Bengaluru: In what is a big boost to local manufacturing prowess in India, Ather Energy – an electric scooter maker – will be investing Rs 635 crore in the next five years in Tamil Nadu. It will go a long way in scaling up production, adds Economic Times. 

Presently, the plant has the capacity to manufacture 1.1 lakh scooters and 1.2 lakh batteries. 

"It's been a great journey for us so far, and the opening of this facility is truly a milestone for Ather. The consumer demand has increased by multiple folds, and with us expanding to new markets, this state-of-the-art facility will cater to demand across the country," Ather Energy Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder Tarun Mehta said, as quoted by the website. 

The company will also invest in training employees in the EV sector. 

"The investment is an opportunity for value creation in the sector and will create job opportunities in the region. As a part of this initiative, more than 4,000 employees will be trained in requisite skills in the EV sector over the next five years," it noted further. 

Presently, the company has presence in 27 cities. It has begun deliveries in various cities. 

The company hopes to expand to 40 more countries. 

Atmanirbhar Bharat: 

It was last year that Narendra Modi announced the Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme, in which he envisions a country that is self-reliant, by giving more stress to local talent and giving it a platform to grow. 

The Prime Minister hopes to make India a manufacturing hub. As a corroboration to this, India has been producing vaccines and supplying them to various countries at a time, when it is vaccinating its own people. It crossed the 7 million mark.