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Tata Group Reviews Clean Energy and EV Manufacturing Plans in Uttar Pradesh

Angitha Suresh — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:38:52

The review covered several operational and planned initiatives across Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state with over 240 million residents and growing industrial demand. The Bara thermal power plant in Prayagraj, with a capacity of 1,900 MW operating in a 360×3 configuration, was identified as a key contributor to the state's power supply and industrial energy needs. The facility forms part of the state's baseload power infrastructure, which supports both urban centers and industrial zones.

The conglomerate confirmed development of two 50 MW solar power plants in Bundelkhand and Prayagraj, adding to the state's renewable energy infrastructure. Bundelkhand, a region spanning parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, has been a focus area for solar development due to its high solar irradiation levels. Separately, rooftop solar installations are being implemented across 50 of the state's 75 districts as part of decentralized energy initiatives aimed at reducing transmission losses and improving energy access in rural areas.

Construction is underway on four to five Tata buildings in Noida, scheduled for completion in phases by December 2026. The facilities are expected to strengthen the city's position as a commercial center. Noida, located in the National Capital Region adjacent to Delhi, hosts offices of numerous domestic and multinational corporations and has emerged as a hub for information technology, manufacturing, and business services.

Discussions between the Chief Minister and Tata Sons representatives included the company's interest in expanding vehicle manufacturing operations in Uttar Pradesh. The talks explored the possibility of establishing electric vehicle manufacturing capacity in the state, aligned with the state government's EV subsidy policy. Tata Motors currently operates manufacturing facilities in several Indian states and has become one of the country's leading electric vehicle manufacturers in recent years.

The engagement also covered the introduction of new EV models, deployment of electric buses for public transportation, and development of supporting infrastructure for electric mobility, including charging networks. India has set targets to increase electric vehicle adoption as part of its emissions reduction commitments, with several states offering incentives to manufacturers and consumers.

Both parties reviewed opportunities related to the state's defence manufacturing sector, focusing on manufacturing capabilities and industrial diversification. The Indian government has been promoting domestic defense production through various initiatives aimed at reducing imports and building indigenous manufacturing capacity.

Uttar Pradesh has been working to expand its clean energy portfolio and attract manufacturing investments as part of its industrial development strategy. The state offers various incentives for companies establishing operations in renewable energy and electric vehicle sectors. With a large consumer base and improving infrastructure connectivity, the state has positioned itself as a destination for industrial investment across multiple sectors including automotive, electronics, and renewable energy equipment manufacturing.

Motovolt Opens First Dealership in Bihar

Sarthak Mahajan — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 18:17:17

Electric two-wheeler solutions provider Motovolt Mobility has opened its first exclusive dealership in Bihar, marking a significant step in the company's expansion across India's eastern markets.

The new dealership, operated by Prism Motocorp, is located at Prism Complex in Chitkohra, Patna. The 1,800 square foot facility will display Motovolt's complete product lineup, including the KIVO for daily commuters, HUM for cargo and heavy-duty applications, URBN for urban riders, and the M7 and M7 Lite high-speed e-scooters.

The expansion comes as Patna experiences growing adoption of electric mobility, driven by lower total ownership costs compared to internal combustion engine vehicles and state incentives supporting the transition to electric transport.

Tushar Choudhary, Founder and CEO of Motovolt Mobility, stated that the company aims to provide sustainable mobility solutions across India through innovative products. He emphasized that the dealership would offer consumers access to electric vehicle solutions supported by comprehensive after-sales service.

Jay Prakash Prasad, Managing Director of Prism Motocorp, said the partnership with Motovolt would help bring accessible electric mobility solutions to Patna residents. He noted Bihar's rapidly developing electric vehicle ecosystem as a key factor in the dealership launch.

Motovolt Mobility, founded in 2019 and headquartered in Kolkata, manufactures electric cycles, e-mopeds, and scooters designed for Indian market conditions. The company reports having delivered over 32,000 vehicles that have collectively traveled more than 65 million kilometers, resulting in fuel savings of approximately 1.7 million liters and carbon emission reductions of 3.71 million kilograms.

The Bihar dealership opening is part of Motovolt's broader strategy to expand its retail presence nationwide through dedicated sales and service locations.

Video: Inside JSW MG’s Playbook for Profitable EVs in India

Shahkar Abidi — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 18:08:09

In this in-depth conversation with Anurag Mehrotra, Managing Director, JSW MG Motor India, we unpack what it will take to make electric vehicles profitable and scalable in the Indian market.

Mehrotra explains how declining EV costs are pushing adoption beyond tier-1 cities, why localisation and in-house battery assembly are critical to achieving sustainable margins, and how JSW MG’s Halol manufacturing plant is gearing up to scale from 70,000 units to a 100,000-unit capacity with more products on the way.

The discussion also explores how global parent backing and shared capabilities are reshaping EV economics in India — and why scale, not demand, will decide the next phase of EV leadership.

Video:

Pankaj Gupta Resigns as Sterling Tools CFO

Sarthak Mahajan — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 17:00:57

Sterling Tools Limited has announced the resignation of its Chief Financial Officer, Pankaj Gupta, who will step down from his position effective December 31, 2025.

The company informed stock exchanges BSE and NSE through regulatory filings that Gupta submitted his resignation to pursue other professional opportunities aligned with his long-term career goals. He confirmed there were no other material reasons for his departure.

Gupta served as Group Chief Financial Officer for approximately five years at the Faridabad-based fasteners manufacturer. In his resignation letter addressed to Managing Director Atul Aggarwal, he expressed gratitude for the trust and support extended during his tenure and committed to ensuring a smooth transition.

The company disclosed this information pursuant to Regulation 30 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. Sterling Tools trades on BSE under scrip code 530759 and on NSE under the symbol STERTOOLS.

As a Key Managerial Personnel, Gupta's departure will require the company to appoint a new CFO in compliance with regulatory requirements. The company has not yet announced a successor.

Sterling Tools Limited, incorporated in 1979, manufactures automotive fasteners and operates from its industrial facility in Faridabad, Haryana, with its registered office in New Delhi.

Dylect Launches Flow Prime Pressure Washer at ₹5,499

Shruti Shiraguppi — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:04:30

Dylect, an Indian lifestyle tech brand, has launched Flow Prime, a pressure washer priced at ₹5,499, available on its website and Amazon. The product targets household and small business cleaning needs with an 1800W copper-winding motor that delivers 130 Bar pressure and a 6.5L/min flow rate.

The pressure washer works with tap or bucket water sources and includes IPX5 waterproofing. It features automatic shut-off, heat protection, a protective motor cover, and an integrated exhaust system. The unit ships with accessories including a spray gun, 5m inlet hose pipe, 8m outlet hose pipe, extension rod, soap bottle, tap connector, quick connector, water filter with needle, and 3m inlet hose with filter.

Flow Prime is designed for cleaning cars, bikes, balconies, terraces, patios, storefronts, outdoor furniture, and general household surfaces. The compact design allows for storage and portability.

"Responsible innovation has always shaped the way we build our products. With Flow Prime, our focus was to deliver powerful, high-quality cleaning while promoting more mindful water usage. Its optimised flow technology significantly reduces water consumption compared to conventional methods, enabling homes and small businesses to adopt cleaner, more sustainable practices without sacrificing performance," said Anuj Bhatia, Founder of Dylect.

Dylect currently serves over 100,000 customers across India. The company offers seven pressure washer models ranging from ₹4,499 to ₹11,500: Ultra Clean Plus, Ultra Clean Pro, Ultra Flow Plus, Ultra Power Max, Ultra Force, Ultra Force Pro, and now Flow Prime.

The brand operates in the D2C and e-commerce space, selling automotive essentials such as pressure washers, dashcams, tyre inflators, car vacuum cleaners, portable fans, and solar outdoor lights. Founded by Anuj Bhatia, who also founded eTrade, an e-commerce aggregator, Dylect focuses on direct customer relationships and sells primarily through Amazon while developing an omni-channel strategy.

Volvo Car India to Plant 20,000+ Trees in Aravalli Range

Shruti Shiraguppi — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:46:18

Volvo Car India announced an expansion of its Reverse Project with a plantation initiative at Matri Van along the Gurugram-Faridabad Highway. Under its CSR initiative for FY25-26, the company will support the plantation of 20,000+ native trees over 20 acres of Aravalli land as part of the Community Barren Land Transformation Project, led by SankalpTaru Foundation in partnership with the Haryana Forest Department.

The initiative follows last year's Reverse Project, where Volvo Car India converted an urban dump yard in Ghaziabad into a forest by planting over 35,000 trees. Participants in the current project will be allocated 2-3 geo-tagged saplings planted on their behalf.

The Aravalli range serves as a green barrier protecting Delhi-NCR from desertification and air pollution. However, decades of quarrying, urbanization, and ecological stress have resulted in significant land degradation. The Matri Van site features semi-arid terrain, eroded soils, sparse vegetation, and limited water availability.

The project aims to revive the deteriorated landscape into a self-sustaining forest ecosystem through scientifically planned plantation of climate-resilient native species, supporting cleaner air, enhanced biodiversity, and improved soil and water quality.

"At Volvo Car India, sustainability is central to our purpose. Our efforts under the Reverse Project continue to demonstrate how corporate responsibility can contribute meaningfully to the environment and local communities. The Matri Van plantation reflects our long-term commitment towards building a greener future for all and supporting India's climate goals," said Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo Car India. The project uses geo-tagging of all plants, IoT-enabled monitoring, and community engagement to transform degraded land.

"Volvo Car's support strengthens our mission to restore the Aravallis through scientifically planned, biodiversity-rich afforestation initiatives. With geo-tagging of all the plants, IoT-enabled monitoring and community engagement, the Matri Van project is transforming degraded land into a resilient, thriving ecosystem. This collaboration reflects how technology and purpose-driven partnerships can accelerate meaningful climate action," said Apurva Bhandari, Founder of SankalpTaru Foundation.

Volvo Cars established its presence in India in 2007. The company currently markets products through 25 dealerships across Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi NCR (South Delhi, West Delhi, Gurgaon), Hyderabad, Indore, Raipur, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mumbai (West and South), Pune, Raipur, Surat, Vishakhapatnam, and Vijayawada.

Tired of Uber/Ola Cancellations? Jindal Group May Have an Answer

Shristi Ohri — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:24:47

Anyone who has tried booking a cab through Uber or Ola in an Indian metro city knows the drill all too well. You enter your destination, find a driver, watch the app show "Driver is on the way"—and then, minutes later, your phone rings. The driver wants to know where you're going. When you tell him, there's a pause. "Sorry sir, please cancel the ride," he says, or, "You'll have to pay extra."

The ride you thought was confirmed now becomes a negotiation, and the convenience of app-based cab-hailing suddenly feels no different from haggling with an auto-rickshaw driver at a railway station.

This frustrating experience has become endemic to India's urban mobility landscape. The problems are twofold and deeply ingrained. First, drivers routinely cancel rides after accepting them once they see the destination details—perhaps the route has too much traffic, the fare is too low for the distance, or it takes them away from a more lucrative area. Second, and arguably more infuriating, drivers often call passengers before pickup demanding extra payment over and above the app-quoted fare. Refuse, and the driver cancels. Agree, and you pay in cash what was supposed to be a transparent, app-mediated transaction.

The root cause of this dysfunction lies in the fundamental structure of aggregator platforms. Uber and Ola function as intermediaries connecting independent driver-partners with passengers. These drivers, operating as gig workers with their own vehicles, enjoy a significant degree of autonomy. While both platforms officially prohibit arbitrary cancellations and extra charges, enforcement remains challenging. Drivers can game the system by cancelling rides in ways that avoid penalties, and the sheer volume of daily rides makes it impossible for these companies to police every transaction. For millions of urban Indians, the result is an unreliable service that promises convenience but often delivers frustration.

Enter Trevel, a new mobility startup co-founded by Sahil Jindal, Managing Director of the DS Jindal Group, that proposes a fundamentally different approach to solving this problem. Launched in Gurugram earlier this month, Trevel positions itself as a "mass-premium" electric mobility platform where quality isn't enforced after complaints—it's designed into the system from the ground up.

"For years, urban mobility has trained us to compromise," Jindal wrote in a recent LinkedIn post announcing the venture. "Late arrivals. Last-minute cancellations. Dirty cars. Awkward calls asking for the drop location. We accepted it because we were told this was 'how the system works.' At Trevel, we decided not to accept that."

There are several Jindal groups in India, including the DP Jindal Group (Jindal Pipes Limited, Maharashtra Seamless), the Jindal Steel and Power group associated with O.P. Jindal's descendants, and the JSW Group.

Sahil Jindal is a third-generation leader of the DS Jindal Group, a diversified conglomerate founded over seven decades ago by his grandfather, Debi Sahai Jindal. The group built its reputation in the steel and piping industry, becoming one of India's largest manufacturers of ERW pipes before diversifying into Multi-Layer Composite (MLC) pipes, PVC pipes, CPVC pipes, GFRP rebars (under the Flujo brand), and more recently, cement and hardware fittings.

Sahil Jindal, born in 1982, completed his schooling at Springdales School in Delhi before earning a Bachelor's degree in Marketing from the University of Greenwich, London, in 2005. He joined the family business immediately after graduation and has since driven the group's diversification and technological advancement. An active member of the Entrepreneurs' Organization, where he has served as President of the Noida chapter, Jindal is also an angel investor with interests spanning multiple sectors. His foray into mobility with Trevel represents his most ambitious departure yet from the group's manufacturing core.

Solving the Uncertainty Principle

What distinguishes Trevel from existing ride-hailing platforms is its ownership and employment model. Unlike Uber and Ola, which aggregate independent drivers, Trevel operates a 100 percent self-managed fleet. All vehicles are company-owned, and all drivers are on the company's payroll as full-time employees rather than gig workers. This seemingly simple structural change has profound implications for service quality.

When a driver is an employee rather than an independent contractor, the company has direct control over their conduct. Cancelling a ride or demanding extra money isn't just a terms-of-service violation that might go unpunished—it's grounds for disciplinary action from an employer. The incentive structure changes fundamentally. A salaried driver with job security and benefits has far less motivation to game the system than a gig worker optimising for short-term earnings.

Trevel has built its pitch around this difference, offering what it calls a "Zero Cancellation Policy" and a "100% On-Time Guarantee." The company uses AI-powered scheduling and route optimisation to ensure punctuality, and its fleet consists of luxury electric vehicles that promise a premium experience. Current services include city trips, airport transfers, and hourly rentals, with outstation services planned for the near future.

The choice of Gurugram as the launch market is strategic. The city's dense corporate ecosystem, extensive airport connectivity requirements, poor to non-existent public transport and digitally sophisticated population make it an ideal testing ground.

The company has ambitious growth plans, targeting a fleet of 500 luxury electric vehicles by 2026. It is working with city authorities and ecosystem partners on EV charging infrastructure, route safety, and fleet optimisation as it scales across Gurugram's various zones.

Of course, Trevel's model comes with trade-offs. Operating company-owned vehicles with salaried drivers is capital-intensive and limits scalability compared to the asset-light aggregator approach. Pricing will likely be higher than budget cab services, positioning Trevel more as an alternative to premium segments than a mass-market solution. The "mass-premium" positioning suggests an attempt to bridge this gap, but whether the economics work at scale remains to be seen.

There's also the question of whether structural reliability alone can carve out a sustainable niche in a market dominated by well-funded incumbents. Uber and Ola have name recognition, vast driver networks, and the ability to compete on price. Trevel is betting that a segment of urban Indians—business travellers, corporate commuters, airport-bound passengers—will pay a premium for predictability.

For now, the launch represents an interesting experiment in Indian urban mobility: a bet that the solution to the aggregator model's failures lies not in better enforcement but in fundamentally different ownership and employment structures. Whether Trevel succeeds or fails, Sahil Jindal has identified a genuine pain point that millions of Indians experience daily. In a market where ride-hailing has become synonymous with haggling and uncertainty, the promise of "mobility that feels predictable, professional, and respectful of your time" is, at minimum, a compelling pitch.

Weekly News Wrap: Mexico’s Tariff Shock, Kia’s Hybrid Push, Ferrari’s EV Plan and Volkswagen’s Workforce Reset

Darshan Nakhwa — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 18:07:44

The Indian auto industry closed the second week of December navigating a mix of geopolitical disruption, strategic realignment and technology transition. A sudden tariff hike by Mexico threatened to disrupt nearly $1 billion worth of Indian vehicle exports, underscoring how trade policy risks are resurfacing as a major variable for automakers. At the same time, manufacturers recalibrated their long-term bets on hybrids, electric vehicles and workforce costs.

Hybrids returned firmly to the centre of India’s powertrain debate, with Kia confirming that a Seltos Hybrid is on its roadmap, though its launch hinges on aggressive localisation to protect affordability. Luxury and performance brands, meanwhile, used India as a platform to articulate broader strategic thinking. Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna outlined how the iconic brand plans to add electric cars without abandoning ICE or hybrids, framing electrification as an emotional, customer-led evolution rather than a regulatory compulsion.

Cost pressures also moved into sharper focus. Volkswagen Group initiated a voluntary early retirement programme across its Indian manufacturing operations, signalling a deeper restructuring effort in a market where scale has remained elusive despite long-standing presence. Meanwhile, post-festive demand moderation, cooling EV adoption in price-sensitive segments, and renewed investor focus on fewer but larger EV bets highlighted how the industry is entering a more measured phase of growth.

Here’s the detailed round-up of all major developments from this week:

Mexico's Tariff Increase to Affect $1 Billion in Indian Car Exports

Mexico's tariff increase will affect $1 billion worth of shipments from major Indian car exporters, including Volkswagen and Hyundai, despite industry lobbying efforts to prevent the move, according to two sources and an industry letter reviewed by Reuters.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's government approved Wednesday raising import tariffs next year on hundreds of items from countries without trade agreements, including China and India. The import duty on cars will rise to 50% from 20%.

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Kia Confirms Seltos Hybrid for India; Rollout Tied to Aggressive Localisation Push

Kia India has formally confirmed that a hybrid version of the new Seltos is part of its future powertrain roadmap. Still, the model will only enter the market once the company achieves meaningful localisation of hybrid components, ensuring the technology is priced competitively for Indian buyers.

"There is a clear direction that we will introduce a hybrid in the Seltos. Timing is not decided yet because we are trying to localise the hybrid components in India," said Atul Sood, Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing, Kia India. Autocar Professional learns that the hybrid version should make its way into the market within the next 12-18 months.

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Kia Sets Sights on Top-3 Slot in Mid-Size SUV Segment With New Seltos

Kia Targets Double-Digit Growth in 2025 and 2026, With New Seltos at the Core of Its Strategy

Kia India expects to close CY2025 with double-digit growth, and it is preparing for another year of robust expansion in 2026, led primarily by the all-new Seltos, its most strategically important model for volume recovery and portfolio strengthening.

"This year, we will be closing at more than 10 percent growth. We aim to continue this double-digit growth in 2026 as well," said Atul Sood, Senior Vice President – Sales and Marketing, Kia India.

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Kia Banks on New Seltos to Reclaim Ground as Mid-SUV Battle Intensifies

Ferrari Sees Long-Term Opportunity in India Despite Small Supercar Base: CEO Vigna

Italian luxury sports car manufacturer Ferrari’s identity is built on a balance that few companies manage to maintain between tradition and technological innovation, according to CEO Benedetto Vigna. That equilibrium is not just a philosophy but the way Ferrari operates, he said.

Speaking at IIT Bombay’s E-Summit 2025, Vigna said Ferrari survives only by “audaciously redefining the limit of possible,” a process that demands equal respect for its heritage and boldness for its future. The challenge, he noted, is to protect legacy without becoming trapped by it, even as electrification and shifting customer expectations reshape the industry.

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Ferrari’s EV Play Will Complement, Not Replace ICE Vehicles: CEO Vigna

Ferrari will add electric cars to its portfolio without abandoning combustion engines or hybrids, as it seeks to protect driving emotion and customer choice amid tightening global regulations, chief executive officer Benedetto Vigna said at IIT Bombay’s E-Summit 2025.

The Italian luxury sports carmaker, best known for its V12 engines and racing heritage, plans to run multiple powertrain strategies in parallel rather than pursue an all-electric transition. Vigna said Ferrari’s approach to electrification is rooted in emotion, not regulation-driven timelines.

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Ferrari CEO to IIT Bombay Students: “Redefine the Limits of What’s Possible”

Volkswagen Introduces Voluntary Early Retirement for Indian Factory Workers

Volkswagen Group is offering early retirement packages to all 2,300 workers at its two manufacturing facilities in India as part of a broader operational restructuring in the world's third-largest automotive market, according to news reports.

The German automaker, which operates Volkswagen, Skoda, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley brands in India, currently holds just 2% market share despite maintaining a presence in the country for over two decades.

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Dolby Eyes Broader OEM Partnerships as Indian Auto Audio Market Takes Off

The numbers tell a story that hardware specs cannot: India’s automotive audio market will more than double to $712 million within a decade, as per estimates, and Dolby Laboratories intends to capture the lion’s share before global rivals grasp the opportunity. With major players including Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Maruti Suzuki already signed, it is now seeking to extend its tie-ups with other OEMs, both local and global, that produce cars in India.

What has been helping Dolby hasten these efforts, as per Javier Foncillas, VP, Commercial Partnerships, Dolby Laboratories, is the company’s brand recognition in India, initially cultivated over decades through its presence in cinemas and more recently bolstered by partnerships involving live sports such as cricket, which holds a near-religious status in the country.

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Festive Hangover: Sales of Cars and SUVs Moderate Sharply in November After Festive High

The Indian passenger vehicle market witnessed a sharp 11.2% month-on-month decline in November 2025, with domestic sales falling from 3,99,605 units in October to 3,54,969 units. While some correction was anticipated following the festive season peak, the magnitude of decline varied dramatically across segments, revealing interesting patterns about consumer behaviour, pricing dynamics, and the lingering effects of the GST reduction announced in September.

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India's Auto Retail Shows Resilience in November Despite Post-Festive Slowdown

November EV Sales: Two-Wheelers Slow, Passenger and Commercial EVs in High Gear

India’s electric vehicle market delivered a mixed performance in November 2025, with retail trends showing clear divergence across segments as per data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). While electric passenger vehicles, three-wheelers, and commercial vehicles continued to expand at a strong pace, the two-wheeler category lost momentum, reflecting the deepening impact of GST 2.0 on buyer behaviour. Lower prices for entry-level ICE vehicles after the tax overhaul have tilted short-term demand away from EVs, cooling what had been a period of fast electric adoption earlier in the year.

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India Aims to Become Global Construction Equipment Hub as Exports Surge

India EV Sector Funding at $1.4 Billion in 2025, up 27% YoY

India’s electric vehicle sector got US$1.4 billion (around Rs 12,180 crore) this year till mid-November, marking a 27% increase over the $1.1 billion (around Rs 9,570 crore) raised in 2024, according to data from private market intelligence platform Tracxn. The jump in funding comes despite fewer deals, as investors focused on a smaller set of mature, scale-ready startups.

According to Tracxn’s EV in India Annual Funding Report 2025, funding rounds dropped to 65 year-to-date from 135 in 2024. But total investment still rose, showing investors are writing bigger cheques while backing fewer startups. Much of the funding went to electric vehicle manufacturers, which together drew $1.2 billion this year. Delhi dominated city-wise funding, accounting for $1.1 billion of the total, powered largely by one of the year’s largest EV deals.

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KETO Motors to Establish Electric Bus Manufacturing Facility in Telangana

Vingroup Signs $3 Billion Investment Deal with Telangana

Vietnam's largest private corporation Vingroup has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Telangana government for a proposed $3 billion investment to be rolled out in phases across multiple sectors in the state.

The agreement, announced at the Telangana Rising Global Summit, will see both parties explore collaboration opportunities in smart urban development, electric mobility, healthcare, education, tourism, renewable energy, and charging infrastructure across approximately 2,500 hectares.

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MINI Launches All-New Convertible in India at Rs 58.50 Lakh

BMW Group India launched the all-new MINI Convertible in the Indian market today at an ex-showroom price of Rs 58.50 lakh, with the completely built-up unit (CBU) available for booking at all authorized MINI dealerships and deliveries commencing immediately.

The vehicle features a 1,998 cc petrol engine with MINI TwinPower Turbo technology that produces 150 kW/204 hp at 5,000-6,500 rpm and maximum torque of 300 Nm at 1,450-4,500 rpm. The car accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds with a top speed of 240 km/h.

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Mercedes-Benz India to Raise Prices by Up to 2% from January 2026

VIDA Launches DIRT.E K3 E-Motorcycle at Rs 69,990

VIDA, Hero MotoCorp's emerging mobility brand, launched the DIRT.E K3, an electric motorcycle designed for young riders aged 4-10 years, at an introductory price of Rs 69,990 for the first 300 units, with expressions of interest opening today on vidaworld.com and retail commencing from January 15, 2026.

The motorcycle features a three-stage adjustable system that transforms across small, medium, and large configurations using a single tool, addressing the issue of quickly outgrown youth motorcycles. The size-adaptive platform maintains consistent ergonomics across multiple years of growth.

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Mahindra Unveils XUV 7XO Premium SUV, World Premiere Set for January 2026

Long Reads

JSW MG Motor India Goes All-In on New-Energy Push

India’s passenger-vehicle market is among the most concentrated in the world. Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Mahindra and Toyota account for nearly 90% of all sales. In this environment, smaller brands rarely find room to differentiate themselves. JSW MG Motor India’s answer is to avoid fighting the legacy battle altogether and instead align itself with one of the most significant shifts underway in the industry: the rise of electric and new-energy vehicles.

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Inside Valeo’s €1-Billion India Bet

Walk into any showroom in an Indian metro today, and the shift is unmistakable. Buyers who once debated mileage now ask about ADAS. A decade ago, EVs were curiosities; today, they command waiting lists. Local suppliers that once assembled imported designs are now building complete electronics ecosystems. For a technology heavyweight like Valeo, this behavioural and industrial shift has changed India from a promising outpost into a strategic market with real weight.

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Video Playlist

Why M&M’s XEV 9S Could Redefine India’s Rs 20 Lakhs+ EV Segment

Mahindra is going all-in on the premium electric SUV space and the XEV 9S is at the centre of that strategy. In this exclusive conversation, we dive into Mahindra’s explosive EV momentum, with 30,000 units of the XUV 9E and BE6 already sold, a clear focus on the ₹20 lakh-plus EV segment, and plans to scale production to 8,000 units a month by April.

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Ethanol Is the Most Suitable Clean-Energy Pathway for India: Toyota’s Vikram Gulati

Are EVs the only path to a clean future for India? Vikram Gulati, Country Head, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, shares a grounded, real-world view on why India’s energy transition must go beyond just electric vehicles.

In this conversation at Autocar Professional's India EV Conclave, Gulati explains how GST has simplified the auto tax structure and unexpectedly helped narrow the price gap between EVs and ICE vehicles. He makes a strong case for ethanol as India’s most practical clean-energy pathway, revealing that India could shift to E35–E40 almost overnight with flex-fuel–ready vehicles.

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Supply Chain Bottlenecks Are the Biggest Barrier to 15% EV Penetration by 2030: BYD India

India’s electric vehicle market is entering a decisive phase and BYD India is right at the center of it. In this exclusive conversation, Rajeev Chauhan, Head – Electric Passenger Vehicle Business, BYD India, reveals how the company has reached the milestone of selling 1,000 EVs every month, why safety has become non-negotiable, and how charging infrastructure, battery technology and ADAS are reshaping consumer expectations.

Chauhan also breaks down the government’s GST signals on EVs, the supply-chain challenges that could limit 15% EV penetration, the importance of localisation and scale, and why India’s EV buyers are fundamentally different across segments.

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Indofast to Build World’s Largest Battery-Swapping Network with ₹10,000 Cr Push

India’s EV revolution is moving fast but the charging infrastructure is struggling to keep up. In this candid conversation, Anant Badjatya, CEO of Indofast Energy, breaks down why India has just 1 public charger for every 150–190 EVs, why the country is under-investing in charging, and how battery swapping could become the biggest catalyst for EV adoption.

As one of Indian Oil’s largest EV investments, Indofast has already deployed 18,000 chargers in under two years, supports 44 different vehicle types, and is targeting 15,000 swapping stations across 42 cities. With a planned investment of ₹10,000 crore, the company aims to build the world’s largest battery-swapping network in India.

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India Needs Nearly 2 Lakh Skilled Workforce for EV Repairs: ASDC

India’s EV transition is accelerating but the skills gap is widening even faster. In this insightful conversation, Vinkesh Gulati, Chairperson, Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC), lays out the urgent need for 2 lakh trained EV repair technicians, the dangers of treating skilling as an afterthought, and why India must begin the transition with unlearning legacy ICE systems.

He explains why Right to Repair, already implemented globally, is essential for India’s EV ecosystem—and why its rollout in India is now closer than ever. Gulati also highlights how the EV shift is bringing more women into the auto workforce, ASDC’s push for 50% women in EV training, and the growing interest in mobility skills with over 1 lakh students registering for the Auto Olympiad.

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Insights & Interpretation

Why Indian EVs Can Worry Less About Rare Earths

The global EV sector is at a critical stage, with ongoing supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions due to overdependence on China for critical minerals such as Neodymium (Nd), Praseodymium (Pr), Dysprosium (Dy), and Terbium (Tb). Rare-Earth magnets manufactured from these minerals are core for high-performance EV motors, which come with steep environmental, economic, and strategic costs.

In India, where domestic reserves are scarce for these minerals, the challenge is twofold - mining and extraction & making the magnets - which then poses greater difficulties in advancing the EV industry’s progress: accelerating cost-efficient EV adoption, and increasing volatile import channels. India’s leadership in this transition could position it as a critical hub in the next phase of motor technology, as global automakers are slowly moving toward Rare-Earth-Free motor solutions

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The Missing Link Between Digitisation and Agility in Auto Manufacturing

Made in India: The Next Frontier of Tech Sovereignty

Semiconductors have moved from being an industry to becoming an instrument of strategy. The pandemic, supply chain shocks, and geopolitical flashpoints have shown how access to chips determines a nation’s economic rhythm. In a multipolar world, self-reliance is not isolation; it is the ability to build trusted, resilient ecosystems that can withstand uncertainty. For India, the semiconductor and electronics story is no longer distant, it has begun.

The global semiconductor market is projected to reach US $1 trillion by 2030, while India’s domestic electronics market could cross US $100 billion. This growth is driven by demand from mobile devices, automotive systems, renewable energy, healthcare, defence, and smart infrastructure. Whoever controls semiconductors controls innovation; whoever designs them defines the next decade of technology.

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Why Clearer Vision Could Be the Next Big Leap in Road Safety

Autocar Professional Bureau — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 12:52:22

While the human eye instinctively adapts to rapidly changing lighting conditions, vehicle cameras and their “brain” — the image signal processor (ISP) — face a far greater challenge. To keep these systems both cost-efficient and fast, automotive cameras typically use neither an iris nor an ND (neutral density) filter to regulate incoming light. In real driving scenarios, scene contrast can reach up to 160 dB in critical situations such as bright sunlight at tunnel entrances, headlights on dark roads, LED traffic lights, or reflections on wet asphalt. At the same time, there is zero tolerance for safety-critical artefacts like ghosting or LED flicker.

Dynamic range describes the ratio between the brightest and darkest signal levels an image sensor can accurately capture. To faithfully reproduce a high-contrast scene, the sensor’s dynamic range must match or exceed the scene’s contrast.

Only recently have image sensors capable of reaching 160 dB dynamic range without safety-critical artefacts become available. These sensors combine several sophisticated HDR techniques — such as multiple conversion gains, charge overflow, and staggered exposure schemes.

Side note: In small automotive cameras, the optics will inevitably introduce stray light, limiting the effective dynamic range in extreme contrast situations. Still, a 160 dB sensor (including stray light) retains far more critical information than a sensor whose signal simply clips. Even with imperfect optics, extremely high dynamic range sensors make clear sense in safety-critical systems.

To process such vast dynamic-range imagery, specialized HDR ISPs are required. These processors are typically implemented in hardware to achieve acceptable power consumption and are offered as semiconductor-based digital IP for integration into complex systems.

Real-World Applications of HDR ISPs

HDR images may use up to 28 bits per channel to represent a 160 dB signal in linear space.

One key use case is rendering this high dynamic range content as a natural-looking image on a display — for instance, in digital mirrors. Most displays today support just 8 to 10 bits per channel. Therefore, advanced tone-mapping algorithms, especially grid-based local tone mapping, are essential. They preserve both global contrast and fine details when compressing a 28-bit HDR frame to an 8- or 10-bit output.

The comparison below illustrates the difference: global tone mapping looks fine, but local tone mapping reveals additional subtle structures — the kind of details that might correspond to a pedestrian in the shadows or a bright vehicle emerging from a sunlit tunnel.

Another important application is machine-vision data generation for AI-driven perception systems. The HDR preprocessing required for object detection differs substantially from that used to produce natural images for human viewing — yet local tone mapping remains essential here as well.

To address these diverse demands, HDR ISPs use a modular architecture that scales seamlessly across application requirements. This flexibility enables customers to fine-tune performance, power efficiency, and silicon area, while allowing easy integration of new features or pipeline optimizations.

HDR ISPs are already embedded across a wide range of automotive domains, particularly:

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS):
Crucial for pedestrian detection, forward-collision warnings, lane-departure alerts, and other functions where clear visibility enables fast, potentially life-saving decisions.
Autonomous Driving Systems:
These rely heavily on precise, HDR-based environment mapping to maintain continuous 360° situational awareness.

Beyond automotive, HDR ISPs are becoming essential across industrial automation, security, robotics, quality control, and consumer electronics. In industrial environments — where lighting may change rapidly — real-time ISP processing enables fast and accurate machine vision. In consumer markets, HDR ISPs power action cameras, smart home devices, drones, and wearables, ensuring stable, high-quality imagery in all lighting conditions.

Overall, HDR ISP technology offers transformative potential across numerous sectors, playing an increasingly vital role in safety-critical and data-driven applications.

The Critical Role of Semiconductors

Semiconductors are central to the rising capabilities of automotive and autonomous mobility systems. They integrate complex technologies into power-efficient packages, enabling smarter, safer operation. Their roles include:

Sensor Integration:
Modern vehicles blend data from image sensors, LiDAR, radar, and ultrasonic devices. Semiconductors synchronize these inputs into a unified 360° environmental model.
Tone-Mapping Acceleration:
High-performance ICs enable the computationally intensive local tone mapping used in HDR ISPs — with power budgets suitable for embedded automotive platforms.
Real-Time Processing:
Vehicles generate enormous volumes of data every second. High-performance semiconductors ensure this raw sensor data is processed in real time, with very low latency of just a few image lines and with acceptable power consumption — a prerequisite for safety-critical decision-making.
Scalability:
Custom semiconductors allow ISPs to adopt a modular architecture, supporting tailored feature sets and more efficient development in terms of time, performance, and cost.

Conclusion

Although they operate behind the scenes, HDR ISPs are becoming a cornerstone of road safety and many other industries. They capture, interpret, and process complex imaging data in real time and very low latency. As ADAS and autonomous driving technologies continue to advance, the ability for vehicles to “see” clearly across extreme contrast conditions becomes increasingly crucial — and this is precisely where powerful semiconductors and HDR ISPs excel.

With global demand for smarter, safer, and more reliable mobility rising, HDR ISPs are rapidly becoming foundational components in modern vehicles. Continued innovation will be essential to meet evolving safety standards and unlock the full potential of next generation driving systems.

Beyond automotive, HDR ISPs are now proliferating wherever high-dynamic-range imaging must be processed — a trend that will accelerate as more HDR sensors of varying pixel counts and form factors enter the market.

Jens Benndorf is the CEO of Dream Chip Technologies & Head of Custom Silicon at Tessolve. Views expressed are the author's personal.

Made in India: The Next Frontier of Tech Sovereignty

Autocar Professional Bureau — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 12:15:51

India’s policy architecture is beginning to reflect that reality. The India Semiconductor Mission, launched in 2021 with an outlay of around ₹76,000 crore, has approved ten projects across six states, attracting ₹1.6 lakh crore in investments. Simultaneously, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme has catalysed an electronics surge: exports rose 47 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of FY 2026, and mobile phone exports have grown from almost zero in 2016 to nearly ₹90,000 crore in FY 2023. Scale is finally matching ambition.

But building an industry is not the same as building sovereignty. True sovereignty begins with design, research, and intellectual property, areas where India has made progress but still has distance to cover. Much of the design ecosystem depends on foreign electronic design automation tools and imported IP cores. India needs a homegrown framework that supports local standards, security, and innovation. The real question is not only whether we can make chips but whether we can design the thinking that makes chips possible.

Talent lies at the centre of that challenge. For decades, Indian engineers have fuelled global innovation in software. The next leap demands a shift from code to circuits, from platforms to physics. Each chip requires not just coding intelligence but deep understanding of material science, lithography, and system integration. Universities and industry must collaborate to create a pipeline of semiconductor intellect, programs that combine design thinking with fabrication fundamentals. India produces over 600,000 electronics engineers every year; aligning even a fraction toward chip design and manufacturing can transform national capability.

Across India, new regional clusters are taking shape. Gujarat is advancing in fabrication and packaging; Bengaluru dominates design; Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh are strengthening assembly and testing; Mohali is emerging as a hub for prototyping. Each reflects a pattern; policy incentives creating gravity for private capital, and enterprise creating learning cycles for local talent. Over time, this distributed network could become India’s greatest strength: a federation of specialised capabilities linked through a shared national mission.

Challenges remain significant. More than 90 percent of India’s advanced wafers, chemicals, and substrates are still imported, increasing costs and risks. Fabs require clean rooms, reliable power, and ultrapure water, conditions not yet universal. Logistics costs, though improving, remain higher than competing economies. If every percentage point in logistics cost translates into export competitiveness, this is the quiet battle India must win.

Equally important is quality and sustainability. The next wave of global manufacturing will reward reliability, not just cost. India’s reputation will depend on precision, compliance, and responsible production, turning factories into long-term partnerships rather than transactional suppliers. The environmental footprint of fabrication offers another opportunity: to build green fabs and embed ESG principles into industrial design from the outset.

The coming three to four years will be decisive. Fabrication plants are moving from MoUs to site development, silicon-carbide packaging is on the horizon, and India’s OSAT ecosystem is maturing. These will test how well national policy, state initiatives, and private execution can synchronise. They will determine whether India can evolve from an assembler to a full-stack semiconductor nation, owning research, design, production, and value creation.

Yet the deeper questions remain: How do we ensure Indian-designed chips remain Indian-owned in value and rights? How do we foster shared research frameworks that protect intellectual property while encouraging collaboration? And how do we pair patient capital with patient innovation in a sector where outcomes are measured in decades, not quarters?

India’s neutrality, software heritage, and young technical workforce position it uniquely to be a trusted node in a diversified global supply chain. If we can connect design with manufacturing, research with policy, and education with execution, we can define a model of technological sovereignty that is inclusive, collaborative, and resilient.

Semiconductors are not just about chips; they are about choices—the choice to invest long term, to design what we use, and to value knowledge as much as production. If India sustains that discipline, the next decade will not just be about making in India, it will be about making the future with India.

Rahul Garg is the Founder and CEO at Moglix. Views expressed are the author's personal.

Ferrari’s EV Play Will Complement, Not Replace ICE Vehicles: CEO Vigna

Hormazd Sorabjee — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 12:10:16

“Today we are adding to our portfolio of cars, that is combustion and hybrid, we are adding the electric cars,” he said. “We are not transitioning only to electric cars.”

Emotion Before Technology

Vigna framed Ferrari’s electrification strategy around what he called “emotion-driven innovation.” He said there are three ways companies innovate: pushing technology to market, waiting for demand, or starting from human emotion.

“What we are doing at Ferrari is the most important one,” he said. “We need to start from human beings, understand their needs, and address them in the right way.”

Ferrari already sells hybrid models such as the SF90 Stradale and 296 GTB and GTS. The company has confirmed that its first full battery-electric Ferrari will debut in 2026, though details remain limited. Vigna said electrification is not new territory for Ferrari.

“That journey started way back, 16 years ago, with the hybrid car,” he said.

Ferrari’s future portfolio will include ICE engines with six, eight and 12 cylinders, hybrid powertrains, and electric cars. “It will be the client selecting,” Vigna said. “It is important to leave the freedom of choice to the client.”

Making Electric Ferrari Feel Like a Ferrari

One of the biggest challenges for electric sports cars, Vigna acknowledged, is preserving driving engagement. “There are two things that people don't like when they drive electric cars,” he said. “One is the weight. The second is the lack of engagement.”

Electric cars, he said, are often too heavy. “Usually electric cars are like elephants,” he said. “But our electric car will be like a prancing horse.” Ferrari’s electric model will weigh under two tonnes, he said, supported by active systems to mask mass during driving.

The second issue is linear power delivery. “When you drive an electric car, it's like a motorbike without gear change,” he said. Ferrari is addressing this through what it calls “torque shift engagement.”

“Our electric Ferrari will have torque shift, engagement,” Vigna said. “When you drive a thermal Ferrari, when you drive an electric Ferrari, the way you drive it, the way you are engaged is the same.”

He added that Ferrari has filed several patents and worked closely with universities to engineer this driving feel.

Carbon-Neutral Fuels Still Matter

Vigna also pushed back against the idea that electrification is the only route to sustainability. He said internal combustion engines can remain relevant through carbon-neutral fuels.

“I like to call biofuel and e-fuel carbon-neutral fuel,” he said. While acknowledging high costs today, Vigna said innovation could reduce prices over time.

“Will this be enough for all the cars? No,” he said. “But they will be good for small volume cars like Ferraris.”

In his view, electric and carbon-neutral fuels will coexist. “They are two ways to power different kinds of Ferrari in the future,” he said.

Ferrari CEO’s comments come as India’s electric passenger vehicle market continues to scale from a small base. India’s electric car industry has clocked record sales of 160,000 units so far in 2025, accounting for around 4-5 percent of total passenger vehicle volumes. Growth has been led by Tata Motors, JSW MG Motor and Mahindra, with new launches expanding choice.

However, analysts say adoption remains constrained by charging infrastructure, pricing and consumer uncertainty, even as forecasts point to steady growth by the end of the decade. Luxury EV volumes remain niche, with most demand concentrated in mass-market segments.

Ferrari currently sells a tightly controlled global lineup that includes the SF90 Stradale, 296 GTB and GTS hybrids, Roma Spider, 812 Competizione, and the Purosangue. Its first fully electric model will add a new dimension to that range.

For Ferrari, Vigna said, leadership is about daring rather than fear. “A company can be called a leader if it is not scared about the future,” he said. “If a company starts to be afraid, it does not deserve anymore to be called a leader. We are a leader, we want to be a leader.”

India EV Sector Funding at $1.4 Billion in 2025, up 27% YoY: Tracxn

Kiran Murali — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 21:01:07

The big driver of the overall surge was late-stage funding, which more than doubled year-on-year. Investments at this stage rose to $1.1 billion in 2025 from $536 million in 2024, reflecting growing investor confidence in established EV brands and infrastructure companies.

Tracxn said the shift signals “performance-led capital deployment” as the market moves past early experimentation. Seed and early-stage financing continued to decline sharply. Early-stage funding fell nearly 50% to $226 million, while seed-stage investment dropped to $61.2 million across only 32 rounds.

"The strong surge in late-stage capital, driven by a billion-dollar round supporting manufacturing and charging infrastructure, signifies India’s EV ecosystem has moved beyond early experimentation to embrace a phase of measurable, scaled maturity. It’s a clear signal that global and domestic investors now see EVs not just as a climate bet, but as a commercially viable, long-horizon opportunity," said Neha Singh, co-founder of Tracxn.

Among the largest deals of the year, Delhi-based EV maker Erisha E Mobility closed a landmark $1 billion Series D round in March, making it the single biggest contributor to 2025’s funding tally. The company plans to use the capital to expand its EV three- and four-wheeler sales network, scale product development, and build manufacturing and hydrogen-based infrastructure.

Other notable rounds included Euler Motors’ $75 million Series D, Pune-based EKA’s $57 million Series A, and Blue Energy Motors’ $30 million Series A. Battery Smart, a leading battery-swapping network operator, raised $29 million in a Series B round.

Funding also remained geographically concentrated. Delhi led with $1.1 billion, followed by Pune with $120 million and Bengaluru with $105 million. Gurugram and Mumbai trailed further behind, with $57 million and $18 million respectively. These top-funded cities reflect a mix of strong EV manufacturing bases, established startup ecosystems, and expanding commercial EV demand, especially in logistics-rich markets such as Delhi.

Investor participation, however, declined significantly. First-time investors fell from 63 to 32 over the same period, pointing to increased reliance on existing backers who continue to fuel follow-on rounds. International investor participation also dipped to 25 entities this year, compared with 47 in 2024.

The EV sector recorded more exit activity this year. Acquisitions rose to three in 2025 from one last year. Remsons acquired Astro Motors for $1.7 million, while Yuma Energy bought battery-tech startup Grinntech Motors & Services. The number of IPOs remained steady at four. Ather Energy’s listing in May 2025, valued at $1.4 billion, was the largest of the year. Other companies that went public included Deltic Autocorp, Maxvolt Energy and Zelio E Bikes.

The Tracxn report notes that India’s EV investment landscape is now firmly in a maturity phase. Investor caution, combined with macroeconomic tightening and evolving state EV policies, has pushed the market away from early-stage risk and toward companies with clear pathways to profitability and scale. This selective deployment of capital, Tracxn says, marks the end of India’s early “hype phase” and the beginning of more disciplined, fundamentals-driven growth.

Note: INR conversion was done at a rate of Rs 87 per US$

Apollo Tyres Secures A- Leadership Rating in CDP Assessment

Sarthak Mahajan — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 18:35:07

Apollo Tyres has received an A- leadership rating from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) for both Climate Change and Water Security categories, announced on December 12, 2025. The rating places the company among high-performing organizations in environmental disclosure and action globally.

The achievement represents substantial advancement for Apollo Tyres, which received an initial CDP Climate Change score of D in 2020. By 2023, the company had expanded its disclosures to include water security and earned a B- rating. The current A- rating reflects improved governance, risk management, and emissions reduction efforts.

The CDP provides a standardized platform for measuring and disclosing environmental impacts. Approximately 25,000 companies worldwide participate in CDP disclosures as of 2025, making the A- leadership designation a competitive achievement.

Rajeev Kumar Sinha, Chief Manufacturing Officer at Apollo Tyres, stated that the rating demonstrates the company's dedication to environmental stewardship and progress toward a low-carbon, water-secure future. He emphasized the company's commitment to driving action and transparency across operations.

Apollo Tyres has committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, intending to balance greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain. The company plans to disclose absolute-based emission commitments for the near term soon, forming the foundation of its decarbonization roadmap.

The rating recognizes Apollo Tyres' work in enhancing environmental governance, strengthening risk and opportunity management, advancing emissions reduction, setting science-aligned targets, and deepening stakeholder engagement throughout its value chain.

Apollo Tyres operates as an international tyre manufacturer with multiple manufacturing units in India and facilities in the Netherlands and Hungary. The company markets products under the Apollo and Vredestein brands across more than 100 countries.

Video - India Needs Nearly 2 Lakh Skilled Workforce for EV Repairs: ASDC

Prerna Lidhoo — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:35:39

Maruti Suzuki Launches Winter Service Drive for Vehicle Maintenance

Sarthak Mahajan — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 16:14:47

Maruti Suzuki India Limited has launched its Winter-Special Service Drive, offering customers across India a comprehensive vehicle health check at authorized dealer service workshops.

The initiative, running until January 4, 2026, provides a free 27-point inspection covering critical winter-related vehicle components. The program is part of the company's seasonal car care strategy designed to help vehicle owners maintain their cars throughout the year.

The health check covers several essential systems that require particular attention during winter months. The lighting system inspection includes headlamps, fog lamps, brake lights, and turn signal indicators, ensuring optimal visibility in reduced daylight conditions.

Climate control systems are thoroughly examined, with technicians checking blower fan operation and defogger switches to ensure proper heating and ventilation functionality. Air filters and AC filters are also inspected as part of the comprehensive check.

Battery performance becomes crucial during colder weather, and the service drive includes battery health and charging system assessments. Tire pressure, wheel nut torque, spare wheel condition, and any abnormal wear or cracks are evaluated to ensure safe driving conditions.

Brake system components receive careful attention, with checks for brake fluid levels and brake pedal leakage that could compromise vehicle safety.

Participating customers receive a complimentary car wash in addition to the vehicle inspection. The service is available exclusively at Maruti Suzuki authorized service centers and workshops nationwide.

The company emphasizes that while the health check itself is free, any repairs or corrective actions identified during the inspection will be charged separately. These charges would include replacement parts, labor, and applicable taxes.

This winter service campaign reflects Maruti Suzuki's approach to after-sales customer care, with the company organizing season-specific maintenance drives throughout the year. Each seasonal initiative addresses the particular challenges vehicles face during different weather conditions.

Vehicle owners can visit their nearest Maruti Suzuki authorized dealer service workshop to take advantage of the winter service drive before it concludes in early January.

AJAX Engineering Unveils UDAAN at EXCON 2025

Sarthak Mahajan — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:52:47

AJAX Engineering has introduced UDAAN, a compact concrete mixing solution designed for India's construction industry, at EXCON 2025. The product represents the company's strategic effort to expand mechanised concreting adoption among small and mid-sized contractors.

The newly launched UDAAN features a 0.8 cubic meter drum capacity and incorporates a CEV Stage V-compliant engine. According to the company, the equipment addresses persistent labour shortages in the construction sector while enabling smaller contractors to transition from manual processes to mechanised operations.

Shubhabrata Saha, MD and CEO of AJAX Engineering, emphasised the company's three-decade legacy in India's concreting industry. He noted that UDAAN builds on the company's innovations, including its patented load-cell technology, which the firm says delivers precise concrete measurement across various applications.

At the exhibition, AJAX displayed an extensive product portfolio spanning self-loading concrete mixers, batching plants, electric concrete pumps, and a 3D concrete printer. The company highlighted its indigenously developed slip form paver, which has been exported to Russia and Africa, supporting its "Make in India, Made for the World" positioning.

The company operates four manufacturing facilities with plans for a fifth. AJAX maintains over 100 service touchpoints across India and has established distribution channels in 23 countries, with products reaching 45 global markets.

AJAX has also developed the AJAX School of Concrete, a training initiative aimed at equipping operators and technicians with skills to handle modern concreting machinery. This educational programme addresses the skills gap that has historically limited the adoption of advanced construction equipment in the Indian market.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Bangalore, AJAX Engineering has positioned itself as a significant player in the self-loading concrete mixer segment. The company's product range covers concrete production, transportation, and placement equipment.

Eicher Trucks & Buses Advances Energy Efficiency Initiatives on National Energy Conservation Day

Shristi Ohri — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:10:40

Eicher Trucks & Buses has announced a series of energy efficiency measures coinciding with National Energy Conservation Day, focusing on manufacturing operations and on-road fleet optimization.

The company, a business unit of Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles (VECV), operates over 387,000 connected vehicles that utilize predictive analytics through its MyEicher platform to improve fuel economy and reduce idle time. The fleet includes commercial vehicles running on alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), and electric powertrains deployed across multiple Indian states.

Manufacturing efficiency centers on the company's Bhopal facility, which incorporates Industry 4.0 technologies and digital systems for resource management. The plant features a 52-million-liter water body that supplies the paint shop and receives recycled water, creating a closed-loop system. The water body now supports aquatic life and serves as a stopover for migratory birds.

Energy management at company facilities includes LED lighting installations replacing approximately 5,000 conventional fixtures, along with IoT-based monitoring systems and variable frequency drive motor controls.

VECV has set a target of achieving 70% renewable energy usage by fiscal year 2027, supported by a 6-megawatt solar installation currently under expansion. The company also aims to become water positive by 2030.

The sustainability program encompasses waste reduction, emission controls, and zero waste to landfill initiatives, aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 6, 7, 12, and 13.

VECV is a joint venture between the Volvo Group and Eicher Motors Limited, established in August 2008. The company manufactures and distributes Eicher-branded trucks and buses in 40 countries, along with Volvo Buses India and engines for the Volvo Group.

Mexico's 50% Tariff Move Threatens India's $1.9 Billion Auto Export Market

Shristi Ohri — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:27:04

Saharsh Damani, CEO of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), has called Mexico's new 35-50% tariff on Indian automobiles a "serious challenge" as the country prepares to implement duties on imports from countries without free-trade agreements from January 1, 2026.

"Industry and Government's task is cut out as they need to swiftly activate their diplomacy to set things right," said Damani, highlighting the urgency of the situation with only 20 days remaining to respond.

According to Damani's analysis, Mexico currently represents India's largest passenger vehicle export market. In FY2024-25, India exported approximately 1.94 lakh passenger vehicles worth $1.9 billion (around ₹15,800 crore) to Mexico, accounting for nearly one-fourth of India's total car exports.

The tariff increase will hit major Indian automakers hard. Damani notes that Maruti Suzuki India exports 66,000-70,000 units annually to Mexico—representing 22-25% of its total exports—including popular models like the Baleno, Swift, Dzire, and Brezza. Hyundai Motor India ships 25,000-30,000 units including the Grand i10 Nios, Aura, Venue, and Creta, while the Volkswagen Group accounts for 55,000-60,000 units of the Virtus, Slavia, Taigun, and Kushaq. Nissan India also exports several thousand Magnite units, sold as the Kicks in Mexico.

The two-wheeler sector faces similar challenges. According to Damani, Bajaj Auto ships 40,000-50,000 units annually to Mexico as part of its 1.48 million total exports, including the Platina, Pulsar, and Boxer models. TVS Motor Company exports 10,000-15,000 units, Hero MotoCorp sends 5,000-10,000 units, and Royal Enfield ships 2,000-5,000 premium motorcycles to the market.

Beyond vehicles, Damani's analysis reveals that Mexico accounts for nearly one-third of India's global safety-airbag exports and 20% of flat-rolled stainless steel exports. While India enjoys strong leverage in aluminium with 53% Mexican market share, ceramics, and certain tractor segments totaling ₹4,900 crore of "hard-to-replace" goods, the automobile segment has no immediate alternative supplier base in Mexico.

Mexican authorities have defended the tariff hike as necessary to protect domestic industries and reduce dependence on imports. The move comes months after the United States imposed similar duties on India, and analysts suggest Mexico may be attempting to align more closely with US trade expectations ahead of the 2026 review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

The tariffs apply to more than 1,400 products including auto parts, textiles, plastics, steel, clothing, and household appliances from Asian countries without trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia. Mexico expects to generate approximately $3.76 billion in additional revenue from these measures.

Indian industry bodies, including the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, had urged India's commerce ministry in November to press Mexico to maintain the status quo on vehicle tariffs. With bilateral trade between India and Mexico reaching $11.7 billion in 2024, and India enjoying a substantial trade surplus, the new tariffs threaten to significantly reshape the economic relationship between the two countries.

Eastman Auto and Power Limited Files for IPO via Confidential Route

Shristi Ohri — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:27:19

Eastman Auto and Power Limited (EAPL), an energy-transition and power-electronics company, has submitted its confidential Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), marking its intention to go public.

The company, established in 2000 as part of the JRS Eastman Group, has developed into a diversified energy-solutions provider specializing in battery storage, power electronics, and solar technologies. Under Managing Director Shekhar Singal's leadership, EAPL operates with a focus on innovation-led manufacturing aligned with the "Made in India, for the World" philosophy.

EAPL's business model centers on three strategic areas: last-mile e-mobility solutions, advanced electronics manufacturing, and solar energy with integrated storage systems. The company commands a dominant position in the electric three-wheeler (E3W) battery segment, holding over 50% volume share in FY2025. It supplies more than 400 E3W original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across India through a distribution network comprising over 2,500 service partners and 1,200 distributors.

The company's manufacturing infrastructure spans eight facilities across India, including three dedicated power-electronics plants with a combined annual production capacity of two million units. EAPL's product range includes E3W chargers, solar inverters (off-grid, grid-tie, and hybrid variants), online UPS systems, and home inverters. Its research and development capabilities are supported by over 200 professionals and international experts, with 5 patents and 47 design registrations.

In a significant expansion move, EAPL has commissioned an 800 MW solar panel manufacturing plant in Sonipat, positioning itself as an integrated solar-solutions provider. The company offers lithium-based energy-storage systems, solar batteries, and inverters, addressing India's growing solar adoption and storage requirements.

EAPL has established itself as the largest exporter of storage batteries for solar solutions, with a presence in over 50 countries. The company reported revenue of ₹4,228 crore in FY25, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28% between FY23 and FY25. Its manufacturing capacity includes 11.47 GWh of battery storage and annual production of six million energy-storage units across E3W batteries, solar batteries, and home inverter batteries, plus two million solar inverters, home inverters, and E3W chargers.

The IPO filing comes at a time when India's clean-energy sector is experiencing substantial growth. The electric-vehicle market is projected to expand from $2.36 billion in 2024 to $164.42 billion by 2033, representing a 57% CAGR, while the EV battery market is expected to reach $13.89 billion by 2033. Solar energy installed capacity is projected to reach 303 GW by 2030, with rooftop solar capacity expected to grow from 4.4 GW in 2019 to 17 GW by 2025.

The confidential filing route allows companies to submit their prospectus to SEBI without immediate public disclosure, with details becoming available closer to the actual IPO launch date.

Naxion Energy Introduces Sodium-Ion Storage Systems in India

Sarthak Mahajan — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 19:00:21

Naxion Energy, formerly known as Sodion Energy, has announced the commercial launch of sodium-ion-based energy storage systems manufactured at its Coimbatore facility. The company positions itself as India's first dedicated sodium-ion battery manufacturer.

The all-in-one energy platforms integrate battery, inverter, and solar MPPT components. Available in 3.5kW, 5kW, and 10kW configurations with expandable capacity, the systems are designed to serve residential, commercial, industrial, and defense sectors as replacements for lead-acid batteries and diesel generators.

The launch event was attended by G. Satheesh Reddy, former chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), who noted the technology's potential in addressing material constraints associated with conventional battery systems.

According to Abishek Reddy, CEO of Naxion Energy India, the company aims to establish an indigenous supply chain for battery technology. The systems are engineered to operate in temperatures ranging from -30°C to +70°C and require no maintenance such as water top-ups or periodic servicing.

Sodium-ion chemistry offers non-flammable and non-toxic properties, which the company states eliminates thermal runaway risks. The technology enables higher charge and discharge rates compared to lead-acid systems, allowing the batteries to power high-inductive loads including air conditioners, compressors, and industrial equipment.

Naxion Energy plans to invest ₹200 crore by the end of 2026 to expand manufacturing capabilities and increase its workforce by 50%. The company is establishing a second manufacturing plant in Telangana, scheduled to become operational next year.

Current clients include Sagar Cements, Tamil Nadu Forest Department, TAFE dealerships, and various MSME industrial clusters. The company distributes products through a dealer network across major Indian cities.

Founded in 2024 and headquartered in Hyderabad, Naxion Energy has raised ₹25 crore in funding. Beyond energy storage, the company manufactures sodium-ion battery packs for mobility applications in heavy machinery, marine, and defense sectors.