Conifer to Begin Production of Rare-Earth Free Motors in Pune

Conifer has developed proprietary electric propulsion technology that eliminates dependency on rare-earth magnets. Recently, Conifer secured $20 million in seed funding, led by True Ventures, MaC Ventures, and MFV Partners, which will enable it to scale production of its drop-in electric hub motor. EVreporter had an interaction with Co-founder Ankit Somani to learn about their technology and production plans. Here’s an edited excerpt of the inputs received.

Can you please explain Conifer’s solution for electric powertrains? What kind of motors are you developing, and what is unique about your products?

We are building compact, high-efficiency motors and powertrains designed for both mobility (e.g. two-wheelers, delivery vehicles, agricultural equipment, power tools) and industrial (fans, pumps, robots) applications. Our powertrains have 3 key value propositions:

1. We have removed rare-earth dependence without compromising performance. Our motors:

• Increase efficiency and thus range for electric mobility by up to 30%, along with higher torque density.

• Reduce size and weight for industrial applications by over 50%.

2. Our solutions are drop-in replacements so that there are no design changes for OEMs. For example, our in-wheel powertrain is a drop-in replacement for hub motors.

3. By eliminating rare-earths and using much less electrical steel and copper, along with a simpler proprietary manufacturing process, our solutions are more cost-effective.

The entire system, from motor to controller to manufacturing, is built in-house, utilising locally sourced components.

No Rare-earth dependence, super compact, 10 times simpler manufacturing – Please tell us about your technical capabilities and IP that enables you to make these claims.

The company was founded by Yateendra Deshpande (led Powertrains at Apple and Lucid) and Ankit Somani (2X Entrepreneur with a successful exit), who graduated together from IIT Madras a couple of decades ago.

We have put together the right team of experts who are from Tesla, Lucid, Rivian, and Hero. We design every component in-house, including stator, rotor, gearbox, controller, VCU and controller software. Our manufacturing process is also proprietary, designed by our own team. The result is an IP-dense product that we have spent the last 3 years validating through real-world customer applications and rigorous field testing.

The core of the system is a Ferrite Axial Flux modular motor, which, when coupled with a compact gearbox and controller, creates a very compact, powerful, and efficient package. It’s also built using a software-driven manufacturing process that requires negligible tooling. This flexible, low-Cap Ex manufacturing line helps us scale faster and make multiple products on the same line, cutting both time to production with a quick ROI.

How do the performance and cost of these motors compare to other popular motors like PMSM or induction motors?

• Compared to a typical hub motor, we provide a rare-earth free alternative that can increase range up to 30%, reduce weight by up to 15%, increase continuous power and torque, and be cost-effective. All of this, while being a drop-in replacement.

• For stationary applications, compared to induction motors, our motors are up to 50% smaller and lighter, with 40% lower energy losses and 30% lower noise.

Image Source: Conifer

Cypress vs Induction Motor

‘Cypress’ is Conifer’s TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan-Cooled) platform

Importantly, we are rare-earth agnostic. If rare-earth magnets were more widely available, we could double our power density by simple replacement of magnets.

This is especially relevant since customers aren’t looking for just a one-way street with magnet-less technology which may address current rare-earth shortage, but doesn’t advance electric powertrains from a performance, cost and manufacturing standpoint.

How can Conifer’s technology help democratise access to sustainable and scalable electric motion across industries?

I like that you called it ‘Electric Motion’, because when people talk about electrification, they often only think of EVs. But the world is moving toward electrifying all types of prime movers, across both mobility and stationary applications.

One of the biggest challenges with electrification has been poor penetration (<10%), except in China. It’s because the next set of consumers beyond early adopters, don’t just want to be green-washed. They want a more affordable, reliable, and fun solution. To get there, each part of the EV stack needs to improve, and the electric powertrain, which is the second most expensive component, plays a key role.

Today, even the largest OEMs are struggling with negative gross margins and constrained supply chains, especially when it comes to rare-earths. A medium size OEM trying to be cost competitive, has no option but to import from China and is now increasingly worried that their production line will just stop.

Our technology and approach directly help:

• Getting rid of rare-earth dependence for most EV applications, which is not just a supply chain nightmare, but also a process that produces highly toxic waste.

• Our software-driven manufacturing process allows us to make multiple products on the same line. This means faster time to SOP across customers.

• We use commonized building parts that pass volume cost advantage across customers.

• Having a single team optimize across motor, controller, and gearbox means it is a tightly integrated product.

• A drop-in replacement solution, across mobility and stationary products, helps customers get to production faster, without incurring design changes.

What is the current commercial readiness of motors developed by Conifer?

We’ve tested our motors in the field with customers for the last few years. We are scaling our manufacturing as we speak and shipping production units later this year. By Q1 2026, we will be at full capacity in our manufacturing plant in India.

Conifer ‘Larch’ In-wheel powertrains across applications. Source: Conifer

Can you mention any third-party validation or customer qualifications so far?

We have worked with global OEMs, including Indian, who successfully integrated our products and have done pre-production lab and field testing. Given the recent rare-earth issues, our demand has soared, and we are in the process of shipping units across 4-5 different verticals globally. It’s an exciting time!

Please tell us about your current manufacturing set-up.

We have set up our first manufacturing facility in Pune, India with a capacity of 70,000 units per year. We will be at full capacity in a couple of quarters and then work on our next scale manufacturing line.

When do you expect to have the motors deployed in real-world applications, and which applications do you anticipate deploying these motors in initially?

We have two product lines.

First is Small mobility, which covers two-wheelers, small delivery vehicles, agricultural equipment, power tools, and robots. Our second product line is for stationary applications like fans, pumps, and industrial automation.

We have already shipped and tested units across these categories globally. Our main focus now is ramping up production capacity quickly to meet the demand for POs. In the later half of this year, we will see a lot of our products in the hands of consumers.

This interview was first published in EVreporter July 2025 magazine.

Also read: Volektra and Jendamark sign MoU to manufacture magnet-free EV motors