Kinetic Engineering Ltd. (KEL), a key player in India’s automotive components industry, unveiled a major strategic initiative involving a convertible warrant issue worth INR 1.7 billion. The warrants, with an 18-month conversion period, include an initial investment of INR 550 million by March 2025 from the promoters. This represents 25 percent of the warrant subscription amount for future investments, pending approval from SEBI and shareholders. Additional commitments include INR 171 million from external investors with notable contributors such as Transaction Square LLP and Sai Geeta Penumetsa.

The phased investment plan allocates INR 600 million by March 2025, followed by INR 440 million by March 2026 and INR 730 million by March 2027. This capital infusion supports KEL’s goal of achieving a revenue target of INR 10 billion by 2029, a dramatic increase from its current revenue of INR 1.5 billion. The strategy also aims to raise the promoters’ stake in the company from 59 percent to 70 percent by 2027.

Since 2017, KEL’s promoters have steadily increased their stake from 49 percent to 59 percent with the current initiative boosting holdings by an additional 11 percent. Approximately 93.5 lakh new shares will be issued to promoters, bringing their total to 2.26 crore shares and increasing the company’s outstanding shares to 3.26 crore by July 2027. The investment is led by founder and chairman Arun Firodia, supported by family trusts—the Arun Firodia Trust and Jayashree Firodia Trust.

The infusion of capital and warrant issuance highlights the promoters’ confidence in KEL’s long-term strategy, enabling the company to enhance working capital, improve manufacturing capabilities, and accelerate innovation in high-growth areas such as electric vehicle (EV) components.

Driving Growth Through EV and Innovation
KEL’s aggressive growth strategy focuses on an expanded export business, a diversified portfolio and cost-reduction initiatives. The company is sharpening its focus on EVs through its subsidiary, Kinetic Watts & Volts, incorporated in September 2022. The subsidiary is developing advanced drivetrain solutions, gear systems, and other innovative products set to be unveiled soon.

To deepen its footprint in the EV sector, KEL is bolstering its developmental capabilities and exploring collaborations with OEMs. Its long-term strategy emphasises sustainable growth, enhanced domestic and international market presence, and maintaining leadership in the automotive components sector.

The promoters’ commitment to increased investment and stake expansion underscores their confidence in KEL’s future, positioning the company to capitalise on opportunities in the evolving mobility landscape. With a focus on innovation, value creation, and strategic execution, KEL is poised for transformational growth in a competitive market.

Commenting on the development, Firodia said, “Kinetic Engineering Limited has over 50 years of experience in manufacturing. It has successfully transformed into an auto components business and enjoys strong relationships with the world’s largest OEMs. Leveraging these long-standing partnerships, we expect to finalise significant business deals shortly. Additionally, we are heavily focused on the EV segment, with plans for our subsidiary, Kinetic Watts & Volts, nearing finalisation. These initiatives will drive an 8x to 10x revenue growth, and we are pleased to make this investment to meet the required capital expenditure, working capital, and growth initiatives. This infusion of capital from the promoters reinforces our growth blueprint, enabling us to take bold strides toward achieving our INR 1,000 crore revenue milestone. We are committed to using this investment to fuel innovation, improve operational efficiencies, and meet the evolving demands of the automotive and EV industries.”

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European automotive component supplier Marelli has launched its new generation Port Fuel Injection Engine Control Units (PFI ECUs) for petrol, flex fuel (ethanol, methanol and synthetic fuels) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) applications, specifically targeting the India, Brazil and EMEA markets.

The ECUs are designed, validated and produced locally in each region. This portfolio utilises Marelli’s 20-year history in flex fuel and bi-fuel technologies to address regional vehicle architectures and emission regulations.

The new ECUs incorporate the Infineon AURIX TC3x automotive microcontroller to manage multitasking and processing. The hardware and software are built to support calibration, homologation and customer-specific tuning.

Key technical features include:

• Processing: Integration of Infineon’s AURIX TC3x for reliability and fast processing.
• Architecture: Open system allowing third-party applications and Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) updates.
• Safety & Security: Compliance with ISO 26262 ASIL D functional safety standards and anti-tuning protection.
• Control Channels: Up to eight gasoline injector drivers and four CNG injector drivers.
• Diagnostics: OBDII diagnostics and wide-range O2 Universal Exhaust Gas Oxygen (UEGO) sensors for air/fuel ratio monitoring.

By localising production and R&D, Marelli aims to provide automakers with reduced costs and faster implementation times. The units manage all engine requirements, including integrated combustion algorithms and emission control strategies to meet local regulatory standards.

Giovanni Mastrangelo, Head of R&D for Marelli's Propulsion business, said, "As adoption speeds for propulsion technologies vary, Marelli continues to support customers across the powertrain spectrum. In markets where internal combustion engines remain relevant, our new engine control units enable greater efficiency, emissions reduction, and versatility. This reflects our system-driven approach and know-how in vehicle control, conventional and alternative fuel injection technologies and transmission systems.”

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Minda Corporation, the flagship of Spark Minda, has signed a strategic joint venture agreement with Turntide Technologies to develop and manufacture powertrain solutions for electric and hybrid vehicles in India.

Under the terms of the agreement, which is subject to regulatory approval, Turntide will hold a 51 percent stake in the venture, while Minda Corporation will hold 49 percent through a wholly owned special purpose vehicle (SPV).

The joint venture company will focus on the development of several components for the Indian EV segment including high-voltage and high-performance electric motors; high and low-voltage motor controllers and customised units. Pumps for thermal applications in electric vehicles.

The partnership is intended to localise Turntide’s technology, providing products that meet the requirements of domestic original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The venture aims to reduce development cycles and strengthen the local supplier ecosystem while utilising Minda Corp’s manufacturing presence in India.

Ashok Minda, Chairman and Group CEO, Minda Corporation, said, “This partnership with Turntide marks a significant milestone in our journey towards electrification. By combining Turntide’s globally proven technology with Minda Corporation Limited’s strong local presence, we aim to deliver advanced, high-quality, and cost-competitive EV powertrain solutions that support India’s transition to sustainable mobility. This will result to meet ‘Make in India’ objectives and enhance the resilience of domestic supply chain of EV ecosystem.”

Steve Hornyak, CEO, Turntide Technologies, added, “India’s electrification growth story is central to Turntide’s strategy, and this joint venture is a key step in bringing our powertrain technologies closer to customers in the market. We’re proud to partner with Minda Corporation, a fantastic team with decades of experience serving global OEMs, as we deliver localised, high-performance solutions for India’s rapidly evolving mobility ecosystem.”

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Toyoda Gosei Co., has acquired all shares of Ashimori Industry Co., effective 1 March 2026 and has now completed the process of making Ashimori Industry its wholly-owned subsidiary.

The acquisition follows a capital and business alliance agreement established in May 2021. In November 2023, Toyoda Gosei made Ashimori Industry an equity-method affiliate to integrate product development, sales, procurement and production.

Toyoda Gosei intends to operate as a supplier of safety systems by combining its airbag technologies with Ashimori Industry’s seatbelt products. The company aims to facilitate the development of protection systems that use both components to reduce traffic fatalities.

The move will enable expediting management resource allocation in the safety systems division. It will further promote integrated control systems for airbags and seatbelts to meet market demand.

The deal also focuses on the growth of Ashimori Industry’s functional products business, specifically the PALTEM (Pipeline Automatic Lining SysTEM) method. This technology is used for the rehabilitation of aging pipeline infrastructure, a sector currently experiencing rising demand.

For the unversed, established in December 1935, Ashimori Industry reported revenue of USD 537 million in March 2025. It employees 2,358 people and is involved in the manufacturing of seatbelts, airbags, synthetic rope and pipe rehabilitation systems.

Toyoda Gosei stated that the move is designed to maximise synergies and address societal challenges related to infrastructure and road safety.

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Adient, a supplier of automotive seating, has launched Sculpted Soft Trim, a manufacturing technology designed to provide new design options for vehicle interiors. The product is a breathable, formed trim solution that can be applied to large panels or components such as armrests, headrests and child seat anchor covers.

The technology uses an automated forming process to create shapes, reducing the requirement for traditional manual sewing. This method allows for the creation of concave surfaces and 3D shapes that were previously difficult to execute using standard cut-and-sew techniques.

Sculpted Soft Trim is designed to improve craftsmanship while lowering labour requirements. In applications such as rear seat child anchor locations, the system can replace up to twelve individual patterns and sew lines with a single formed component.

Key features of the technology include:

• Material Compatibility: Support for a range of fabrics and vinyl materials.
• Surface Detail: Capability to achieve 3-dimensional concavity without losing grain detail.
• Customisation: Ability to add embossed or debossed textures, graphics and badging within the same tooling process.
• Material Integration: Facility to pre-sew and form dissimilar materials together.
• Firmness Control: Variable firmness options to meet specific application requirements.

Adient has confirmed that Sculpted Soft Trim is available globally. The technology is scheduled to enter production on vehicles from several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) during 2026. According to the company, the process reduces cycle times by approximately 50 percent compared to traditional forming methods.

Mike Maddelein, Vice-President of engineering in the Americas, Adient, said, “Sculpted Soft Trim fundamentally changes what’s possible in seat trim design by combining premium aesthetics with meaningful manufacturing efficiency. With cycle times reduced to roughly 50 percent of traditional forming methods, this technology delivers both speed and quality. In addition, decorative sewing, quilting and embossed or debossed features introduce another level of specialisation, all executed with tight tolerance control to ensure consistent, high-end craftsmanship at scale.”

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