Seeking details on how the Passenger Vehicle Business Unit of Tata Motors, like many other vehicle makers, faced several challenges from the aftermarket perspective during the lockdown and COVID-19 induced New Normal, the company spokesperson said, there were not many challenges as everything had been planned from their end well in time. However, during the initial days of lockdown, getting special permission from local authorities in certain markets was one challenge the company faced which was eventually resolved.

Tata Motors ensured that its customers and COVID frontline workers received seamless customer experience. As a part of its initiative, the company introduced tips to take care of their vehicles during lockdown along with breakdown assistance and hotline service, that was attending calls 24x7 to provide the necessary support. It also introduced an exclusive helpline for frontline COVID workers and healthcare professionals during the lockdown. Customers could dial the dedicated numbers for assistance in case of any emergency needs. The company has taken necessary approvals from local authorities to attend to vehicles safely and efficiently with all precautionary measures. It serviced 200 plus vehicles of COVID fighters such as doctors/police during the lockdown period across the country. To further support, it also extended the warranty and scheduled service period.

For all pending service appointments, the team called customers to ensure them that their vehicle was in safe hands. Given the relaxation in curbs, restarting of service appointments will be planned in a staggered manner to ensure sanitisation and social distancing to maintain utmost customer safety, the spokesperson said.

However, the average time to respond to customers’ call for repair/ service varied depending upon various factors. For service requests, customers could call the customer care number, where specialists were available to answer queries 24x7, he said. In the case of emergency roadside assistance, the company made arrangements that the services team reaches the location within 60 minutes under city limits and within 120 minutes on ghat roads and other places. The average time per service appointment depends on the type of job that needs to be done on the vehicle. For regular paid service it takes around three to four hours, and free services or minor check-ups are taken care of within 90 minutes, he said. “We have 633 workshops across the country, 444 dealer workshops and 189 TASCs (Tata Authorised Service Centres),” he added.

While these initiative are taken to cater to the requirements of the customers, the vehicle makers also face specific issues about increasing number of stock-keeping units, triggered by more models and variants being introduced. However, Tata Motors has been using a very sophisticated analytical tool to predict the consumption and stock accordingly. The planning for spare parts inventory is done at the dealerships to ensure that sufficient stock is available for all the models based on consumption pattern.

Skilling

Talking on the need to upskill the workforce at authorised service centres, the spokesperson said, upskilling is a continuous process to keep all the dealer workforce updated on the latest technological introductions in the new range of vehicles. “We have seven training centres across the country and are currently conducting regular online training sessions to ensure that our dealer manpower is well acquainted with the same,” he said.

With technological advancements in the cars increasing with every new model, the challenge is to match the service centres to cater to the emerging requirements. From a customer’s perspective, it is more convenient to operate any function with the click of a button or a touch screen. Therefore, from a service perspective, it has become easy to identify service requirements in the vehicle through the medium of a laptop, thereby resulting in faster repairs. “Tata Motors Passenger dealerships have a separate profile of DET (Diagnostic Expert cum trainer) who is skilled in identifying such service requirements and ensures that repairs take place faster and with accuracy. We do not see any challenges from a security perspective, as all technology and electronics in the vehicles undergo multiple tests before being launched,” he said.

Talking on sustainable initiatives, he said, “Earlier in September, the Tata Nexon became the first Indian car to be published on the prestigious International Dismantling Information System (IDIS) platform for End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV). With this achievement, Tata Motors reiterated its holistic commitment towards making the entire life cycle of its products sustainable, i.e. from the development of ultra-low/zero-emission vehicles to responsible dismantling and recycling of the vehicle at the final ELV stage. This milestone on the Nexon signifies the increasing commitment of Tata Motors to ‘End of Life’ across its range of vehicles and the beginning of sustained declaration of dismantling procedures across its entire range of vehicles that are complex with increasing technological content, though over the years commercial vehicles have achieved good levels of recyclability where dismantling procedures are better understood.” (MT)

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Ultraviolette has entered the record books as the first Indian production motorcycle to tackle and finish the gruelling Isle of Man TT Mountain Circuit. This world-famous course, stretching 37.72 miles (60.72 kilometres), is widely considered one of the most punishing tracks in global motorsports.

The feat occurred on 6 June 2026, when several F77 MACH 2 machines from Ultraviolette successfully navigated the full 60.72 kilometres of demanding tarmac. A trio of skilled riders – former TT winner James Hillier, actor and biking enthusiast Ranvijay Singha and national champion Abhishek Vasudev – piloted the electric motorcycles. Official recognition for the accomplishment has come from both the Asia Books of Records and India Books of Records.

This success represents a turning point for the nation’s expanding electric vehicle sector. The F77’s ability to master one of motorcycling’s most revered circuits highlights the advanced performance potential of Indian-designed electric motorcycles on an international stage. Ultraviolette views the achievement as a major step in its ongoing effort to redefine electric mobility and position India as a frontrunner in future transportation solutions.

Narayan Subramaniam, CEO and Co-Founder, Ultraviolette, said, "Completing a lap of the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course with the F77s is a significant milestone for Ultraviolette and a proud moment for Indian design and engineering. It demonstrates how far electric motorcycle technology has evolved and reinforces our belief that high-performance electric mobility can compete on the world's most demanding stages.

“For decades, the Isle of Man TT has been where motorcycle technology is tested, proven and celebrated. The TT Zero class was ahead of its time and showed the world that electric motorcycles could be more than an alternative; that they could be genuinely exciting, competitive and capable. Today, electric motorcycles have reached an entirely new level of capability and we would love to see electric racing return to the Isle of Man TT and continue driving the next chapter of motorcycle innovation."

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Spiro, an electric mobility company operating in Africa, has announced the appointment of Anant Badjatya as its new Group Chief Executive Officer.

The appointment follows a USD 215 million financing round for the company. Badjatya joins the business from Indofast Energy, a joint venture between IndianOil and SUN Mobility, where he oversaw the development of a network comprising more than 1,800 battery-swapping stations serving nearly 90,000 vehicles daily.

In his new role, Badjatya will manage the group's initiatives across battery swapping, leasing, logistics, energy, and vehicle manufacturing. Concurrently, Kaushik Burman will remain with the company as CEO of Mobility to manage the fleet across Spiro's seven existing markets.

Under Badjatya's management, Spiro plans to expand its technology hubs in India. The tech centre in Pune, which focuses on electric vehicle powertrain design and battery management systems, currently employs more than 100 people and is scheduled for expansion. The Bengaluru hub, which has a staff of over 50 people, will focus on the development of Internet of Things (IoT) cloud platforms and support research and development localisation initiatives in Kenya and Nigeria.

Gagan Gupta, Founder and Chairman, Spiro, said, "As Spiro is accelerating on its mission to transform mobility across Africa through clean, affordable and accessible electric transportation solutions, Anant will consolidate the Group’s strategic initiatives and guide the company through its next chapter of growth and execution in mobility, energy and tech.”

Anant Badjatya added, "Africa represents the most exciting frontier for electric mobility. Spiro has built a unique platform and is exceptionally well positioned to accelerate the transition to cleaner and more accessible mobility across the continent. I look forward to working with our teams, partners and stakeholders to drive the next phase of growth and impact."

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TVS Motor Company (TVSM), part of TVS VENU, partnered with the UN Global Compact Network India to host a World Environment Day 2026 workshop at the TVS Institute for Quality and Leadership in Anekal, Bengaluru. The event – held under the theme ‘Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future’ – also saw the release of a white paper titled ‘Nature Capital as a Strategic Business Imperative in India’, jointly developed with PwC and TERI School of Advanced Studies, focusing on ecosystem services and nature-related risk management.

Attendees included Karnataka Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Eshwar B Khandre; UN Global Compact Network India’s Ratnesh Jha; TERI’s Dr Vibha Dhawan and senior sustainability leaders from industry, academia and civil society.

TVS also launched its inaugural TNFD report, ‘Mobility in Harmony with Nature’, becoming one of the first Indian automotive firms to align with Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures recommendations. The framework helps assess nature-related dependencies, risks and opportunities amid growing water stress and biodiversity loss.

Three TVS Indian facilities are Net Water Positive and Zero Waste to Landfill, with Hosur holding GreenCo Platinum certification. Six products earned the GreenPro Ecolabel. With nearly 97 percent renewable energy in Indian operations, TVS is advancing circular economy initiatives and has established a Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility for responsible dismantling and recycling.

Thakur Pherwani, Chief Sustainability Officer, TVS Motor Company, said, "Nature is central to economic resilience, community well-being and the future of mobility. At TVS Motor Company, sustainability is embedded into how we think about products, operations, supply chains and partnerships. The release of our inaugural Task Force on Nature Related Disclosure (TNFD)-aligned report is an important step in assessing our nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities with greater discipline. Through the white paper and today's workshop, we hope to support a more informed conversation on how Indian businesses can protect natural capital while enabling long-term growth and value creation."

Ratnesh Jha, Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network India, said, "The conversation around sustainability is rapidly evolving from compliance to competitiveness. Through initiatives such as this workshop, we are witnessing businesses recognise that biodiversity, ecosystem health and climate resilience are directly linked to long-term enterprise value. As UN Global Compact Network India completes 25 years of advancing responsible business practices, collaborations like these reaffirm the importance of collective action in shaping India’s sustainable future.”

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The Supreme Court of India has issued an order affirming the protection of the red appearance and packaging used by Exide Industries for its automotive batteries.

The legal dispute commenced after Amara Raja began manufacturing and selling automobile batteries under the brand name Elito using red colouring and packaging, whilst promoting the products across its website and social media channels. Exide initiated legal proceedings on the grounds that the product and packaging resembled its own long-established trade dress.

The Supreme Court affirmed the interim orders previously passed by the Calcutta High Court. The directive requires Amara Raja to cease the manufacturing and sale of red Elito batteries to its channel partners, and restrains the company from promoting the items on media platforms.

Prior to this decision, a Single Bench of the Calcutta High Court had issued an interim order restraining Amara Raja from manufacturing or selling batteries in red or in packaging resembling Exide's products, a position subsequently upheld by a Division Bench of the High Court.

The Supreme Court order permits Amara Raja’s channel partners to liquidate only the red Elito products that were already present in the market and manufactured prior to the Division Bench order dated 2 April 2026. The main lawsuit remains pending.

"For generations, customers have associated Exide's red-coloured batteries and packaging with quality, reliability, and trust. The Supreme Court's order reinforces the value of our intellectual property and safeguards the market identity that Exide has built over decades," said Exide in a statement.

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