurement automation company that has been serving the industry for eight years. The company focuses on providing advanced and affordable automation solutions to Indian manufacturers. Starting in North India, Exeliq now works across the country, helping manufacturers upgrade and streamline their test systems in a space with only a few specialised players.
Q. How did Exeliq start, and what was the original vision?
A. All the co-founders graduated in 2017 and chose to start Exeliq instead of taking jobs. They had worked together in college on robotics and racing projects, which built a strong technical foundation. Their first project came through a Facebook post from an OEM supporting Havells. After completing the work successfully and receiving their first payment, they used it to register the company. Exeliq has grown as a fully bootstrapped organisation guided by the vision of making advanced technology accessible to manufacturers in India.
Q. Could you walk us through which product lines are now most central to your business?
A. Exeliq focuses on key sectors such as energy, electric vehicles (EV), government, and defence. In the EV sector, the company provides comprehensive testing solutions for batteries, BMS, motors, drivetrains, and clusters. In the rapidly growing energy sector, Exeliq offers testing setups for inverters, grid-tied and hybrid inverters, solar cells, solar wafers, and solar panels, serving many leading names in the renewable industry.
Q. How does the push for Industry 4.0 flow into your product roadmap?
A. Exeliq has built its own in-house platform to ensure all machines and test systems meet Industry 4.0 requirements. The systems integrate with central servers and generate detailed data to support analytics, AI models, and continuous process improvement, keeping solutions future-ready and aligned with modern manufacturing needs.
Q. Who are your target customers?
A. Our target customers are manufacturers and OEMs.
Q. Are you focused on the Indian market, or do you also export your products and services?
A. Exeliq is currently focused entirely on the Indian market. With the strong push for Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the rapid growth of Indian manufacturing, the company wants to contribute to this movement. Because technology evolves quickly, customers frequently need test setups updated for new models. Instead of repeatedly investing in high-cost imported equipment, many prefer to modify and extend existing systems, making local support essential and strengthening demand for Indian vendors such as Exeliq.
Q. Can you share a couple of case studies showing how Exeliq solutions cut costs and time for customers?
A. Yes, let me begin with the first one: how we helped a multi-OEM motor maker simplify testing. A motor OEM supplying to companies like Ola, Ather, and Okinawa needed a single test solution to validate multiple motor designs, rather than purchasing separate benches for each customer. Exeliq delivered a single motor test bench with interchangeable fixtures and a flexible control stack. The result was that the customer avoided buying multiple high-value test rigs, simplified validation for hub and central motors, and reduced test changeover time while maintaining a single platform for all customers.
Coming to the second case, here, let me narrate what happened when a renewable player needed a more adaptable inverter tester.f A large supplier entering renewables needed to test traditional, grid-tied tied and hybrid inverters without repeated capital outlay. Exeliq provided a unified inverter test system capable of all three modes. The result was that the customer used a single bench for multiple product lines, reduced equipment spend and installation time, and gained a partner capable of fast in-house customisation as new models arrived.
Q. You mention that everything is done in-house. Could you share more about your team, offices, and operations?
A. Exeliq is headquartered in Noida, Sector 63, with a team of about 30 people. A distributor network in Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, and Hyderabad services machines in South India, while the North India service is handled directly by the in-house team. All design, mechanical and software/hardware development, fabrication, assembly, integration, sample testing, commissioning, and after-sales support are done under one roof in Noida. Regardless of origin, all manufacturing takes place in Noida before shipment.
Q. How do you see the demand for battery testing infrastructure evolving?
A. Battery testing is one of the fastest-growing areas. Government subsidies and supportive EV policies are encouraging many manufacturers to establish battery production facilities, resulting in a steady rise in inquiries. To meet this demand, Exeliq launched the Volt Pro series for battery testing, covering inverter, two-wheeler, three-wheeler, and four-wheeler batteries. Earlier, many companies imported complete battery packs from China; now they import only cells and assemble packs locally.
Q. Which area of testing design is seeing the most demand?
A. In EV testing, battery testers and chargers are in the highest demand. In the energy sector, grid and hybrid inverter testers are most sought after. With the Volt series, Exeliq aimed to create a single system capable of performing all major battery tests in one place. Previously, battery testing required multiple stages and separate equipment, making the process time-consuming and harder to manage. Volt performs internal resistance tests, load tests, high pulse charge tests, and data collection in one system. For deeper insights, it offers an optional impedance spectroscopy module. Integrated directly into the production floor, it records complete technical data for analytics, process improvement, and better battery design.
Q. Did you face any design challenges?
A. Yes. Lithium-ion batteries are very sensitive, and even minor imbalances can cause unexpected behaviour. Early versions of the equipment faced issues such as signal distortion and insufficient data accuracy. Exeliq spent over a year refining the design and stabilising the system, which now runs smoothly on production floors.
Q. What did you do to resolve these issues?
A. Exeliq improved the signal conditioning stage and added an independent monitoring module that ensures compliance with safety requirements. The module monitors temperature rise and anomalies. The system includes many boundary conditions; as long as parameters stay within limits, it operates normally. If anything exceeds limits, the system instantly trips, contains the situation, and halts operations.
Q. Do you collaborate with other technology providers to build your test systems?
A. Exeliq does not collaborate externally for core technology. Certain components are procured from OEMs per specifications, but all design, development, and integration are conducted in-house.
Q. Given the complexity of your systems, how do you build and retain engineering talent?
A. Exeliq hires fresh graduates through structured recruitment and trains them using a buddy program, where each newcomer shadows a senior engineer and follows documented processes. Once ready, they are assigned to real projects, helping them build confidence and contribute over the long term.
Q. What are the biggest technical risks in EV testing?
A. High-voltage testing poses the most risk because it is directly related to safety compliance. Mandatory tests such as high-voltage insulation (HVI) and insulation resistance (IR) were previously performed manually by many OEMs, requiring multiple stations and equipment and leading to human error and inconsistent procedures. Exeliq addressed this by integrating all the necessary hardware into one machine with a simple software interface. The operator connects the battery once, presses Start, and the system runs all tests automatically, significantly reducing manual risks.
Q. With recent supply chain disruptions, how resilient are your test machine supply chains?
A. Exeliq’s supply chain is resilient because most systems are designed in-house. Imported components may cause minor delays, but the company manages them by switching vendors and quickly rewriting APIs when needed. Workarounds are usually available except for extremely critical components, ensuring stable delivery timelines.
Q. Can you tell me about your research and development (R&D) team and how it operates?
A. The R&D team consists of four members, including the respondent. Working in the test and measurement space, they explore system limits by taking OEM samples, identifying failure conditions, and helping customers strengthen their designs. The team stays in close contact with customer R&D teams, shares observations, and jointly identifies root causes. When facing design challenges, they research solutions, consult technical communities, and iterate until the right approach is found.
Q. What areas of R&D are you prioritising?
A. Current priorities include developing Exeliq’s own data solution modules and improving existing test setups. Each machine includes a one-year service agreement under which R&D monitors bugs, performance, and optimisation needs. With AMCs, this cycle continues over the long term. The R&D, software, and electrical teams work closely to resolve issues, deploy updates, and ensure systems run on the latest software stack.
Q. What are the biggest mistakes companies make when building EV test labs, and how does Exeliq help avoid them?
A. Many companies underestimate the learning curve and invest in partial setups without fully understanding test requirements or the pace of technological change. This leads to trial-and-error and delays. Exeliq begins with education, helping customers understand the technology, define the right equipment, and optimise cost. By assessing needs and curating custom setups when required, Exeliq ensures customers build scalable, reliable test labs from the start.
Q. Are you planning to step into something new, and what will your target be?
A. For the next five years, Exeliq aims to become India’s leading test and measurement equipment supplier. The company does not plan to diversify into new segments, as the current domains offer significant growth potential. The focus is on maturing existing solutions and supporting customers more effectively.
