Bengaluru-based electric vehicle battery swapping company Sun Mobility and its joint venture partner Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), one of the leading oil marketing company in India have appointed Anant Badjatya as the CEO of their newly formed joint venture, Indofast Swap Energy.   

This strategic move follows the landmark deal signed by IOCL and Sun Mobility in June 2024 to establish one of India's largest battery-swapping networks by 2030. 

Badjatya, who has over 20 years of experience in the energy and automotive sectors, was till recently leading Sun Mobility as its CEO; and will now lead Indofast Energy's efforts to establish an extensive battery-swapping network by bringing together the might of Indian Oil’s network of over 37,000 fuel stations across India, with Sun Mobility’s battery swapping technology.  

Indofast Swap Energy, with its Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) model will offer electric two- and three-wheeler owners affordable mobility options, eliminating range anxiety and long charging times.

Anant Badjatya, CEO, Indofast Swap Energy said, “We would like to be synonymous with India’s mobility revolution and a household name for two- and three-wheeler customers. Our offering of innovative technology with extensive infrastructure is unparalleled and underscores our resolve to provide a practical, accessible, and eco-friendly solution to all.”

The establishment of Indofast Swap Energy aligns with India's broader goals for sustainable development and supports the government's push towards increased adoption of electric vehicles. As part of this commitment, IOCL and Sun Mobility are focused on enhancing battery management systems and charging infrastructure across the country.

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VinFast Auto India, the subsidiary of Vietnam-based electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast, has inducted its first cohort of 200 local professionals at its soon-to-be inaugurated factory in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The number is expected to gradually scale up to 3,500 workers over the next five years.

Selected candidates in Tamil Nadu are currently undergoing rigorous training, guided by Vietnamese subject matter experts and seasoned Indian professionals. This initiative aligns with Naan Mudhalvan, the Government of Tamil Nadu's flagship skilling programme, which aims to provide industry-relevant competencies to local youth.

Guidance Tamil Nadu's WorkLabs Cell is facilitating this industry-academia collaboration, ensuring a seamless talent pipeline. This follows a large-scale recruitment drive in April, where VinFast India, with support from the District Collector's Office and the Tamil Nadu Industries Department, partnered with local polytechnic colleges to identify, train, and onboard young diploma holders. VinFast's workforce strategy adopts an 80:20 hybrid model, with 80 percent of the plant workforce comprising freshers and trainees from local communities.

Pham Sanh Chau, CEO, VinFast Asia, said, “We deeply appreciate the support of District Collector K Elambahavath and the Industries Department, whose collaborative approach has been vital in translating our talent development goals into reality. As we ramp up our operations in India, we are proud to invest in the people and potential of Tamil Nadu. With varied employment opportunities, this facility stands as a catalyst for regional growth as well as in building a resilient, inclusive and high-performance manufacturing ecosystem that can serve both Indian and global markets.”

VinFast India’s Thoothukudi plant is set to play a key role for the company’s Asia growth story. It will have a production capacity of 150,000 vehicles per annum and is set to produce the VF 6 and VF 7 e-SUVs.

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Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and Guidance Tamil Nadu, has unveiled the design for the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre.

The new R&D hub, located within IIT Madras' Discovery Satellite Campus at Thaiyur, Chennai, is set to become a key driver for green hydrogen technology and its ecosystem in India.

The centre's design was unveiled by T R B Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu. He said, “What Hyundai Motor India and IIT Madras’ efforts bring to my mind is the amazing capabilities of India and we are here to celebrate just that. The possibilities that are here in this amazing place and the possibilities that the rest of the world is only now looking up. The Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre is a crucial step towards indigenous hydrogen production.”

This initiative represents the next phase of Hyundai Motor India’s INR 1 billion commitment towards pioneering green hydrogen innovation in the country, with funding partially provided through Hyundai Motor India Foundation's CSR efforts.

Spanning 65,000 sqft, the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre will feature advanced computational and experimental laboratories. It will focus on developing digital twins of hydrogen infrastructure, customised test rigs and fabrication lines for pilot-level evaluation of electrolysers and fuel cells. The centre will also house test zones for containerised pilot demonstrators, aiming to accelerate the readiness and adoption of green hydrogen across the value chain, aligning with India's goal of energy independence by 2047.

Unsoo Kim, Managing Director, Hyundai Motor India, said, “At Hyundai, we believe hydrogen is a key pillar in achieving global carbon neutrality. With the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre, we aim to foster an open platform for knowledge exchange by facilitating collaboration between global expertise and the local green hydrogen ecosystem. This initiative demonstrates our commitment to ‘Make in India’ by empowering local innovation, nurturing talent and supporting the development of scalable, affordable and sustainable hydrogen solutions. Our collaboration with IIT Madras and the Government of Tamil Nadu reflects our long-term vision of advancing India’s clean energy future and establishing a strong foundation for a hydrogen-powered tomorrow.”

Prof. V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “This Centre will work with all the stakeholders of the hydrogen sector at the global level including academia, national R&D laboratories, industries and policymakers. This will make India Atmanirbhar Bharat in the hydrogen sector. It will greatly contribute to sustainability and provide a boost to the nation’s decarbonisation initiatives that target Net Zero by 2070. This Centre can accelerate the efforts to achieve these targets.”

The HTWO Innovation Centre builds on Hyundai Motor Group's hydrogen brand and business platform, HTWO, leveraging its expertise across the entire hydrogen value chain from production to application, with a strong emphasis on localisation and public-private collaboration.

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Ampere, the two-wheeler brand from Greaves Electric Mobility, has rolled out a 5-year / 75,000km battery warranty on its flagship electric scooter – the Ampere Nexus.

The Ampere Nexus utilises a Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) battery, which is claimed to have around 110km of real-world range, top speed of 93 kmph.

It features best-in-class suspension, aerodynamics and an industry-fastest charging time of just 3 hours 22 minutes. The Ampere Nexus had undertaken a endurance run of plying over 10,000km from Kashmir to Kanyakumari ride, setting four national records.

The e-scooter is priced at INR 114,900 (ex-showroom) and also comes with lowest down payment and interest rate starting 6.99 percent.

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Chennai-headquartered two-wheeler and three-wheeler major TVS Motor Company has introduced a new variant of its flagship electric scooter the TVS iQube with 3.1 kWh battery that comes with an IDC range of 123 km, hill hold and dual tone design with prices starting INR 103,727 (Delhi). 

Till date, the TVS iQube has gone home to over 600,000 customers and is available across 1,900 touchpoints. With the latest addition, the TVS iQube family now consists of six variants.

The new variant also gets Hill Hold assist for added safety and a refreshed UI/UX interface for a more intuitive riding experience and four attractive colours: Pearl White, Titanium Grey, and two dual-tone options—Starlight Blue with Beige and Copper Bronze with Beige.

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