From humble beginnings as a farmer in Kancherlapalem, Vijayawada, Late Chukkapalli Kusalava Rao dared to dream big. He sowed the seeds of his dream to manufacture auto spares, which has now flourished into the thriving Kusalava Group. 

Fuelled by his aspiration to manufacture high-quality automobile spares, he established a small foundry in Vijayawada in 1964. 

Known initially as M/s Bharat Industries, the company rapidly rose to prominence as a pioneer in producing high-precision engine components, becoming a trusted supplier to major automotive companies. 

Today, this family-held business in Vijayawada is helmed by Kusalava Rao’s son, Mr CHRK Prasad, the Managing Director of Kusalava Group, and his grandchildren. 

Under their visionary leadership, the business has not only continued its legacy but has also expanded its horizons, diversifying into various sectors.

Rebranded as Kusalava International Ltd in 1997, today, they have four state-of-the-art manufacturing plants in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Rudrapur, Uttarakhand. 

Their production lines include cylinder liners and pistons, and they have a commanding 35% market share in India and 30% in the US in these segments. 

The Kusalava Group is not just an auto spare success story; it is also a testament to diversification and adaptability. 

They are dealers for Hyundai cars in four districts in Andhra Pradesh, including Krishna, West Godavari, Guntur, and Prakasam. 

Moreover, their recent foray into the electric two-wheeler segment, under Quantum Energy Ltd, has been met with remarkable success. Quantum E-Scooters are now available in 50 showrooms across multiple states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Pondicherry, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, with further expansion in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu soon. 

As the conglomerate expands and diversifies its business interests, it reported a substantial turnover of USD 100 mn in FY22-23, with this year’s expectation at USD 120 mn. 

Reflecting on their journey till now, Mr Siddharth Chukkapalli, Director, Kusalava International Ltd and Quantum Energy told Vizag Industrial Scan “Our grandfather always believed in quality over quantity in manufacturing, and we remain steadfast in upholding that principle.”

Mr Chakravarthi Chukkapalli, Director, Kusalava International and Managing Director of Quantum Energy adds, “Our rigorous quality control has earned us SML’s Best Quality Performance award three years in a row from 2016 to 2018.” 

Chakravarthi is an engineer and has a Master’s in the UK from the reputed Warwick Manufacturing Group at Warwick University. Commenting on their e-scooter segment, he adds, “Quantum E-Scooters will uphold our commitment to delivering affordable, personalised transportation solutions to customers, backed by Kusalava’s decades of experience and technical know-how in engine technologies.”

Kusalava Group’s commitment to innovation extends into the realm of electric mobility. Siddharth, with his Master’s in Science from the University of Bedfordshire, underscores their future vision: “EV is the future, and we are eager to expand our manufacturing business and venture into 2-wheeler battery and motor manufacturing.”

Today, Kusalava Rao’s vision has not only been realised but is also flourishing. His legacy lives on, driving the Kusalava Group into a future he would undoubtedly be proud to witness.