By Ragul Nishanth, Founder – Mechlae Energy

In the startup world, the word “impossible” is tossed around far too casually. I’ve heard it in boardrooms, investor meetings, pitch calls, and sometimes, even whispered by well-wishers. “This is not how energy infrastructure works.” “Battery swapping is too capital-intensive.” “You can’t build hardware in India without millions.” “Immersive cooling? For swappable batteries? That’s a fantasy.” They weren’t wrong—at least according to the traditional playbook. But what if we stopped following the playbook?

When we began Mechlae Energy, we didn’t have venture capitalists cutting big cheques, nor plush labs or international consultants. What we had was sheer determination, basic tools, second-hand test rigs, and an unshakable belief in the problem we were solving. We didn’t wait for validation—we built anyway. With just ₹45 lakhs, we developed the world’s first immersive-cooled swappable battery pack—a 14kg compact unit wrapped in a rugged, plastic outer shell, engineered to withstand real-world Indian conditions. No fire risks, no hypothetical tests—just real innovation, built for the street, not the showroom.

Here’s the truth: most investors believe only after it works. They want proof—photos, metrics, safety certificates, MoUs. But founders? We’re supposed to believe when there’s nothing but a napkin sketch and a bold idea. When the bank balance is close to zero and the last prototype is being glued together at 2AM. When your friends start sending job openings, just in case. And when you're building hardware in India, the resistance only intensifies.

Speed gets glamorized in startup culture, but I’ve learned that grit beats velocity every time. If money doesn’t come in, build slow. Build smart. But never pause. Constraints aren’t just setbacks—they’re often the fuel for creativity and frugal engineering. In our case, the lack of capital forced us to simplify, innovate, and focus only on what truly matters.

Because in the end, startups aren’t here to perform for investors. They’re born to fix broken systems. At Mechlae, we’re not trying to chase headlines. We’re solving the EV downtime crisis—quietly, consistently, and one battery swap

 at a time. So, if you're a founder and someone tells you “It’s impossible”—smile. You might just be standing on the edge of something extraordinary.