Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs who are experienced in the electronics industry, it only made sense for Samrath Kochar to establish Trontek, an organisation that was formerly set up in 2004 that supplied lead acid batteries for homes and other applications in India.
By 2013, Trontek had forayed into manufacturing lithium-ion batteries for Electric Vehicles (EVs) such as scooters and e-rickshaws. Despite his busy schedule, Kochar likes to spare some time to play tennis and read books that can help him expand his knowledge about the industry he is a part of. In this interview, the West Delhi resident talks about how he spends his leisure time, the hobbies he pursues, and more. Excerpts…
Elaborate on your favourite pastime.
I start my day by playing tennis. In fact, this year I also went to watch Wimbledon 2022, which is currently happening in London. This was my first time and it was a fabulous experience.
How do you spend your time off from work?
As I said, I play tennis every morning. It is an important part of my daily routine. After that I leave for work. However, once I am back, I like to spend some time with my family. We sit together and catch up for a nice chit chat. Sundays, for me, are particularly reserved for family. During summers, we usually go for a swim or else visit a cafe. I also like to read.
Tell us about your reading habits.
I read a lot about the EV and the battery industry itself. I also like to read about family businesses, businesses around the world, Elon Musk, his projects, etc.
How do you strike a balance between work and your personal life?
It is very difficult to create a balance and honestly, I don’t. This industry is really challenging. At this point of time, the way the EV industry is shaping up, we don’t know in which direction it will go. Most of my time is spent at work.
Tell us about a few life lessons that you have learnt while working on Trontek?
There is no shortcut. You need to be consistent and persistent to achieve your goals. You will have to climb all the steps of the ladder. You cannot reach directly at the top, you have to learn and then progress. The process is gradual but as I said, consistency is the key.