#172 AI x Production, Learning from Tesla, Transitioning to Iron, Battery Technology & More w/ Vivas Kumar (Mitra Chem)

Somil chats with Vivas Kumar, CEO of Mitra Chem,  the first lithium-ion battery materials manufacturer focused on shortening the lab-to-production timeline by over 90%, addressing the largest barrier to innovation: R&D and scale-up speed.Vivas was a phenomenal orator and if you take a second to learn about Mitra Chem, it’s easy to see why. By combining their knowledge of iron-based cathodes with an AI and data enhanced production capacity, they are able to manufacture quicker and more reliably than many of their competitors. As always, thanks so much for listening and enjoy the episode!---🌎 Want the full PodLetter? Go to our substack to see the written content that supplements the audio interview.  ---🌴 https://linktr.ee/cleantechies📺 👀 Prefer to watch: subscribe on YouTube 🗣️ Take the Listeners Survey📫 Get Written Summaries of Each Episode in Your Inbox 🌐 Join the CleanTechies Slack Channel ----- Topics: **04:18 Starting as an Entrepreneur**06:41 Near-Shoring**10:18 Transitioning to Iron-Based Materials**11:00 Trends and Challenges with Nickel, Cobalt, and Lithium**14:49 Working at Benchmark's Mineral Intelligence Group**24:50 Financing and Business Models in Climate Solutions**27:32 Adapting Technology for Local Context**31:31 Shifting from Innovation to Supply Chain**35:13 Integration of AI and Automation in Production**41:41 Longevity and Outlasting Competition**44:08 Reducing Organizational Costs**43:21 Finding the Right People**45:23 The Importance of Curiosity and Motivation**47:54 Takeaways----- Links: **Vivas Kumar | Mitra Chem**Follow CleanTechies on LinkedIn**@Silas & @Somil_Agg on X Support the showIf you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.70+ Placements5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)90-day placement guaranteeIt's really hard to say no to that. Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company. We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank. Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. [email protected]