Energy for future

Amitians On A Mission To Revolutionise Energy Storage

Varnika Pradhan & Aisha Bhargavi, AIS Saket, XI D

Meet Priyansh Mohan and Stuti Kakkar, alumni of AIS Saket and co-founders of MEINE Electric, who are on a mission to revolutionise energy storage with their pathbreaking aluminium-air battery technology. In an exclusive interaction with GT, the duo shares their evolution from ambitious students to passionate advocates of sustainability.

Classroom to boardroom
“I was editor-in-chief of The Global Times and this amazing experience, along with the nurturing environment at Amity, was instrumental in shaping my aspirations,” says Kakkar. “In school, most students don’t have a clear idea of what they want to do, but Amity provides exposure to multiple domains, making you comfortable with trying new things. That confidence helped us when we dared to launch a startup.”

Powering MEINE dreams
“MEINE Electric started with small steps - pooling funds, participating in competitions, and experimenting with building EVs. The turning point came when we understood how vast and critical the energy generation industry is. Despite investments in renewables like solar and wind, 60–80% of electricity still depends on fossil fuels due to challenges like intermittency and storage,” shares Mohan. Adds Kakkar, “Today, everything, from AirPods to EVs, requires charging. The question is, where does that electricity come from? Through the hard work of our team, advisors, mentors, investors, and the entire ecosystem, we cracked the main chemistry for our aluminium-air batteries. At MEINE Electric, we approach scalability from day one, ensuring our products are not only state-of-the-art but also efficient and cost-effective.”

Decoding sustainability
“We’ve adopted a circular economy approach, focusing on reusing and recycling materials, like aluminium, to minimise waste. Further, we face challenges, especially when it comes to sourcing raw materials, but we’re committed to making sure our impact is positive. Sustainability is at the core of everything we do. We want a world where neighbourhoods and even remote villages can produce and consume their own energy, cutting down the dependence on traditional power grids and bringing electricity to those who need it most.”

Overcoming roadblocks
“The biggest challenge was money,” admits the duo. “Initially, we used our prize money from various competitions. With a winning rate of 85%, we bootstrapped MEINE Electric for more than a year before transitioning to VC funding. Compliance and legal procedures were another hurdles. Structuring a company, navigating due diligence, and meeting monthly investor requirements was a steep learning curve. Building a loyal, hardworking team was another challenge. Despite several hurdles, we’ve maintained momentum by building a strong team, securing the investors, and seeking guidance from seasoned advisors.”

The right attitude
“The biggest lesson we have learnt is to move fast and keep building. Failure is inevitable, but success depends on tenacity and perseverance,” say the young entrepreneurs, “We’ve undergone over 2,000 product iterations, filed for 18 patents, and have ten more in progress. Many people believe in our vision, so we have to keep pushing because great products often emerge from relentless experimentation. We also understand that people are the heart of any venture. This is why we prefer freshers with  right mindset over someone with decades of experience and wrong attitude. For skills can be taught, but values and approach are harder to shape.

Message for Amitians
“Take advantage of the information available at the click of button but focus on what’s credible and useful. Be bold, take risks, and go where the money’s flowing,” the duo signs off.

Aquatic marvels

nBlue whale, the largest animal on Earth, can grow up to 100 feet long and weigh around 200 tonnes, with its tongue weighing more than an entire elephant.

nWhale songs can travel for thousands of kilometres underwater. They use these songs to navigate and socialise across the vast oceans.

nThe vampire squid, a gentle creature with black body and webbed arms, has the ability to turn itself inside out to avoid predators, exhibiting an intimidating appearance contradictory to its nature.

nThe cuttlefish can communicate through an intricate display of changing skin colours and patterns, indicating aggression, camouflage etc.

nBoxfish do not have a bony skeleton like most vertebrates. They have a bone box, with their eyes, mouth, and fins protruding out of it.

nCrabs can ‘taste’ using hairs on its mouthparts, pincers, and its feet.

nLobsters can regenerate some of their body parts like the claws, walking legs, and antennae. The new limbs, however, are smaller than the previous ones.

nDolphins follow unihemispheric sleep cycle in which only one brain hemisphere sleeps at a time. They only close one eye when they sleep; the left eye closes when the right half of the brain sleeps, and vice versa.

nOn an average, sharks kill less than 20 humans per year whereas humans kill an estimated number of 11,500 sharks per hour.

nShrimps are known to have a symbiotic relationship with fish and corals. They help clean parasites from fish’s mouth and protect corals in exchange for food.