Kia India has introduced Digital Passport, a new customer-centric feature aimed at improving vehicle ownership transparency. Available through the Kia Connect app under the ‘New Services’ tab, the digital tool provides a secure, data-driven vehicle health report that covers a vehicle’s complete lifecycle. Priced at INR 399 plus applicable taxes, the service is offered as a three-month subscription.

As customers increasingly seek transparency and trust in vehicle management, the automaker designed Digital Passport to solve the problem of fragmented vehicle data spread across multiple platforms. The feature consolidates essential information into a single, verified report that includes a clear health summary and an easy-to-understand vehicle health score, offering a reliable view of the vehicle’s overall condition. Key data points covered are service history, accident and repair records, driving insights and warranty status.

By bringing all essential vehicle information onto one platform, Digital Passport provides a verified, data-backed picture of a vehicle’s true state, enhancing confidence in its value. The feature strengthens engagement with the Kia Connect ecosystem while delivering convenience and peace of mind throughout the ownership journey.

Atul Sood, Senior – Vice President Marketing & Sales, Kia India, said, "At Kia India, we continuously strive to enhance the ownership experience through meaningful digital innovations. Digital Passport brings greater transparency and reliability to vehicle information, reinforcing customer confidence and trust. This initiative reflects our commitment to delivering technology-led solutions that simplify ownership and strengthen long-term relationships with our customers."

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Fleet Management Limited has marked the International Day of the Seafarer by issuing a renewed call for the global community to acknowledge the often-overlooked civilian professionals who underpin international trade. The maritime services provider simultaneously introduced a new digital tool, named Pulse, aimed at delivering continuous and practical assistance to crew members while at sea.

In light of recent diplomatic efforts to stabilise regions such as the Strait of Hormuz, Fleet Management has voiced its support for multilateral actions designed to address the systemic vulnerabilities faced by merchant mariners. The company has highlighted a persistent pattern where civilian seafarers are disproportionately exposed to geopolitical tensions. The stance aligns with the International Maritime Organization's 2026 theme, which underscores the dual reality of seafarers carrying global trade while shouldering significant operational risks.

Since February, an estimated 20,000 civilian seafarers have navigated volatile maritime zones, with roughly 600 of those individuals under Fleet Management's direct supervision. The firm assesses any resumption of transit on a vessel-by-vessel basis, utilising specific risk matrices to ensure that every manoeuvre is deliberate and grounded in stringent safety standards. Support mechanisms under the Fleet Care programme include 24/7 mental health services and wellness initiatives, while the fleet maintains industry-leading insurance coverage for personnel both on duty and during leave.

The newly launched Pulse application is described as a digital lifeline designed to simplify administrative processes and consolidate essential documents for the company's 27,000 seafarers. Beyond reducing bureaucratic burdens, the platform offers uninterrupted access to critical health resources, ensuring that crew members remain connected to the Fleet Care network regardless of location. This technological advancement represents a significant evolution in the company's strategy to deliver consistent, everyday assistance to its global maritime community.

Complementing these operational enhancements, Fleet Management has initiated global advocacy campaigns this week to increase public awareness of seafarers' contributions. Targeted family outreach programmes have been conducted through crewing offices in India, the Philippines and China, alongside community activities and multi-city public campaigns.

These efforts are reinforced by substantial training investments, with the company issuing over 80,000 certificates annually and training 500 cadets each year at the International Maritime Institute to ensure a resilient and proficient workforce.

Dr Harry Banga, Founder and Executive Chairman of The Caravel Group and Fleet Management Limited, said, "Countries, industries and communities rely on seafarers to keep essential goods flowing. Waterways like the Strait of Hormuz are key arteries of the global economy. When disrupted, the impact is immediate. Costs rise. Supply chains tighten. Today is a reminder that the industry and governments must act decisively to uphold safe and free navigation, so seafarers can sail with confidence."

Captain Rajalingam Subramaniam, Chief Executive Officer of Fleet Management Limited, said, "As a company, and as an industry, we have a responsibility to speak up. Seafarers are civilians who carry responsibility in the face of risk and adversity, in conditions beyond their control. This must not become the new normal. They must be seen, heard and properly protected. We are encouraged by the IMO-led evacuation efforts underway to restore safe transit and hope confidence will soon rebuild."

Angad Banga, Chief Executive Officer of The Caravel Group and Executive Director of Fleet Management Limited, said, "Recognition has to translate into action. Not once a year, but every day. That means understanding the pressures our seafarers operate under and responding with consistent, practical support. At Fleet, this shows up in the decisions we make and the systems we build to support our crews."

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Mumbai-headquartered JSW Green Mobility, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Group, has announced a strategic investment in Bengaluru-based Lithium Urban Technologies, an enterprise mobility platform backed by Eversource Capital. This partnership is intended to accelerate Lithium’s expansion across India’s growing electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and service market.

At present, Lithium Urban Technologies manages an integrated platform that includes over 3,000 electric vehicles, managing more than 25,000 daily trips, and a network of 1,300 charging stations. Fleet intelligence systems and centralised network operations centres serve over 100 enterprise customers.

The company is targeting 3x growth over the next two years. This expansion is expected to generate between 12,000 and 15,000 jobs as the firm scales its charging infrastructure and fleet deployment.

Parth Jindal, Managing Director, JSW Cement & JSW Paints, Chairman, JSW Dulux, said, "India’s mobility landscape is undergoing a structural transformation, driven by rapid urbanisation, electrification and the growing scale of digital commerce. We believe the future will be shaped by integrated, technology-led mobility platforms that can deliver reliability, operational efficiency and scale."

Don Thomas, CEO, Lithium Urban Technologies, added, "The opportunity ahead is not simply to replace vehicles, but to build the infrastructure, operating systems and technology capabilities required to make electrification work at scale."

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German luxury carmaker Porsche confirmed its financial forecast for the 2026 fiscal year and provided preliminary insights into its new ‘Strategy 2035’ at its 4^th Annual General Meeting held on 23 June 2026.

The strategy is designed to enhance profitability and strategic resilience through three primary pillars as outlined by Dr. Michael Leiters, CEO, Porsche, with full details to be presented at a Capital Markets Day on 7 October 2026.

• Brand & Customer: Porsche will refocus on its sports car DNA, design and exclusivity. The strategy shifts away from volume maximisation toward a focus on desirability and value.
• Products & Technology: The company plans to reduce model complexity by cutting the number of variants. Porsche will continue to invest in combustion, hybrid and electric powertrains, noting that the 911 will remain combustion-hybrid and will not move to a fully electric powertrain.
• Company & Operations: Porsche is structurally streamlining its organisation at all levels and investigating increased use of Volkswagen Group modular platforms. Discussions are ongoing regarding workforce adjustments to ensure long-term competitiveness.

Despite a challenging market environment, Porsche confirmed the financial targets for 2026 including 5.5 percent to 7.5 percent (factoring in EUR 800–900 million in one-off expenses and EUR 700 million in tariff costs) operating group return on sales. Group sales revenue to come at EUR 35-36 billion with automotive net cash-flow margin of 3 percent to 5 percent.

Furthermore, the Board of Directors of Porsche have proposed a dividend of EUR 1.00 per ordinary share and EUR 1.01 per preferred share for FY2025. While this payout exceeds the target ratio of 50 percent of consolidated profit after tax, it represents a decrease compared to the previous year, reflecting a move to maintain financial flexibility during the current transformation phase.

Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, reaffirmed his backing of CEO Dr. Michael Leiters, emphasising that while the necessary restructuring measures may be ‘uncomfortable,’ but they are essential for the company's future success.

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Ashok Leyland Foundation is expanding its education-focused corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives with an ambition to reach a million learners across India, betting that community-led implementation and teacher capacity building can help bridge persistent learning gaps in government schools.

The foundation, which has impacted more than 626,000 students in FY2025-26 and over 910,000 lives overall, is scaling its flagship Road-to-School and Road-to-Livelihood programmes across multiple states.

The initiatives focus on foundational literacy and numeracy, digital literacy, career guidance, sports, wellness and life skills primarily for students from underserved communities.

While India has made significant investments in school education, the biggest challenge lies not in curriculum design but in execution, according to T Sasikumar, Chief Operating Officer, Ashok Leyland Foundation.

“The government curriculum and the programme content are top class. Most governments have excellent curriculum. It is only the implementation part where the failure actually happens,” Sasikumar told Motoring Trends.

According to him, two structural issues continue to affect learning outcomes in many parts of the country viz-a-viz teacher availability and teacher commitment.

“The two gaps that we see today are the availability of qualified, competent teachers and the commitment levels in schools. Otherwise, the curriculum in the country for school children is excellent,” he said.

The challenge becomes more acute in remote districts, where sanctioned teaching positions often remain vacant in practice.

“When you move to Jharkhand or interior Uttar Pradesh, you'll find teachers are on the rolls but never come to the school," Sasikumar said.

The foundation has adopted a community-based model, recruiting resource persons from villages where the programmes operate instead of relying on external educators to address the problem.

The organisation hires local graduates, teacher-training candidates and in some cases Class XII pass-outs providing them with training before deploying them in government schools.

“After we exit the programme, these young people continue to live in the community and continue to serve it. That has been one of the major successes of our model,” Sasikumar said.

The strategy complements the foundation's Road-to-School programme, which has benefited nearly 492,339 students across 4,234 schools in nine states since 2015. The programme reports a 25-30 percent improvement in literacy and numeracy, a 98 percent transition rate from middle to high school and Grade 10 completion rates of 95 percent exceeding the national average of 85 percent.

Its Road-to-Livelihood initiative is operating across five states and has reached more than 133,700 students by providing career guidance, digital literacy, financial literacy and soft-skills training.

The programme reports that 85 percent of participating students enrolled in higher education of their choice, while more than half of female participants opted for STEM courses.

Beyond deploying community educators, the foundation is also exploring teacher capacity-building partnerships with state governments.

Sasikumar said discussions are underway with the Uttar Pradesh government to train government school teachers using the foundation's pedagogical model.

“The Principal Secretary asked us why we don't train government teachers using our model so that the sustainability part can be taken care of. We are working on teacher capacity-building programmes in states where regulations permit,” he said.

Apart from education, the foundation has expanded its CSR interventions into healthcare and environmental sustainability, supporting children with Type-I diabetes, operating 13 mobile medical units, planting more than one lakh trees and implementing water conservation projects in water-scarce regions.

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