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Today, I will share the inspirational story of Gursaurabh Singh.

Recently, I got a chance to interview the man behind one of the most innovative inventions in India, called the Dveck Kit, made by his company, Dhruv Vidyut. You guys might already know him from his very viral video or his pitch on Shark Tank India Season 2.

Practical knowledge is much more valuable than theory and our educational background. And Gursaurabh is a perfect example of this notion, having done his graduation in literature.

PS: There is a video version for those who prefer to watch instead of reading.

Gur Saurabh's Secret to Success: Passion, Patience, and a Viral Video

What is the Dveck Kit?

The Dhruv Vidyut Electric Conversion Kit (DVECK) is a kit that can convert a bicycle into an electric vehicle (EV) in about 20 minutes. The DVECK has many features, including a top speed of 25 kmph and a maximum payload of 170 kg. The kit has a water- and fire-proof design.

But how did he reach this point from studying literature to making Dveck? Let’s get to know each other.

Background and Early Beginnings

Gursaurabh doesn’t have a professional degree in engineering and pursued his bachelor's in literature from Delhi University.

He says, “I was very sure that I wanted to become a writer and was born to be a writer.”

But his interest in mechanical stuff, which later shifted to automobiles, became his passion. By the end of college, he had become really fond of motorcycles in particular, leading to his involvement in motorcycle clubs as well.

He didn’t take his career very seriously, and his time was devoted to traveling India on bikes post-college.

“I kept ignoring my career to the point where I couldn’t ignore it anymore.”

How did he monetize his passion?

He started with the buying and selling of motorcycles, from which he shifted to the buying and selling of spare parts.

This experience led him to manufacture spare parts and, finally, the molds and dies that are used to manufacture spare parts.

He says, “Each step was a couple of years” and the last one was pretty long. During this period he worked with brands like Harley Davidson, Honda, and Royal Enfield.

A Confusing Journey

Around 2018, Gursaurabh got an idea to create an retrofitted electric engine for 2 wheeler. This would help the masses convert their petrol run vehicles to electric.

But, the journey took a lot of time as well as a toll on finances. He had little knowledge about electrical stuff and learning that from scratch was too time consuming.

By the beginning of 2020, the testing phase had begun in Bangalore but then Corona happened and subsequently Covid19 lockdowns.

Mobility as a PROBLEM

This was the time he spent on his farm in Hisar. It was an eye opening period as he realized the actual problem of mobility faced in the rural areas of India.

He realized, “Delhi is India while Hisar is Bharat.” He saw people thinking twice while going to buy a commodity due to lack of transportation. Even kids have to wait for lift for hours to go to school.

This was the time when he had two options:

1. Either go back and continue to work on his almost-ready product.

2. Or make something new from scratch to solve the mobility issues.

But Corona had a great impact, as he lost some of his close ones. He says that time was very difficult emotionally as well as financially because R&D is a very cost-intensive business.

“The people to whom I asked for money stopped picking up my phone, while I stopped picking up calls from those to whom I owed money." Still, he chose the second option to make something new from scratch.

Shift from Innovation to Invention

Working on bicycles was much more difficult than on scooters, as there were some prior examples and inspirations available for scooters but not for bicycles.

Secondly, there were two conditions that he wanted to fulfill:

1. The device should be as simple as fitting a USB and not all complicated.

2. It should be a one-time investment.

3. Low cost.

He says that there is a mentality that lowering quality reduces the cost of making a product, but actually the main difference comes from changing the design of the product.

How One Viral Video Changed Everything for Dhruv Vidyut!

By February 2022, the product was ready, but people had zero idea about it. Therefore, Gursaurabh decided to record a video.

February 8 was when he recorded and uploaded that video. He woke up on February 9 with over 800 messages including one from Anand Mahindra Ji:

These 800 included some of the top entrepreneurs and even most of the sharks at Shark Tank India. He got calls from the Niti Aayog chairman as well as Pawan Munjal, CEO of Hero MotoCorp.

This was the time he got overwhelmed, as he was still recovering from the loss of two of his close friends. Also, he didn’t even think of a business plan.

He says, “Nobody in the world understands your product except you... Even if I take my ready product and hand it over to Jeff Bezos, he doesn’t have the time, and he wants me to do it.”

The testing period went on until September 2023, when his product was used by the Indian Army on tricycles as well as bicycles.

This was when he started with retail sales. And Dhruv Vidyut is doing very well now.

Importance of Marketing

I asked Gursaurabh about the role of the viral video in his journey. On this, he pointed out a very important fact.

“If I can’t even explain what my idea and product are and what I want to do, then how am I supposed to get the time and attention I need?”

Take on Product Manufacturing and its Cost

Gursaurabh even challenged anyone to create the same product at a lower cost. He said,

“I can even give my product’s patent. If you end up doing a better job making the same product faster and cheaper, then I will only give you an order of 1 lakh units.

He did a great job of explaining and marketing his product on Shark Tank Season 2. One of the most viral parts of his pitch was when he was lighting fire to his product to showcase its durability. Shark Aman Gupta (CEO of BOAT) asked him if he’s ready, to which he replied, “I was born ready.”

His Advice for the Younger Generation

You shouldn’t care what the other person is doing in his or her career or life. One shouldn’t let others decide what their race is within a set time period. You should choose your goals and race yourself.

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