Powering Progress: How Rishabh Sakhlecha Is Helping Build India’s Electric Future

Could you start by telling us about your career journey and what led you to found Reliable Charge? What was the turning point when you saw an opportunity to build something of your own?

My journey began with a fascination for how infrastructure shapes modern life. Over the years, I worked across industries, from energy to manufacturing to technology, trying to understand what truly drives progress.

The turning point came when I noticed a widening gap between India’s growing EV ecosystem and the infrastructure supporting it. Everyone was talking about electric mobility, but few were building the groundwork that would make it viable. Reliable Charge was born out of that realisation; that we needed a reliable, accessible, and scalable charging network to power India’s shift to clean mobility. 

Every charger we install today is a small but significant step toward building the backbone of India’s electric future.

India is often described as one of the world’s most dynamic emerging economies. What does that feel like from an entrepreneur’s perspective?

It feels like being part of a national experiment in reinvention. There’s an undeniable sense of energy and urgency; the kind that pushes you to think bigger, move faster, and build smarter. 

From an entrepreneur’s perspective, the pace of change can be both thrilling and humbling. India’s diversity means every city teaches you something new about business, behaviour and resilience. You can’t operate here without being adaptive.

What keeps it exciting is that we’re not merely following global trends, we’re setting our own. This is a country rewriting its economic story from the ground up, and as founders, we get to help author a few lines of that narrative.

How do you see innovation, infrastructure, and sustainability coming together in shaping India’s next phase of growth?

They’re no longer separate ideas they’ve become interdependent. Innovation today doesn’t mean just new technology; it’s about solving real problems at scale. Infrastructure is what grounds that innovation and turns ambition into access. Sustainability ties it all together, ensuring growth doesn’t come at the cost of our future.

We’re seeing this convergence across sectors from clean energy to logistics to construction. Reliable Charge sits right at that intersection, using innovation to make infrastructure greener and more efficient.

India’s next phase of growth won’t just be about expanding capacity. It will be about building intelligently where every investment serves both economic and environmental purpose.

Can you tell us about the early days of Reliable Charge and some of the biggest challenges you faced?

The early days were an exercise in patience and perseverance. We were building in a market that was still defining itself, with limited policy clarity and infrastructure support. Convincing property owners and partners to invest in EV charging was a challenge when the adoption curve was still shallow.

We had to design, educate, and build all at once, often with limited resources. But those challenges became the best part of the journey. They forced us to innovate quickly and focus on reliability above everything else.

Looking back, the lessons from those initial hurdles have become our strongest foundation they taught us how to thrive in complexity and stay steady while the ecosystem evolves.

How did your experience at Nottingham influence your approach to leadership and global thinking?

Nottingham was a turning point in how I viewed leadership. It exposed me to a truly global environment; diverse minds, ideas, and ambitions; all working towards something meaningful.

It wasn’t just about strategy or entrepreneurship; it was about empathy, collaboration, and purpose. I learned that leadership isn’t about having all the answers, but about creating a space where great ideas can emerge and thrive.

That mindset still shapes how I lead today by encouraging experimentation, empowering teams, and maintaining a sense of humility even while building something ambitious.

What traits do you think define successful entrepreneurs?

Resilience, clarity, and curiosity.

Resilience because the journey will always test you. Clarity because without a sense of direction, momentum can easily become noise. And curiosity because the best entrepreneurs never stop learning - from people, data, or failures.

Passion is essential, but it’s endurance that sustains you. In the end, entrepreneurship is less about the idea you start with and more about how you adapt, refine, and rebuild along the way.

What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you were starting out?

That speed isn’t everything. When you’re starting out, you often mistake movement for progress. Over time, I’ve realised that true progress comes from clarity; knowing what to say no to.

Building a company takes time, trust, and persistence. Today I’ve learned that pace matters, but purpose matters more. Not everything needs to happen fast, it just needs to happen right.

Beyond technology, how can businesses like yours contribute to India’s sustainable future through jobs, skills, or community impact?

Technology is only one part of the impact equation. The larger opportunity lies in how we enable people. Every EV charger we install creates demand for new-age energy jobs; from site engineers to maintenance professionals to data specialists.

Sustainability, for us, isn’t just about green technology - it’s about inclusive progress. Building an ecosystem where communities benefit alongside the environment is how we create lasting change.

Looking ahead, what gives you optimism about the future of entrepreneurship and green innovation in India?

There’s a new wave of confidence running through India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. What gives me optimism is the intent; the desire to solve problems that matter, not just chase trends. 

We’re seeing founders who are building for impact, not imitation. The government’s support for clean tech and localisation is accelerating that momentum. Investors are also starting to see sustainability not as charity, but as good business.

If the last decade belonged to digital transformation, the next will belong to sustainable transformation, where every business embeds environmental intelligence at its core. That’s the India I’m excited to help build.