Believe in your hard work, true intentions, and dedication!

Er. Neha Sakka, Founder, Trust EV Awareness Oath

My Journey

The Trust EV Awareness Oath Program (TEVAOP) is not a business but a selfless initiative founded in May 2022, started and operated by me as an individual. In 2021, I voluntarily surveyed the ground in Rajasthan to understand why green initiatives by the government were not gaining the anticipated acceptance despite subsidies at both the national and state levels. The findings were surprising: there was a lack of knowledge and awareness among people at various stages of the supply chain regarding green technologies. While rooftop solar had seen appreciable acceptance, e-mobility was still facing skepticism or receiving little attention.

There were significant gaps at different stages. For example, there was no dedicated curriculum for e-mobility and its ecosystem in academic institutions. If such courses existed, they were typically offered at top-tier institutes or were prohibitively expensive, a situation that persists to this day. Youth from less privileged backgrounds were especially excluded from mainstream technology. Potential stakeholders who could form the foundation for EV charging infrastructure lacked knowledge of standards, procedures, and government schemes supporting its development. Potential EV drivers, who could drive penetration in the commercial sector, were unaware of the total cost of ownership (TCO) of EVs or the fiscal support available from the government. Common people, in general, lacked trust in the technology due to widespread myths and had no platform to clear their doubts. Additionally, many were unaware of government support and the benefits of rooftop solar and personal EVs. TEVAOP addressed these challenges by providing a platform to transfer knowledge and skills free of charge at all stages of the supply chain.

My Achievements

We collaborated with various government and private organizations to ensure that youth previously excluded from green technologies were included at relevant stages. The program not only supports green technologies but also strives to create a balanced narrative, highlighting both their potential and the necessary safety precautions. We also focus on end-of-life solutions for these technologies within a circular economy. The program has empowered more than 4,000 stakeholders by providing education valued at over INR 75 lakh, with 400+ hours of dedicated work across 130+ sessions all across the nation. This effort led to honors such as the National Excellence Education Award 2022, presented by Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of Heavy Industries; the title of World’s Prominent E-Mobility Educator and Influencer in the Influencer Book of World Records; and other recognitions, including The Phenomenal She – Acknowledging Women 2024 Award, presented by Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, former Chief Justice of India.

My Inspiration

At heart, I have always supported a minimalist lifestyle that does not harm the planet while maintaining a healthy balance. I walk instead of using a private vehicle or take CNG-based public transport when necessary. Green technologies have emerged as a solution (though, like any technology, they still require improvement), and my dedication to changing atomic habits led me to commit fully to green technology. This commitment is entirely detached from a money-oriented business mindset.

Challenges as a Woman Leader & How I Overcame Them

In general, women face resistance in the core tech industry—or anywhere else for that matter—and this largely depends on regional societal norms and economic status. At times, organizations and individuals have supported me, seeing me as a woman dedicated to making a change. However, there have also been instances where I’ve faced sheer sarcasm and skepticism about my work, with the mindset that I wasn’t capable enough to achieve the visions I had. I chose to act upon my aims instead of dwelling on the doubts.

As I started taking action and TEVAOP gained traction at the state and national levels, those who once doubted me began to join, one by one. However, some still refuse to support my cause. I am grateful to those who believed in me and provided opportunities to drive change. The Department of Technical Education, Rajasthan, was one of the organizations that passionately supported youth skill development. While part of this experience reflects a harsh reality, the other side is that there are people who see me as a dreamer—someone who takes action and strives to achieve her goals. They recognize my caliber and my dedication to making this planet a better place, regardless of my gender. In fact, some people support me even more because I’m female, and I sincerely appreciate them.

At the core of everything I do is a simple goal: to integrate a sustainable lifestyle into daily life while achieving a major milestone—helping underprivileged youth gain employment in the green technology supply chain. This unwavering focus prevents me from getting distracted. Whenever I feel even slightly discouraged, I look up to those who have supported me. Their belief in me fuels my heart with gratitude and keeps me on track. It’s like a closed-loop, negative feedback system in control system engineering!

One thing I would tell all women—and men—out there: Your actions prove your worth. NO words can do that

Future of Sustainable Mobility & Women’s Role

Though there are still numerous loopholes and gaps in the ecosystem as a whole, it would be great to pause momentarily to appreciate how far we have come! From low-speed, low-torque e-2Ws that would roll backward while climbing a slight incline to developing high-speed, high-torque heavy EVs. From having to charge our vehicles for 10 hours to charging them in a mere 30 minutes, or even 15 minutes in some cases! From finding no charging stations to having battery swap facilities on the spot with just a few clicks on mobile apps. Unlike before, we have also started focusing on the circular economy approach more holistically, while achieving our green technology targets.

Women who have developed themselves in this area hold equal potential as any man who has invested himself in it. I envision our youth improving and developing green technologies across various verticals, aligned with their potential and goals.

I see our dedicated women working shoulder to shoulder with our dedicated men as automotive engineers, battery engineers, production engineers, test and validation engineers, vehicle performance engineers, and much more! To me, they are individuals with knowledge and skills, regardless of gender.

Every time the topic of men and women comes up, the default narrative is to compare them on whatever grounds we are discussing. It’s more about motivating them to contribute to the sectors they are brilliant at; it has little to do with gender. Both can be equally skilled at vehicle integration, BMS designing, figuring out the best aerodynamic design, battery swap docks, or charging methodologies. One may surpass the other in relation to the organization’s overall vision, depending on the effort they invest in self-development in their niche.

But I do believe that while women are as capable as men, they bring a unique perspective to the table. I do think that women, especially, are designed to offer a distinct viewpoint in whatever they do. Their creativity, when curated with dedicated effort, is always one level up in innovation. This touch of uniqueness does add to the whole project, sometimes noticed and sometimes unnoticed.

Advice to Young Women in Sustainability & E-Mobility

Green technology ecosystem is growing massively, be it floating solar, rooftop windmills, hydrogen fuel and cells, e-mobility, film-based translucent solar cells, flexible semiconductors, sodium-based batteries or solid-state batteries, wireless patch charging, and much more!

Go through all that you find interesting and narrow down what you actually want to do. Once that’s done, hunt that aim down like a tigress! When you find what aligns with your aims, start drilling in that direction. Start by visiting expos, conferences, factories, and plants to see what the different verticals are and how they work. Once you start understanding the holistic ecosystem, narrow down your fields of interest. This will help you ultimately find the one field you want to dedicate yourself to—the one that draws your interest and where you can bring your unique ideas into action to improve that particular field. Then, join related courses, watch online lectures/experiments/expert discussions, grab every opportunity to observe masters of the field at work—learn from them, get yourself involved in all possible events that help you not only broaden your perspective about the subject with an eagle-eye view but also help you develop an in-depth understanding of the subject with a honey-bee view. Make sure that you are always improving your current skills while developing the new ones that align with your aims! There is no shortage of opportunities out there, so never be intimidated by anything. There is always an opportunity for your current caliber; if you can’t find any opportunity, create one—in this era of social media, it’s not impossible!

People could be and would be seeding a whole lot of doubts in you and your aims, but you have got to stay true to yourself, regardless of what they say—making sure that you are always introspecting and ensuring your actions and intentions are aligned with your aims. Believe in your hard work, true intentions, and dedication. The rest will fall into place. Beware of the trap of “I’ll be left behind, need to be better than the rest, they are achieving more.” Don’t ever fall into this insecurity trap—this whole monetary-based industry is developed on this insecurity. At one time or another, it will be told that it’s not worth what you are doing—sometimes because they can’t see your vision as you do, and at times because of the actual fact that your ideas need more refining. You’ve got to understand the difference and act accordingly.

Being a woman is going to be an advantage because you are biologically created to build! Whatever green tech field you choose, make sure that you are aware of your biological natural cycle and align day-to-day targets accordingly. We are built differently from men—nothing lesser, nothing superior.

You can code, you can build solar cells, you can integrate a heavy-duty EV, you can lead a team, you can be a CEO, you can be a repair and maintenance person, you can write books, you can create labs—say what they may, you can do everything you set your dedication to!