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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BGauss has introduced the Oowah, a new electric scooter engineered for India’s emerging generation of first-time EV buyers. Marking the company’s inaugural entry into the EV Pop scooter category, the vehicle blends practical urban commuting with a distinctive, expressive design philosophy tailored to the contemporary Indian rider.

The scooter is powered by a 3.0 kWh removable Lithium Iron Phosphate battery, which facilitates convenient indoor charging for owners without dedicated home infrastructure. Achieving an ARAI-certified range of 145 kilometres, the Oowah is available in four bold colour options – Emerald Shadow, Jamun Punch, Zesty Red and Tangy Toma – and is engineered to balance reliable performance with a striking aesthetic.

Everyday usability has been prioritised through the integration of several rider-centric features. These include reverse assist for effortless parking, a distance-to-empty indicator for journey planning and a side stand sensor to enhance safety. Additional amenities such as USB charging, full LED lighting and generous under-seat storage are intended to make electric mobility more intuitive and convenient for daily use.

This launch coincides with a significant growth phase in India’s electric two-wheeler market, which recorded over 1.11-million-unit sales in early 2026 and surpassed 11 percent monthly penetration. While current offerings are largely premium or value-focused, BGauss identifies an emerging category centred on design and self-expression. The Oowah represents the brand’s strategic expansion beyond its existing commuter models, directly targeting youthful buyers and first-time owners as the market evolves towards mainstream, high-volume demand.

Hemant Kabra, Founder, BGauss, said, “The Indian two-wheeler buyer is changing faster than most product portfolios have kept pace with. Gen Z wants products that are expressive, contemporary and enjoyable to own. With Oowah, we are introducing a new category that blends bold design with trusted electric mobility. It is a scooter that reflects individuality while delivering the reliability and practicality that riders expect from BGauss.”

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Indofast Energy, India’s leading battery-swapping solutions provider, has entered a strategic collaboration with GLIDA, a major public EV charging infrastructure firm formerly known as Fortum Charge & Drive India. The agreement involves situating Indofast’s Quick Interchange Stations at existing GLIDA sites nationwide, effectively merging swap and charge capabilities into unified energy hubs for diverse electric vehicles.

The initial rollout includes 10 stations across Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, with ambitious plans to expand to 50 locations and over 100 swapping points within the next year. By combining GLIDA’s established power infrastructure and prime site network with Indofast’s advanced swapping technology, the initiative aims to offer fleet operators and delivery riders seamless, rapid turnaround services, thereby maximising vehicle uptime and accelerating the deployment of Indofast’s Battery-as-a-Service model in busy markets.

This alliance reinforces Indofast’s role in sustainable urban transit, complementing its existing footprint of more than 1,900 stations across 24 cities. The growing network has already facilitated over two billion kilometres of emission-free travel, underscoring the company’s commitment to expanding clean mobility through partnerships with OEMs, fleet operators and infrastructure providers.

Subhash Bhat, Interim CEO, Indofast Energy, said, "Our partnership with GLIDA enables us to rapidly expand our Battery-as-a-Service network by leveraging well-connected, power-ready sites that can be quickly activated for battery swapping operations. This collaboration is about bringing our quick, reliable swapping experience to more riders where they need it most – at accessible, high-utilisation locations across key markets. As we aim to scale to 100+ Quick Interchange Stations across 50 sites within the next year, we are strengthening the energy infrastructure that India's growing electric mobility ecosystem demands. Every new deployment brings us closer to our mission of making battery swapping the most accessible, productive and sustainable energy choice for EV users across the country.”

Deepak Paliwal, Managing Director & CEO, GLIDA, said, "At GLIDA, our mission has always been to deliver advanced, highly reliable and seamless charging solutions that cater to the evolving needs of the EV ecosystem. Over the last decade, we have learned that the hard part is not the technology, it is the site: land in the right location, dependable grid connectivity and operations that run reliably every day. Our charging station locations especially hubs have room for doing more for the benefit of ecosystem. This partnership with Indofast Energy allows us to display future-ready mobility infrastructure where high-power charging and rapid battery swapping coexist to serve different vehicle categories from a single location. This is how we could electrify more vehicles per square foot of urban India, and how we build a more efficient, inclusive and decarbonised transit system.”

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Amara Raja Energy and Mobility (ARE&M), a comprehensive energy solutions provider, has announced its financial results for Q1 FY2027. The company’s revenue grew 21 percent to INR 40.41 billion, as compared to INR 33.50 billion a year ago.

The profit before tax came at INR 2.72 billion, up 4 percent YoY, as against INR 2.61 billion last year.

Harshavardhana Gourineni, Executive Director-Automotive and Industrial, Amara Raja Energy and Mobility, said, “We have begun FY27 on a strong note, with broad-based growth across all segments. The Automotive domestic business revenue grew over 20 percent YoY on the back of healthy OEM demand and double-digit growth in the aftermarket. Home Energy grew over 30 percent YoY, supported by a strong summer season, while the Industrial Battery business sustained momentum with UPS segment recording double digit revenue growth.”

He further stated that the company’s international business faced headwinds due to geopolitical situation and shifting trade dynamics.  “We are actively recalibrating our market and channel mix to build a more resilient export franchise," he said.

Vikramadithya Gourineni, Executive Director - New Energy Business, Amara Raja Energy and Mobility, added, "Strong growth in the stationary storage segment drove our volume performance during the quarter. We are steadily transforming into a fully integrated new energy company, with capabilities now spanning the entire value chain-from advanced cells and battery packs to chargers, power conversion technologies and energy storage systems; creating a strong platform for long-term growth."

Jayadev Galla, Chairman and Managing Director, Amara Raja Energy and Mobility, said, "Our Q1 performance demonstrates the strength of our diversified business portfolio and the resilience of our operating model. As India accelerates its transition towards a more energy-secure and self-reliant future, we continue to invest with conviction in technologies and capabilities that will define the next phase of growth. The commissioning of our Customer Qualification Plant and the steady progress of our Battery Energy Storage Systems facility and Giga Factory reinforce our commitment to building a globally competitive energy and mobility enterprise while creating sustained value for all our stakeholders."

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Epsilon CAM, the cathode materials business of Epsilon Group, has entered customer validation testing for its Gen 3.0 Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) Cathode Active Material with battery cell manufacturers across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and the United States.

The material, launched in April 2026, records a discharge capacity of 159 mAh/g and an electrode density of 2.51 g/cc or higher. These metrics match performance benchmarks established by Chinese producers, who have historically supplied the majority of LFP cathode materials to international markets.

Epsilon CAM plans to construct a manufacturing facility with an annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) by 2028, with targets to expand output to 100,000 TPA. The expansion aims to position the company as an alternative supplier of cathode active materials outside of China.

Vikram Handa, Managing Director, Epsilon Group, said, "The global battery industry is entering an era where technology leadership must be complemented by resilient and diversified supply chains. The advancement of our Gen III LFP cathode material into customer validation with large global cell makers shows our commitment to providing cell manufacturers with high-performance, globally competitive and supply chain-resilient cathode solutions."

Product engineering for the material is conducted at Epsilon CAM's Cathode Technology Centre in Moosburg, Germany. The research hub operates alongside a 250 TPA pilot manufacturing facility and holds 149 patents in cathode chemistry, materials science and process engineering.

The non-Chinese origin of the technology and its manufacturing processes complies with United States Prohibited Foreign Entity (PFE) regulations regarding battery material provenance. This compliance provides automotive original equipment manufacturers and cell producers with a supply chain option that aligns with North American and European regulatory frameworks for electric mobility and energy storage products.

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