Beyond smart devices, the next leap is self-powered technology, and AIKO POLY is already there. What if wireless headphones could charge themselves from ambient solar light? Sohom Pal and Aditya Kushwaha from AIKO tell EFY’s Akanksha Sondhi Gaur how their innovation blends consumer electronics, sustainability, and material science.
Q. What is the origin story of the solar headphone concept?
A. The idea sparked during a trip to Hampi. I met someone living on a hilltop with minimal access to electricity but abundant sunlight. That moment stayed with me. Later, a school friend from Kolkata’s Chinese community helped us connect with manufacturing partners in Southeast Asia. At the same time, Aditya was building our software ecosystem. Many complementary skills converged organically, and that is how the solar headphone was born.
Q. How has the vision evolved, and where is it headed next?
A. We are a young, two-year-old organisation, but our core vision has remained unchanged: innovation should feel natural in daily life. Solar-powered headphones became our first proof point of this principle. Sunlight is universal, so why should it not power everyday electronics? Over the next decade, we plan to extend this philosophy beyond audio into mobility, public transport, and daily-use electronics, where clean energy can meaningfully reduce environmental impact. This expansion will be driven by deep research and development (R&D) and partnerships with governments and long-term investors aligned with India’s sustainability journey.
Q. Solar is usually associated with rooftops, not wearables. What strategic bet gave you confidence that this could become a mainstream consumer-technology category?
A. Most people view solar as a static technology, meaning flat panels fixed on rooftops. We saw the opposite. Solar is inherently modular. Even harvesting two to three per cent incremental power in micro form factors creates disproportionate value for consumers. Our core insight was that battery anxiety is universal. If sunlight can remove even part of that anxiety, it becomes a category shift. Early prototypes that delivered consistent trickle charging under non-ideal lighting conditions demonstrated that this was not a niche concept but rather something that could fundamentally redefine the wireless experience.
Q. What inspired you to launch solar-powered wireless headphones in an already crowded audio market?
A. Wireless audio still struggles with battery dependence. People aspire to a wireless lifestyle, yet remain tethered to charging cables. Solar offered a practical solution. We identified a clear market gap: combining premium audio quality with sustainable, plug-free convenience. At the same time, growing consumer interest in environmentally conscious technology reinforced our belief that headphones could evolve beyond sound alone.
Q. What lens helps you identify opportunity in an overcrowded consumer-technology space?
A. The market is crowded with low-cost imports and heavily price-driven brands. We differentiate by introducing a genuinely new value proposition through automatic solar charging, while keeping products accessible. Unlike global solar-audio players priced above ₹25,000, we focus on affordability without compromising on quality or durability. This balance between innovation and accessibility is our entry point into the ecosystem.
Q. Audio brands usually differentiate through sound profiles. How does solar change the product segmentation framework?
A. Sound defines a headphone, but solar defines the experience. Instead of segmenting users by bass-heavy, neutral, or Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), we segment by charging behaviour, mobility patterns, and light-exposure profiles. This creates an entirely new matrix around which we can design products.
Q. What are the biggest misconceptions about solar wearables that you are trying to correct?
A. Many people believe solar wearables require direct sunlight, only work outdoors, or must be fully charged through solar alone. In reality, our system is engineered for ambient-light optimisation, not sun exposure. It is a hybrid ecosystem rather than a replacement for conventional charging. By presenting real-world performance data through our application, we consistently convert scepticism into understanding.
Q. What were the most significant technical challenges in designing solar-powered headphones?
A. Miniaturising rooftop-style solar technology into a curved, wearable surface required solving challenges related to durability, flexibility, and the balance between weight and energy efficiency. We also had to engineer hybrid power systems that perform reliably under inconsistent lighting conditions. Much of our early thinking was informed by research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on printed thin-film solar cells.
Q. Which photovoltaic technologies are you using, and how do you approach emerging options like perovskites?
A. We currently use market-grade Photovoltaic (PV) technology optimised for compact wearables. Our R&D follows a parallel-innovation philosophy. This means we ship products using proven solar technologies while simultaneously testing next-generation materials, especially perovskite cells, which are strategically important given India’s mineral reserves, including those in Andhra Pradesh. We are also evaluating All-Black-Contact (ABC) solar technology for higher efficiency. This dual-track approach avoids what we call “science project syndrome,” where companies wait indefinitely for perfect technology instead of delivering real products. As newer materials mature and meet durability benchmarks, our architecture allows drop-in upgrades without requiring a complete redesign.
Q. How did you engineer the power system for stable performance across varying light conditions?
A. Solar output naturally fluctuates, so we designed a hybrid power architecture that integrates solar input, lithium-ion batteries, Universal Serial Bus Type-C (USB-C), and Auxiliary Audio Input (AUX) support. A custom power-regulation chip, Bluetooth 5.1 for energy-efficient connectivity, and intelligent light-intensity detection optimise energy usage. A hybrid power-management circuit sits between the PV cells, battery, USB-C input, and headset electronics to smooth voltage and current, ensuring safety and stability. Our upcoming application will also display real-time solar efficiency, battery health, safe-listening insights, and ANC controls.
Q. What is your methodology for testing solar performance in real-world conditions?
A. We test across a twelve-scenario light simulation grid that includes indoor light-emitting diodes, shaded balconies, office windows, metro lighting, parks during golden hour, cloudy monsoon conditions, and partial obstructions. This approach generates a broad dataset of light-response patterns and ensures stable performance before mass production.
Q. As you scale, how do you ensure solar remains a platform advantage rather than a feature?
A. We are building a Solar Operating System (OS) layer that captures data on solar efficiency, user exposure patterns, charging behaviour, and battery health. This creates a feedback loop between user behaviour and energy harvesting, allowing the platform to improve over time and extend across headphones, speakers, wearables, and future product categories.
Q. How did you approach materials, durability, R&D, and intellectual property (IP) development?
A. We moved through multiple cycles of industrial design sketches, ergonomic models, and panel-placement prototypes, followed by field testing with athletes, commuters, gamers, and students. Environmental testing covered heat, sweat, and moisture exposure. Manufacturing currently takes place in Southeast Asia, but we are finalising a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ZeeWork Manufacturing to relocate production to India. In parallel, we are filing proprietary IP related to solar integration and system architecture, with plans to expand our patent portfolio as investment grows.
Q. You often talk about “India-first engineering.” What does that mean beyond pricing?
A. India-first engineering means designing for higher humidity tolerance, heat resistance up to 55 degrees Celsius, strong sweat and dust protection, long-hour comfort, and consistent indoor trickle charging where sunlight is scattered. If a product survives in India, it can perform anywhere.
Q. What differentiates your business model from traditional audio companies?
A. We are not positioning ourselves as just another audio brand. We are building a solar-powered electronics category. While our distribution may resemble traditional players, our differentiation lies in solar charging technology that is engineered specifically for Indian conditions. We maintain a focused product line rather than managing hundreds of Stock Keeping Units (SKUs), operate with rapid decision cycles, and prioritise long-term sustainability over discount-driven growth. Global players such as PowerFoil in Sweden and Adidas Solar Headphones exist, but they are priced above ₹25,000 and are not designed for India’s climate or usage patterns.
Q. What is the long-term defensibility of solar audio, given that solar components are widely available?
A. Solar cells are commoditised, but defensibility lies in integration architecture, power-flow algorithms, hybrid smoothing circuits, and ergonomic panel curvature. Similar to how Tesla’s advantage comes from battery management rather than battery cells, our strength comes from system-level engineering.
Q. How do you decide which technologies to build in-house versus source externally?
A. We build in-house when it gives us speed, defensibility, or a differentiated user experience. We source externally when it provides scale, quality, and cost efficiency. Solar integration, hybrid power electronics, and the application ecosystem are developed internally, while commodity components are sourced globally.
Q. How do you measure marketing return on investment in today’s noisy digital landscape?
A. We operate like David versus Goliath. Agility is our advantage. A lean team, fast execution, and clarity of message consistently deliver stronger returns than slow-moving incumbents.
Q. What are the biggest competitive risks in this category?
A. Large brands may eventually adopt solar, which is why early technology development and IP protection are critical. Consumer scepticism is mitigated through hybrid architecture and transparent performance data. Supply-chain risk is addressed through diversified vendors and local sourcing, while price sensitivity is managed through conscious accessibility.
Q. What consumer insights do brands often miss?
A. Many companies prioritise data extraction over genuine value. We prioritise privacy, transparency, and responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI). Student feedback revealed that headphones are used for seven to eight hours daily, which directly shaped our comfort, weight, and battery design.
Q. Which customer segments are most promising for solar audio?
A. Students, commuters, fitness and outdoor enthusiasts, gamers, young adults aged twenty to thirty-five, and users in regions with limited electricity access. We intentionally keep adoption flexible rather than forcing narrow segmentation.
Q. How do you balance being technology-first and consumer-first?
A. Innovation must remain ethical, sustainable, and useful. Our ICO1 application allows users to create and edit content responsibly without monetising personal data. Within the team, ideas flow freely, but usefulness ultimately determines what we build.
Q. Why is storytelling important for a new category like solar audio?
A. People adopt what they emotionally connect with. Sunlight powers all life, and integrating it into familiar products like headphones makes sustainability tangible rather than abstract.
Q. How do you plan to scale manufacturing, distribution, and brand awareness globally?
A. We plan to scale manufacturing through India and Southeast Asia, expand distribution via Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) channels, retail partners, and major e-commerce platforms, and tailor sustainability-led storytelling for the United States (US) and European Union (EU). Local teams will lead regional customisation and after-sales support.
Q. How do you future-proof supply chains for variable solar materials?
A. Our strategy includes dual-country sourcing across India and Southeast Asia, partnerships with material science laboratories, early volume commitments, and long-term supplier contracts to ensure stability as global demand for PV materials rises.
Q. How do you ensure end-to-end sustainability?
A. We comply with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and related certifications. Battery recycling is handled through partners such as Lohum CleanTech, and a formal take-back programme is planned as we scale. Sustainability is treated as an operational metric, not a marketing slogan.
Q. What macro trends influence your strategy?
A. Outdoor culture, sustainability adoption, government-led solar acceleration, gaming growth, and rising student demand for comfort and differentiated products all shape our roadmap.
Q. What next-generation features are in the pipeline?
A. We are developing smarter solar-harvesting algorithms, deeper integration with our software ecosystem, and an expanded range of solar-powered lifestyle devices. We are also exploring generative AI-driven customisation and next-generation PV technologies.
Q. Does the rise of AI change the roadmap for solar-powered consumer electronics?
A. Yes. AI features increase power consumption. Solar offsets this by providing ambient energy that supports AI-heavy workloads without rapidly draining batteries. We see solar as foundational for AI-native hardware.
Q. Are you exploring energy-sharing between devices?
A. Yes. With improvements in panel efficiency and bidirectional power circuits, micro energy-sharing becomes viable. For example, headphones could provide emergency backup power to a smartwatch during travel. This remains an active R&D area.
Q. How do you measure success, both commercially and in sustainability impact?
A. We track multiple key performance indicators (KPIs) across business, sustainability, and user impact. On the business front, we monitor units sold, margins, market share, and customer retention. From a sustainability perspective, we measure grid electricity saved, solar hours logged, and the extent of recycled material usage. For user performance, we closely follow net promoter score (NPS), usage hours, and battery longevity. In addition, industry recognition and strategic partnerships serve as important indicators of our progress and credibility.
Q. What is your core advice for clean-technology consumer founders?
A. Balance breakthrough technology with real utility, build partnerships early, embed sustainability end-to-end, and validate everything through real-world use. For us, the future of sound is simple: headphones that are always ready, solar-powered, premium, and grid-independent.
Q. Hardware startups struggle with capital intensity. How do you de-risk R&D?
A. We use a progressive miniaturisation model, developing reusable modules for solar, power management, radio frequency (RF), ANC, and printed circuit board (PCB) stack-ups. This reduces R&D cycles, lowers costs, and strengthens long-term defensibility.
Q. How do you defend IP in a market where hardware is easy to reverse-engineer?
A. We protect material compositions, panel curvature geometry, power algorithms, PCB pathways, and solar integration methods. This layered, system-level approach makes replication difficult and builds a durable competitive advantage.
