Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M Ltd) has inaugurated the Mahindra India Design Studio (MIDS), a state-of-the-art creative facility that marks a significant leap ahead in the company’s automotive and industrial design capabilities. 
Located in the group’s automotive manufacturing site at Kandivali in Mumbai, MIDS marks the expansion of the existing design studio at the same location with the addition of new and modern equipment such as the Kolb clay milling machine with two five-axis milling centres on a single ‘bed’ that would enable prototyping of two projects – an exterior or interior of a vehicle, two exterior works or more – at the same time in an effort to contribute to time-to-market. 
Marking the doubling of the studio size and reaffirming M&M's commitment to design excellence as a cornerstone of the product development strategy, the MIDS has also acquired a new paint booth to support paint design and development activities regarding new designs. 
With ‘Heartcare’ design philosophy driving the group’s push into the SUV space, the MIDS will also work on other automotive areas such as commercial vehicles and tractors. 
Marking a significant upgrade of a facility that was originally set up in 2015 as a dedicated studio to support M&M's auto and farm business, the newer and bigger set up is already tapping the growing talent in the respective field in the country.  
To be headed by Ajay Saran Sharma, the MIDS will have a 100 strong team to drive design project management, concept design, digital designing, physical modelling, studio engineering, CMF design, design quality/Realisation and HMI/UI/UX. The finer elements would include exterior and interior designing, visualisation, clay modelling, prototyping and more. 
Capable of supporting working progress on two or three projects at the same time and not just regarding passenger vehicles but also regarding commercial vehicles and tractors, MIDS will serve as a collaborative bridge between India and Mahindra’s global design outpost – the Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (MADE). 
Aiming to inspire innovation by blending digital tools with hands-on craftsmanship, MIDS will play a central role in shaping vehicles and experiences that are distinctly global, yet Indian. 
“It is a pleasure to have this new avatar of Mahindra India Design Studio commissioned. With state-of-the- art design spaces and machinery backed by world-class skills that hugely expands its capability and capacity, the footprint of the space stands doubled to take on and deliver the ever-expanding project portfolio across businesses. The end-to-end delivery on projects from the first concept sketch through to production stands further strengthened with the new working structure that along with the classic design verticals includes new functions such as HMI Design, Design Quality & Realisation,” explained Sharma. 
Pratap Bose, Chief Design and Creative Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, averred, “We are thrilled to inaugurate our future ready Mahindra India Design Studio bringing world class design technologies and tools to create stunning, design outcomes across our Auto and Farm businesses. The new studio will attract the best design talent from India and become a leading automotive design centre in India. The influence of MIDS on our products will be felt for many years to come.” 

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Hindustan Zinc (HZL) has recorded 26.3 percent women representation across its workforce, according to a company announcement. This figure marks the highest gender diversity level in India’s metals and mining sector.

The company employs over 745 women professionals, with 314 serving as engineers or in equivalent technical roles. Women at the company are currently involved in frontline operations, including underground mining, smelting, lead mine rescue and heavy machinery operation.

Hindustan Zinc has implemented Industry 4.0 practices, including robotics, automation and tele-remote underground operations, to standardise processes. These technologies have enabled the inclusion of women in night shifts and underground roles traditionally dominated by men.

Key workforce milestones and initiatives include:

• Frontline Roles: Women operate heavy machinery and manage night shifts in both mining and smelting units.
• Mine Rescue: The company has formed an all-women underground mine rescue team.
• Digital Infrastructure: Operations use drone-based surveillance and remote blasting systems to enhance safety.
• Workplace Policies: HZL offers a one-year childcare sabbatical, a spouse hiring policy, and work-from-home flexibility.

The company has launched a 25-day campaign titled “She Knows the Ground She Stands On” to encourage women to pursue careers in STEM and mining. As part of this initiative, 15 women from science institutions were invited to visit the company’s mining ecosystem to engage with operational teams and digital technologies.

Arun Misra, CEO, Hindustan Zinc, said, “Empowering women in mining is not merely a matter of equity, it is a strategic imperative for the future of the industry. At Hindustan Zinc, a culture has been cultivated where women lead from the front—whether operating underground mines, driving automation, or advancing sustainable metallurgy. ‘She Knows the Ground She Stands On’ reflects a commitment to challenging outdated norms and ensuring that every capable woman has the opportunity to grow and excel. As the company works toward achieving 30% diversity by 2030, the focus remains on building a workplace where inclusion fuels innovation and gender is never a barrier to excellence.”

The company aims to reach a 30 percent diversity target by 2030. The current campaign is scheduled to conclude on 8 March 2026

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BYD has been named as Chinese Corporate of the Year at the China-Britain Business Council’s annual China-Scotland Business Awards held at a recent ceremony in Edinburgh. The accolade was presented during the CBBC’s Chinese Burns Supper, an event now in its 13th year and firmly established in the bilateral business calendar.

This particular award recognises the significant contribution of Chinese enterprises to the Scottish economy. The council specifically highlighted BYD’s substantial influence in advancing the sustainable growth of the New Energy Vehicle sector within the Scottish market, alongside the company’s impressive UK-wide sales performance, which has now surpassed 50,000 vehicles. Liam Howel, Deputy Head of Retailer Marketing for BYD UK, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

The China-Britain Business Council, serving as the UK’s premier business network for fostering trade and investment with China since 1954, acts as an independent voice for business, providing members with essential advice, analysis and access to opportunities.

Beyond the awards, the evening also served a charitable purpose, raising funds for the Migrant Children’s Foundation, an organisation dedicated to enhancing the lives and educational opportunities of underprivileged children in China through various health and learning initiatives.

Bono Ge, Country Manager, BYD UK, said, “It’s a huge privilege for BYD to have been presented with this award. Receiving this recognition is further endorsement that BYD is pushing in the right direction; we are not only producing cars which appeal to buyers and buses that keep the public transport sector moving but further forwarding the move towards sustainability via our energy storage solutions. Most of all, we are creating a business that supports local jobs both in Scotland and the rest of the UK.”

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Japanese tier 1 supplier Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., has announced it will change its corporate name and brand to Mobitera Inc., effective 1 April 2027. The rebranding follows a strategic partnership formed in December 2024 with the Apollo Group, aimed at strengthening software development and optimising the company's business portfolio.

The transition to Mobitera represents the company's focus on the evolution of the in-vehicle cockpit space. The new name combines ‘mobility’ with the Latin ‘iter’ (path) and the Japanese ‘terasu’ (to illuminate).

The organisation is pivoting to meet market demands by prioritising software capabilities alongside its hardware legacy. The company’s mission has been defined as creating a sustainable mobility society, supported by a vision titled ‘Joy in Motion.’

The new logo features a central ‘I’ intended to symbolise a focus on individuals. The corporate colour, ‘Mobitera Blue-Green,’ has been selected to represent the harmonisation of society and the environment.

Masashi Nagayasu, Chief Executive Officer, Panasonic Automotive Systems, said, “Mobitera reflects our vision to power the future of mobility with our high-quality technologies that elevate and enrich the human experience. As we evolve our organisation to meet the needs of today’s rapidly changing market, we are committed to staying true to the core values that have long defined who we are.”

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Sunil Koparkar, Managing Director, IAC India, outlines the company’s strategy to reduce customer concentration, expand exports and leverage group synergies following its integration with the Lumax Group.

As India’s automotive interior market evolves towards premiumisation, localisation and faster product cycles, IAC India, part of the Lumax Group, is repositioning itself beyond a single-customer dependency model – without diluting its core partnerships.

IAC India continues to derive a significant share of its revenue from Mahindra’s passenger vehicle business. While the concentration remains high, Koparkar is clear that diversification will be driven through growth rather than dilution.

“Mahindra will always be our primary customer. We have a very strong strategic partnership. But we are also working on expanding with other OEMs and in the commercial vehicle space. Our goal remains a 20 percent CAGR,” he says.

For FY2025, IAC India USD 140 million in revenue, and is targeting a 20 percent growth in FY2026. The company counts Mahindra as its primary customer with almost 78 percent of its business coming from them, while Maruti Suzuki India (12%), Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles (5%), Skoda-Volkswagen (3%) and Stellantis (1%) contribute towards the remaining business.

What’s more, responding to the company’s expansion plans, Koparkar revealed, that IAC Group, in addition to introducing new products, is also in talks with new-age players who have just entered Indian market (and also planning too) for supplying products.

Currently, passenger vehicles account for roughly 90 percent of the business, with commercial vehicles forming the balance. Value-wise, Koparkar expects CV contribution to rise, even if percentage splits remain broadly similar due to the rapid growth of PV volumes.

Responding to a query on the potential growth from the CV segment, Koparkar said, “There is clear potential in CV interiors. As the CV market moves towards more comfortable cabins — with features like airbags, HVAC and infotainment — the opportunity for interior suppliers increases. Through Volvo Eicher, we have already helped drive that trend in India.”

When asked about the company’s expansion plans, Koparkar also stated that IAC Group is open to expanding to new regions as it aims to operate closer to its customers. One of the potential new projects for the company could very well be Chennai, as the company is in early talks with a new CV customer as well as VinFast.

Engineering as a Standalone Growth Lever

A key pillar of IAC India’s strategy is its expanding engineering capability. The company has been scaling up its R&D and product development team and increasingly positioning engineering services as a distinct revenue stream.

The company at present, employs over 300 engineers in India, which it aims to scale it upto 400-plus by next year and 500-plus in the coming few years.

Historically, the Indian Engineering Centre supported the global IAC Group. “We were primarily the IAC Group engineering development centre. We will continue to provide those services. But now, besides global support, we are also offering engineering services to local OEMs,” Koparkar explains.

These services span studio collaboration, basic product design, CAE analysis and prototype development. In some cases, this can potentially evolve into full-scale supply programmes.

Importantly, innovation is now being formalised locally. “This year alone, we are in the process of filing about 30 patents,” he says. Earlier, intellectual property was subsumed under the global entity; now, filings are being initiated in India.

R&D investment remains aligned with group benchmarks at around 1.5–2 percent of revenue.

Exports: Measured Ambition

In terms of export potential, it currently contributes less than 5 percent towards the revenue, primarily through smaller kinematic parts. Direct exposure to the US market is negligible.

“Tariff-related uncertainty does not affect us because we do not export to the US,” Koparkar says. “Logistically, it does not make sense to ship our large interior parts there.”

Europe remains the primary export target. “The opportunity lies in leveraging our design capabilities and local development strengths. If logistics can be managed efficiently, there is room to grow.”

He also sees the Lumax Group’s aftermarket division as a future vehicle for export expansion.

Localisation and Supply Chain Resilience

On the localisation front, IAC India has made significant progress. “Last year was the first time we were able to localise over 99 percent of our tooling and development in India,” Koparkar states. Machinery on shop floors is largely localised, with only certain raw materials still imported.

The semiconductor crisis, he adds, had minimal direct impact. “We do not source electronics for our products — that is handled by the customer. However, from a development perspective, we are evaluating secondary substitutes for imported components, so we are prepared in case of disruptions.”

Premiumisation, Sustainability and AI

Premiumisation is currently the dominant interior trend. “Customers are moving away from basic plastics to more premium-feel interiors. Electronification is a big driver,” Koparkar says.

Sustainability, however, remains nascent in India. “There is no specific push for sustainable materials yet. What OEMs are looking for is lightweighting to meet upcoming CAFE norms. If a sustainable material delivers significant weight reduction, then it becomes serious.”

He points to jute, coir and bamboo fibres as potential alternatives but stresses that ecosystem-level collaboration is essential. “Unless a circular economy develops around us, sustainable materials will struggle to scale.”

On automation, operations across IAC’s six plants are roughly a 50:50 mix of automated and manual processes, depending on volume justification. Cobots and semi-automation are used where full automation does not offer viable returns.

AI, meanwhile, is expected to influence design more than manufacturing. “We see AI helping us accumulate design learnings and reduce design cycle times. Its impact will be more visible in engineering services than on the shop floor.”

Faster Development Cycles

Product life cycles are shrinking rapidly. “It used to take five years to develop a car,” Koparkar reflects. “With the XUV700, we worked with the customer to shrink that to 42 months. EVs are being developed even faster.”

As development timelines compress and interiors become more technology-intensive, IAC India is betting on engineering depth, localisation strength and group synergies to sustain its 20 percent growth ambition – while steadily broadening its customer and geographic footprint

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