Manjula Girish, with over 20 years of experience in the energy and electronics sectors, combines technical expertise and business strategy. An electrical engineer with executive education from IIM Calcutta and IIM Lucknow, she has held leadership roles at Delta Electronics, Schneider Electric, and Mouser Electronics.
In a thought-provoking interaction with Women Entrepreneurs Review Magazine, Manjula shares her insights on the intersection of EV charging and solar inverter markets, the application of engineering principles in leadership, strategic decision-making in scaling businesses, and navigating innovation amid market and regulatory uncertainties.
The EV charging and solar inverter markets are often seen as parallel industries yet deeply interconnected. What unexpected synergies or contradictions have you uncovered while leading both?
The EV charging and solar inverter markets are deeply interconnected, both driving the transition toward clean energy. A key synergy is the ability to integrate solar energy with EV charging, creating a closed-loop system where vehicles can be powered directly by renewables, reducing grid dependency and energy costs. The emergence of bidirectional charging further strengthens this connection, allowing EVs to store excess solar energy and feed it back into the grid when needed. However, challenges arise due to their differing impacts on the energy system—while solar inverters stabilize the grid by supplying consistent power, EV chargers create demand spikes, particularly during peak hours. This contrast makes energy management crucial to balance supply and demand efficiently. Additionally, while solar projects have long investment cycles and mature cost structures, EV charging infrastructure requires rapid deployment and frequent technological advancements, leading to a misalignment in scalability.
Regulatory frameworks also pose challenges, as incentives for solar adoption and EV charging often operate in silos, preventing seamless integration. Overcoming these contradictions requires smarter grid management, unified policy support, and stronger collaboration between renewable energy providers and mobility stakeholders. By leveraging their synergies and addressing these challenges, we can accelerate the adoption of a more sustainable, decentralized energy ecosystem that optimally integrates clean power generation with electrified transportation.
In a sector driven by engineering precision and business agility, have you ever applied an engineering principle to solve a leadership or market strategy challenge? How did it play out?
Yes, I often apply systems thinking, a core engineering principle, to leadership and market challenges. One example is when we were expanding our EV charging infrastructure. Instead of simply scaling by increasing charger installations, we modeled the entire energy ecosystem—accounting for grid constraints, traffic density, and renewable energy availability—to optimize station placement and energy distribution.
We also had the bundling approach of Product and system integrations through Energy storage, Hybrid and Micro grid Solutions – in the longer run which would address the energy demand as well
This approach reduced operational inefficiencies, improved utilization rates, and ultimately accelerated adoption in high-impact locations. The lesson? A well-optimized system often outperforms a high-speed, brute-force approach.
What’s one business decision you made that seemed counterintuitive but proved game-changing?
One counterintuitive decision was deliberately slowing down initial market entry to ensure infrastructure readiness and long-term scalability.
In the early days of EV charging deployment, many players rushed to install charging stations at scale. Instead, we focused on developing the stable, Reliable and qualitative product range with the Internal Data Quality Analysis process.
At first, this appeared to slow our market entry compared to competitors who were aggressively expanding their charging networks.
This measure gave us a more sustainable and scalable growth model, proving that strategic patience can sometimes be the fastest path to long-term success.
Clean energy and e-mobility are fast-moving sectors, where today’s innovations may be obsolete tomorrow. How do you build a strategy that stays ahead of both market shifts and regulatory unpredictability?
In fast-evolving sectors like clean energy and e-mobility, staying ahead requires a strategy built on adaptability, foresight, and ecosystem thinking rather than rigid long- term planning. Our approach focuses on three key pillars:
First, we embrace modular innovation, ensuring our technologies can evolve with market demands. Instead of committing to a single technology, we design future-proof solutions.
Second, by proactively shaping collaborate from the scratch with standards/policy makers rather than reacting to them, we can align our R&D efforts with future compliance requirements, ensuring seamless transitions when policies shift.
Third, we adopt an ecosystem-driven strategy, integrating EV charging, renewables, and grid optimization into a unified energy infrastructure. This allows us to pivot quickly—whether it’s scaling off-grid solar-powered chargers in remote areas or enabling smart grid solutions that adjust to fluctuating energy demands.
By combining innovation with policy foresight and flexible execution, we don’t just keep pace with change—we drive it. Our focus is on creating solutions that are not just relevant today, but adaptable for tomorrow’s energy landscape.
Women in male-dominated industries often discuss breaking barriers, but what industry norms or leadership expectations have you deliberately chosen not to challenge—and why?
While breaking barriers is important, I have deliberately chosen not to challenge the expectation that leadership is ultimately measured by results, not identity. Rather than emphasizing gender as a differentiator, I focus on delivering impact, driving strategy, and leading teams effectively—just as any leader should.
By not making gender the focal point of leadership discussions, I aim to normalize the presence of women in leadership rather than highlight it as an exception. This approach shifts the narrative from breaking barriers to building competence and credibility, ensuring that opportunities and recognition come from capability, decision-making, and business performance rather than gender representation alone.
Though there are only 15% women in the leadership roles, I recognize that diversity is valuable, and I actively support mentorship, inclusion, and workplace policies that create equitable opportunities for all. But instead of challenging leadership expectations purely for the sake of change, I choose to demonstrate success through action, making gender-neutral leadership the norm, not the exception.
With omnichannel sales and digital transformation reshaping B2B engagement, what’s one outdated business practice you believe still holds power in driving customer trust and loyalty?
Despite the rise of omnichannel sales and digital transformation, one traditional business practice that remains invaluable in B2B engagement is in-person relationship building. While automation, AI-driven analytics, and virtual interactions have improved efficiency, face-to-face meetings, factory visits, and hands-on product demonstrations still play a critical role in establishing credibility, trust, and long-term partnerships.
In our industry, where solutions involve high capital investment and long-term integration, customers want more than just digital interactions—they need to see the technology in action, engage with experts, and experience the value proposition firsthand. Live demonstrations, facility tours, and direct engagement with leadership help address concerns, build confidence, and strengthen strategic partnerships in ways that emails or video calls cannot fully replicate.
While digital tools enhance reach and engagement, human connections remain irreplaceable in fostering trust, aligning business goals, and securing long-term customer loyalty. Businesses that effectively blend digital convenience with personalized, high-touch engagement will continue to have a competitive edge in the evolving B2B landscape.
