Greaves Cotton, a leading diversified engineering company, has announced the appointment of Ramachandra Puttanna as the new Business Head for EV Solutions & New Businesses within Greaves Retail.

In his new role, Puttanna will be responsible for driving the strategic growth plan for Greaves Retail’s electric vehicle (EV) components and new verticals. He will report to Narasimha Jayakumar, CEO, Greaves Retail, as Greaves continues to advance its strategy in sustainable mobility solutions across India.  

Greaves Retail is focussing on being a fuel-agnostic provider, delivering comprehensive sales, service, and spare parts solutions across three-wheelers (3W), two-wheelers (2W), small commercial vehicles (SCVs), electric vehicles (EVs), and construction equipment.

The company specialises in ensuring high vehicle uptime and maximised asset productivity, positioning it among the top three in the aftermarket segment. 

Puttanna come with over 35 years of extensive experience and has worked with companies such as Fenner India, Bosch India, Oman Trading, Magneti Marelli, and ZF Group.

Most recently, he served as Vice-President of the Aftermarket business at ZF Group, where he managed operations across India and the SAARC regions.

He is a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Mysore University, Puttanna has furthered his education with a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (Marketing) from Bangalore University and an Advanced Program in Business Management from IIM Bangalore.  

“I am honoured to join Greaves Cotton at this pivotal stage in the company’s journey towards sustainable mobility. I look forward to leveraging my experience to drive the growth of Greaves Retail’s new businesses and enhance our offerings for a broader range of customers,” said Puttanna.

Narasimha Jayakumar, CEO, Greaves Retail, said, “We are thrilled to have Ramachandra join us. His proven track record aligns well with our commitment to customer-centric, innovative solutions. Ramachandra’s leadership will be instrumental in advancing Greaves Retail’s new businesses.”

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Electric vehicle charging network Charge_iN by Mahindra has expanded its public charging infrastructure to 50 locations across India, reaching 200 operational charging points. The company commissioned its latest installation at the HP Auto Care Centre in Sajgaon along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

The Sajgaon installation represents the first operational station resulting from a collaboration established in March 2026 between Mahindra and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) to deploy charging infrastructure across HPCL retail outlets in India. Additional sites under the agreement are currently under construction across highway routes. Mahindra plans to expand the Charge_iN network to 250 stations comprising approximately 1,000 charging points by December 2027.

The network utilises 180 kW dual-gun chargers designed to supply power to electric vehicles, including Mahindra models such as the XEV 9e, BE 6 Sporteq and XEV 9S. The stations are situated along highway corridors alongside commercial amenities and dining facilities.

The Charge_iN system operates as an open network accessible to electric vehicle owners of all vehicle brands through the Charge_iN by Mahindra application, the Me4U application, and third-party aggregator platforms, with integration into the HP eCharge application scheduled for release. Mahindra electric vehicle users can access approximately 35,000 public charging points, including HP eCharge sites, across charge point operators via the Me4U platform.

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has commissioned a 300 kW green hydrogen electrolyser plant as a pilot project at its Manesar facility in Haryana. The green hydrogen produced at the unit is blended with natural gas to serve as process fuel in the company's manufacturing operations.

The plant captures solar energy generated at the Manesar site during non-operational periods and holidays when power would otherwise go unutilised. This solar power drives the electrolysis process and the resulting hydrogen is stored for subsequent use on the factory floor.

Based on the outcomes of this pilot, the company plans to scale up green hydrogen technology across its manufacturing plants in Haryana and Gujarat. The initiative draws from parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation’s core philosophy of Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi, which translates to smaller, fewer, lighter, shorter and more beautiful, to improve resource efficiency and energy usage.

Hisashi Takeuchi, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Just like we have adopted a multi-pathway approach for products, we have also embarked on a journey of multiple renewable energy solutions for manufacturing operations. The commissioning of our 300 kW Green Hydrogen plant is aligned with the Government of India’s Green Hydrogen Mission. This, along with expansion of solar, biogas and installation of battery energy storage system reflects our commitment to transition to cleaner and sustainable energy solutions.”

“India is emerging as a manufacturing powerhouse, and its competitive position may not depend solely on cost and quality, but also on CO2 intensity. With such initiatives, we are building capability today so that we can support a low-carbon and more energy-efficient manufacturing ecosystem tomorrow. Through multiple clean technologies, we aspire to reduce our carbon footprint in manufacturing operations from the present 615,000 tonnes to 266,000 tonnes in FY 2030-31,” he added.

The commissioning forms part of a broader shift toward renewable energy sources across the carmaker's operational footprint. Current measures include in-house solar plants, renewable energy procurement from government channels, and power purchase agreements for solar and wind energy with third-party suppliers.

Alongside hydrogen, Maruti Suzuki is constructing a 10 tonnes per day biogas plant at its Kharkhoda site, scheduled for commissioning within the 2026-27 financial year, and recently installed a 1 MWh battery energy storage system at the same location. The company’s board has approved four compressed biogas projects with an allocated budget of INR 5,610 million. In a separate venture, Suzuki Motor Corporation is partnering with organisations including the National Dairy Development Board and regional dairy unions to establish 10 biogas plants across India, three of which are operating in Gujarat.

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Electric vehicle infrastructure company ThunderPlus has expanded its highway charging network following the installation of a 120 kW DC fast-charging station at Amazon Kitchens on Kurnool Road, Andhra Pradesh.

The facility is located at the junction of several road networks connecting Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. Positioned along National Highway 44, the station serves the Hyderabad–Bengaluru transit corridor while providing access to National Highway 40, which links Nandyal, Kadapa, Rayachoti, Chittoor and Ranipet. The location also connects with National Highway 340C, extending reach toward Nandikotkur, Atmakur, and Dornala.

The 120 kW charger supports compatible four-wheeler electric vehicles and additional battery-electric transport models during intercity transit, allowing drivers to recharge vehicles during meal stops and travel breaks.

At present, ThunderPlus operates a network comprising more than 250 charging hubs and over 1,000 charge points across urban and highway sites.

Raj Kumar Medimi, Director, ThunderPlus, said, "As EV adoption moves beyond city limits, charging infrastructure must evolve around how people actually travel. Our objective is not simply to add more charging points, but to identify strategic locations where fast charging can fit naturally into a journey. By combining 120 kW fast charging with access to food and traveller amenities, the Kurnool station is designed to make intercity EV travel more convenient and practical."

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Ultraviolette has secured USD 85 million in a new funding round led by Yali Capital and TDK Ventures, with participation from Walden International Chairman Lip-Bu Tan (who also joins the company as an Advisor), along with existing and long-term investors.

The capital will be used to scale production of the F77 and X-47 models as well as the upcoming Tesseract and Shockwave while supporting development of next-generation global EV platforms. These platforms will leverage Ultraviolette's vertically integrated expertise in battery technology, power electronics, vehicle architecture and intelligent software.

The company aims to enter United States in 2027 and expand across Latin America and South-East Asia. Ultraviolette's technical capabilities span battery architectures from 48V to 400V, positioning it among the few global EV manufacturers with such in-house breadth, enabling platforms tailored to varied performance, range, thermal and packaging needs.

Lip-Bu Tan, Chairman, Walden International said, “What I really like about Ultraviolette is the combination of deep engineering expertise, strong IP and the willingness to take on genuinely difficult problems. They have built the technology from first principles and are focused on creating something that is truly differentiated for the long term.”

Ganapathy Subramaniam, Founding Managing Partner, Yali Capital, said, “India’s shift towards cleaner mobility will increasingly be driven by electric two-wheelers, given the scale of the segment. What attracted us to Ultraviolette is the depth of engineering the team has built in-house; from the battery, powertrain to software and radar and their focus on applying this technology to real rider needs, especially safety. Ultraviolette has taken the F77 from concept to the roads in India and Europe, and brought radar-based safety features into a production two-wheeler with the X-47. With the Tesseract, launching early next year, they will bring this engineering and safety focus to scooters and a much wider set of riders. This combination of deep technology, product focus and ambition gives us strong conviction in Ultraviolette, and we are proud to back them.”

Ravi Jain, Investment Director, TDK Ventures, said, "The adoption of electric two-wheelers can be accelerated by superior products powered by differentiated technology. We continue to believe that Ultraviolette is best positioned to catalyse this transition and build winning products for global markets."

Ultraviolette Founders Narayan Subramaniam & Niraj Rajmohan shared, “This funding round represents an important step in Ultraviolette’s evolution into a global electric mobility company. The conviction demonstrated by Yali Capital, TDK Ventures, Lip-Bu Tan and our long-term investors reinforces our vision of building a design and tech focused global brand out of India. This investment will enable us to scale manufacturing, accelerate the development of our future product platforms and deepen our presence across international markets. Our single-minded focus is about being a global leader in future mobility; electric vehicles that bring together uncompromising performance, future centric design and advanced technology.”

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