Tier 1 supplier Schaeffler India has appointed Sharad Bhatia as the new Head of Vehicle Lifetime Solutions (VLS), effective 2 December 2024.

In his new role, he is tasked to lead Schaeffler India’s efforts to strengthen presence in the mobility ecosystem.

Bhatia comes with over 24 years of experience in the automotive parts industry and will be instrumental in expanding Schaeffler India’s VLS business on the back of his deep expertise in aftermarket service parts sector.

Harsha Kadam, MD & CEO, Schaeffler India, said, “We are delighted to welcome Sharad Bhatia to Schaeffler India as Head of Vehicle Lifetime Solutions. The Vehicle Lifetime Solutions business is an important business division for the strategic growth of Schaeffler in India. His extensive background in the aftermarket business, combined with his experience in multinational markets, aligns well with our strategic goals. Sharad’s leadership will be pivotal in strengthening and enhancing the agility of our VLS business, further reinforcing our commitment to sustainable motion technology solutions in India.”

Sharad Bhatia, added, “I am excited to join Schaeffler India at a time when the automotive industry is rapidly transforming. My focus will be on expanding our aftermarket solutions portfolio by leveraging advanced motion technology to deliver value and innovation. I look forward to working closely with the talented team at Schaeffler India to strengthen our Vehicle Lifetime Solutions division and provide our customers with sustainable, reliable, and forward-looking solutions.”

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has introduced ‘Quickstop’, a compact, prefabricated service touchpoint designed for rapid deployment in high-vehicle-density areas.

The units are constructed from modified containers and equipped with tools for routine maintenance and minor repairs.

Quickstop facilities are designed for locations such as corporate campuses, airports and fleet hubs. The format allows vehicle owners to access servicing at their place of work or transit points, reducing the need for dedicated service centre visits.

The modular, container-based design requiring minimal space and setup time. It utilises waterless car washing techniques and battery-powered service equipment. The facilities are operated by Maruti Suzuki dealer partners, with space provided by corporate entities or fleet operators.

In the initial pilot phase, the company has established 10 Quickstop facilities across Delhi-NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Bagdogra, Calicut and Surat.

The initiative targets both individual customers and commercial fleet operators. For professional drivers, the on-site format is intended to reduce vehicle downtime and increase operational availability. For office employees, the system allows for vehicle drop-off and pick-up within the workday.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “As workdays are getting increasingly busier and personal time is becoming more valuable, we recognise a growing need to make vehicle servicing even more convenient and accessible to customers. This led to the creation of Quickstop, which brings our service facilities to places customers regularly visit, such as offices, airport zones and fleet hubs. These compact, container-based units are easy to install and require very little time and space for set up, making them ideal for such locations.”

“Office‑goers can simply drop off their vehicles at on‑site Quickstop facilities and pick them up fully serviced after work. Similarly, for fleet operators and commercial users, minimising vehicle downtime is essential, as time directly impacts earnings. Quickstop helps reduce vehicle downtime and increase availability. Our idea is to seamlessly integrate vehicle servicing into a customer’s lifestyle, so that they don’t have to go out of their way. Cars should serve the customers, not the other way around,” he added further.

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GoMechanic has announced the nationwide expansion of its Roadside Repair Services (RSR) to provide assistance for vehicle breakdowns. The initiative aims to standardise roadside support in the Indian automotive service market through a tech-enabled fleet of service vehicles.

The expansion is being executed in two phases to ensure a presence in major urban centres:

• Phase 1: Currently operational with 200 service bikes across cities including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Amritsar, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad.
• Phase 2: Deployment of an additional 300 service bikes scheduled for the second half of 2026, intended to cover all major Indian cities.

The service is available 24x7 and includes multilingual customer support. Assistance can be requested via the GoMechanic mobile application or a dedicated helpline.

The RSR network focuses on resolving common mechanical issues on-site to reduce vehicle downtime. Key services include repair or replacement for flat tyres, battery jump-starts & diagnostics and emergency fuel delivery.

The company stated that the service protocols are designed with a focus on driver safety and trust, particularly for individuals travelling alone or in unfamiliar locations.

Himanshu Arora, Co-Founder and CEO, GoMechanic, said, “Every journey in India is unique, and every car user deserves the security of knowing professional help is never far. With GoMechanic’s Roadside Repair Services, the focus is on reducing downtime during unexpected breakdowns by ensuring timely assistance, so car users can get back on the road without unnecessary delays.”

Muskaan Kakkar, Co-Founder and COO, GoMechanic, added, “This is more than just a service expansion; it is about building trust and reliability for every Indian car owner. With trained mechanics, nationwide coverage, and round-the-clock availability, GoMechanic remains committed to being there when it matters the most.”

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Cars24 has announced the acquisition of Vehicle Info, an automotive utility application. The move is intended to facilitate the development of a vehicle ownership platform in India.

The acquisition signals a shift in strategy for Cars24, moving from a focus on buying and selling transactions toward managing the vehicle lifecycle. Vehicle Info provides users with tools to track insurance validity, traffic challans, FASTag balances and vehicle documentation within a single interface.

Vehicle Info was founded by Chirag Pipaliya in Surat. Developed without venture capital, the application was designed to address the daily management needs of car owners rather than one-time transactions. The platform currently ranks among the most used automotive applications in India for document compliance and utility tracking.

Vehicle Info will continue to operate as a standalone application. Its existing team will work with Cars24 to integrate these utility features into a broader ecosystem for car management.

The integration aims to consolidate fragmented services that vehicle owners typically manage across multiple platforms. By combining transactional data with ownership utility, the companies intend to create a system that serves users throughout the duration of vehicle possession.

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Roinet Insurance Brokers has announced the launch of Roinet Kavach, a digital motor insurance platform designed to increase insurance adoption in Tier III to Tier VI markets. The company expects 2.5x–3x growth over the next 6–12 months and is targeting a GMV of INR 1 billion by FY2027, with motor insurance projected to contribute 35 percent of revenue.

The platform utilises a network of over 70,000 rural touchpoints to reach first-time buyers, who currently represent 65 percent of the customer base. Primary growth has been recorded in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Roinet Kavach is a mobile-first interface designed for low-bandwidth environments. It allows Point of Sale Persons (POSPs) to generate quotes, compare premiums and issue policies in three minutes.

The platform currently integrates real-time pricing from ICICI Lombard, Chola MS, SBI General and Go Digit. At present, two-wheelers contributes 75 percent, private cars 15 percent and commercial vehicles 10 percent of policies, respectively.

The platform serves 1,000 POSPs in rural and semi-urban regions, providing them with vernacular support, renewal integration, and claims assistance. According to the company, the system creates a monthly income stream of INR 2,000 to INR 10,000 for these distributors through transparent commissions.

Future plans for the platform include the introduction of telematics-based risk scoring, electric-vehicle-specific products, and usage-based pricing models as regulations evolve.

Rahul Mathur, CEO, Roinet Insurance Brokers, said, “Roinet Kavach solves a real and persistent distribution gap in motor insurance by ensuring transparency, efficiency, and accessibility for millions of Indians who have never availed a policy before. By placing the right digital tools in the hands of our last-mile POSPs, who are our backbone, we are strengthening insurance reach in underserved markets and helping build financial resilience in regions the industry has long overlooked. It is a win-win for both the end customer and our POSPs.”

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