From coding apps to coding electric motors

A Bengaluru-based deep tech startup, Vimag Labs, patented a Virtual Magnet Synchronous Motor (VMSM) platform that would likely shape the future of electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing in India. At present, the startup is running pilot projects with this new EV technology with 2W (two-wheelers) and passenger-vehicle OEMs.

Passenger‑vehicle OEMs are car companies that build and sell automobiles designed to carry people, like Tata Motors (Nexon, Tiago and Punch EV models), Mahindra & Mahindra (XUV400 electric SUV) and JSW MG Motor India (ZS and Comet EVs) and other new entrants.  The abbreviation OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer.

The application of this new technology in the 200–600–kilowatt range has enormous potential in varied fields, from industrial manufacturing plants, small-to-medium data centres, water treatment plants, hospitals for backup power to specialized, heavy-duty electric drivetrains.

In the defense sector too, the Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) such as tactical High Energy Lasers (HELs) and Active Protection Systems (APS) & Microwave Weapons will heavily depend on this technology. HELs are designed to destroy or disable rockets, artillery, drones and incoming missiles instantly using concentrated light beams, and APS and High Power Microwave (HPM) can disrupt enemy communications and scramble the electronics of incoming drones.

Recently, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed and demonstrated India’s capability to neutralise fixed-wing aircraft, missiles and swarm drones using a 30-kilowatt laser-based weapon system and joined the elite group of countries like the USA, China and Russia that possess laser weapon capabilities.

Let me explain what makes Vimag Labs ‘ VMSM invention different and could be a game changer for India. To understand this technological leap, we need to know the concept of an electric motor that is at the core of the present technology.

An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy (motion) using magnets. Its role changes based on the specific job, from turning a fan’s blades, driving a car’s wheels, to spinning a washing machine. In EVs, smaller motors are used to adjust seats, wipe windows, and start the engine. In factories, large induction motors are used to power conveyor belts, robotic arms and pumps.  Even in our computers, tiny motors in the fans are used to keep electronics cool.  Electric motors provide safe, clean, and highly efficient power without the need for any polluting energy source.

Today, all highly efficient electric motors are PMSMs (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors). A standard electric motor has two parts, a spinning central part called rotor, enclosed in a stationary outer part called the stator. Unlike standard motors that waste energy creating magnetic fields, a PMSM uses always-on strong permanent magnets embedded on the rotor to create a constant magnetic field. These magnets are made from rare-earth metals like NdFeB (Neodymium Iron Boron). The outer stationary ring, called the stator, has copper coils.

When the AC (alternating current) electricity flows through the coils in the stator, it creates a spinning magnetic field. The rotor’s permanent magnets “lock” onto the spinning magnetic field of the stator, and they spin together in perfect sync, giving its name Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM).

The Vimag Lab, VMSM platform, is a rare-earth-free electric motor architecture. It eliminates the need for rare-earth permanent magnets in rotors used in conventional PMSMs. This technology creates and regulates the magnetic field electronically through sophisticated power electronics, rotating transformer excitation, and proprietary real-time control algorithms. In other words, the “magnet” is virtual: its strength and orientation are dynamically adjusted by the drive electronics rather than being a static piece of material derived from rare-earth metal. This clever design delivers strong motor performance without depending on the scarce rare-earth minerals.

This game-changing technology enables greater flexibility while reducing dependence on rare-earth magnets. This will not only lower the cost of raw materials, but the technology is also expected to improve supply-chain resilience for manufacturers increasingly concerned about geopolitical risks surrounding rare-earth imports.

At present, China has the monopoly and controls the global rare earth supply chain. It mines about 60% of the world’s raw rare earths and processes nearly 90% of these minerals. Over 90% of the rare-earth magnets used in technology, electric vehicles, and defense are produced in China. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced how the shortage of rare-earth magnets has slowed down the deliveries of automobiles in our country.

However, there are certain concerns and open questions of this emerging technology, especially in terms of: i) Efficiency at scale: Many magnet‑free concepts struggle to match PMSM efficiency across the full speed–torque map, which directly affects EV range. A Torque is the rotational equivalent of force: it measures how effectively a force tends to twist or turn an object about an axis. ii) Durability and cost: Contactless excitation, power electronics, and thermal management must prove robust and cost‑competitive in high‑volume production; iii) Verification: As of now in mid-2026, VMSM performance claims are based on pilot projects and prototype data. Independent, production‑grade validation is awaited.

I conclude with a thought that adopting a new technology means learning to use new tools to make life or work easier, and to master it, you have to play with it. Today, the country is playing on the front foot in technology adaptation, and when transformation is done right, it is like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. India’s UPI digital payment system is one such example of a bold new technology adaptation in the country that has left the entire world in awe.