Numeros Motors has signed a two-year research agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar to jointly develop rare earth-free motor technologies. The collaboration aims to reduce India’s dependence on critical imported materials by focusing on sustainable and affordable solutions for electric vehicle (EV) drive systems.
The project will explore and evaluate various non-magnet motor topologies, a significant departure from conventional EV designs that depend on rare earth minerals like neodymium and dysprosium. These elements, while key to the efficiency of traditional permanent magnet motors, are costly and largely imported, creating strategic vulnerabilities in India’s supply chain for electric mobility components. The proposed research will attempt to address this by identifying viable alternatives that do not compromise on performance or cost.
The collaboration brings together the industry-facing experience of Numeros Motors and the academic and research strengths of IIT Bhubaneswar. Shreyas Shibulal, Founder and CEO of Numeros Motors, stated that this step marks a critical shift towards indigenous innovation. He believes that scalable rare earth-free motor solutions will not only reduce production costs but also strengthen the country’s EV manufacturing capabilities. The company did not disclose commercial deployment timelines or estimated pricing for such motors at this stage, but indicated their intention to eventually integrate the technology into future vehicle lines.
IIT Bhubaneswar, through its Research and Entrepreneurship Park, has been actively engaging in projects related to electric vehicles and clean energy systems. Professor Shreepad Karmalkar, Director of the institute, described the collaboration as a meaningful industry-academic alliance to tackle the dual challenge of sustainability and affordability in EV production. Dr Ankit Dalal, Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and lead investigator for the project, pointed out that the initiative will also serve as a foundation for further innovation in EV component design.
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