NavAlt Solar & Electric Boats Pvt. Ltd. is based in Kochi, India. NavAlt’s vision is to make marine transport more efficient by drastically reducing the energy and resources needed for building and operation. Working towards this vision, we have designed boats and ferries combining advancements in Electric Vehicle technology, marine design, and Photovoltaics.
NavAlt is a result of three experts coming together, along with their respective ventures – Navgathi Marine Design & Construction Pvt. Ltd. (India), AltEn Systems (France) and EVE Systems (France).
Conventional diesel ferry boats cause air & water pollution that causes climate change; the noise and vibration are tiring for passengers and crew; the smell of fuel is uncomfortable, and it has high operating cost. Our solar ferry has none of these problems and the operating cost is extremely low – 2.5$ compared to 110$ for diesel ferry. Currently, our initial cost is 20% higher but still have a three-year break-even with close to $35,000 in diesel savings every year.
NavAlt was founded by Sandith Thandasherry, who is a 38-year-old naval architect with a plethora of experience in the field. After studying Naval Architecture from IIT Madras, Sandith worked in a shipyard in Gujarat for two years. He then went to South Korea and worked in various shipyards in the country. Soon after, he did an MBA at INSEAD, France, and started his own company, trying to build solar ferries for waterways in India.
Sandith started researching and experimenting with small solar boats, while his company Navgathi’s main business was to offer designs to shipyards and ship owners. This ensured that ends met while he experimented with the larger market he planned to disrupt. Sandith says,
