Chennai-based electric propulsion technology startup Viridian Ingni Propulsion has raised ₹1.47 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV). The company has also secured ₹53.75 lakh in non-dilutive grants from government initiatives, incubation programmes and corporate social responsibility funding.
The grants came from organisations and programmes including SIPCOT, MeitY Startup Hub, NIDHI PRAYAS, IIT Madras Research Park’s RTBI programme and Cummins CSR.
Founded in February 2024 by Sriram Gopal, Viridian Ingni Propulsion develops integrated electric propulsion systems comprising motors, controllers and firmware. Its products target electric vehicles, drones, robotics and industrial machinery.
The startup’s technology portfolio includes rare-earth-free ferrite permanent magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance motors (PMa-SynRM), designed for applications such as electric two-wheelers, e-rickshaws, HVAC systems and solar pumps. It also develops permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) for applications including drones, collaborative robots, automated guided vehicles and marine equipment.
Viridian plans to use the new funding to transition from validated prototypes to pilot-scale manufacturing. The investment will support production tooling, manufacturing infrastructure, motor controller firmware validation, engineering recruitment and working capital for initial customer deliveries.
The company also intends to pursue automotive testing and certification through the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT).
Incubated at IIT Madras Research Park, Viridian operates with a five-member engineering team. The startup has received letters of intent covering 350 specialised propulsion motors from Crop Xplore and Yali Mobility, representing potential initial commercial orders as it prepares to scale production.
