The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, has posthumously conferred Padma Vibhushan, one of the highest civilian awards, to Late Osamu Suzuki, Former Chairman, Suzuki Motor Corporation and Former Director & Honorary Chairman, Maruti Suzuki India, in a formal conferment ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on 28 April 2025.

The Padma Vibushan was conferred to Osamu Suzuki for his outstanding contribution in the field of trade and industry. The award was accepted by Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director and President, Suzuki Motor Corporation on behalf of his late father.

Toshihiro Suzuki, said, “My sincere gratitude to the Honourable President of India and the Government of India for awarding the prestigious Padma Vibhushan to my father, Osamu Suzuki, Former Chairman, Suzuki Motor Corporation. I have just received this high-level award on his behalf, and I am deeply honoured. I believe he is, from heaven, looking back fondly on the 45 years he spent with India, his second home.”

“This award goes not only to my father, but also to all the people who have worked at Suzuki, Maruti Suzuki and all our business partners, who have supported us in this journey. My father must be feeling very proud today. I am also feeling extremely proud to receive this award. All the employees at Suzuki and Maruti Suzuki and our business partners must be feeling proud of this recognition. This award also expresses thanks to the ‘love of Indian people towards Suzuki’. This award belongs to all of you.”

“We, at Team Suzuki, will carry forward the commitment of Osamu Suzuki with the same passion to bring inclusive and sustainable mobility solutions that will be loved by the people of India,” he added.

Osamu Suzuki played a key role in driving the Indian automotive industry, especially the passenger vehicle segment. Under his leadership, Maruti Suzuki began manufacturing passenger vehicles with around 100,000 units per annum capacity in 1983.

The company is now one of the largest passenger vehicle manufacturers not just in India, but globally.  It was last year that the company reached a cumulative production milestone of 30 million units, an annual production of 2 million units and exporting over 3 million units cumulatively today.

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FADA Academy, in collaboration with the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC), has inaugurated its first joint skill development centre in Agra.

Located within the dealership facilities of Ashok Auto Sales and Manoram Bajaj Group, the Autograd Regional Skill Development Centre establishes a training framework situated directly inside automotive retail operations.

The facility aims to address workforce gaps in automotive retail by providing candidates with training matched to dealership job roles. The initial cohort at the centre consists of candidates undergoing instruction for the Service Advisor role, supported by participating dealerships representing brands including Bajaj Auto, TVS Motor Co, India Yamaha Motor and Tata Motors.

C S Vigneshwar, Chairman of FADA Academy & Research, said, "FADA Academy is committed to strengthening the capabilities of India's automotive retail workforce through industry-relevant education and training. The establishment of our first joint training centre with ASDC at Agra is an important milestone in this journey. By bringing training into the dealership environment, we can create a stronger connection between learning and actual workplace requirements. Our vision is to create local employment opportunities, support the talent requirements of dealerships and provide aspiring professionals with a foundation for long-term career progression within the automotive sector. We also want to ensure that candidates are not merely trained to secure a job, but are equipped to perform with confidence, deliver value to their employers and build long-term careers in the automotive industry. We hope this initiative will serve as a replicable model for dealership-led skill development across the country. The automotive sector is evolving rapidly, driven by new technologies, changing customer expectations and increasingly sophisticated dealership operations. This makes industry-aligned skill development more important than ever. The FADA Academy–ASDC joint training centre at Agra is a progressive initiative that brings structured training closer to the workplace and enables candidates to develop competencies relevant to their designated job roles."

The inauguration event was attended by Union Minister of State Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, ASDC Chief Executive Officer Prasanna Pahade, FADA Uttar Pradesh Chairperson Sandeep Narain and leadership representatives from local dealer groups. The initiative forms part of a broader framework intended to be replicated across other regions to train dealership personnel.

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Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TuTr Hyperloop, an IIT Madras-incubated deep-tech startup, to develop and deploy next-generation mobility infrastructure in India.

The agreement creates a framework for L&T and TuTr Hyperloop to collaborate on Linear Induction Motor-based propulsion systems, vacuum tube structures, pressure management systems, civil engineering works, electrical infrastructure, signalling and telecommunications integration.

Project-specific agreements will follow to define execution terms across freight logistics, port connectivity and industrial transit applications. The technical roadmap aims to progress from linear induction systems toward magnetic levitation and vacuum-based transportation networks.

The partnership combines L&T's engineering, procurement and construction capabilities with TuTr Hyperloop's electromagnetic propulsion research to assess commercial viability, conduct technical feasibility studies and engage prospective customers for hyperloop transit projects in India.

S V Desai, Whole-Time Director and Senior Executive VP of Infrastructure, L&T, said, "Hyperloop represents an exciting frontier in next-generation mobility, with the potential to redefine the movement of people and goods. Its innovative propulsion technology and low-friction environment enable faster transit, improved logistics efficiency, reduced energy consumption and lower emissions. Translating such technological innovation into practical deployment requires robust engineering, scalable infrastructure and close collaboration across the ecosystem. Our partnership with TuTr Hyperloop is a step in that direction."

Prof. Satya Chakravarthy, Professor, IIT Madras, said, "The transition of advanced mobility technologies from research and development to real-world deployment requires strong collaboration between academia, technology developers and industry. This partnership between TuTr Hyperloop and L&T brings together complementary strengths that can help address the engineering and infrastructure challenges involved in scaling next-generation transportation systems. It is an encouraging step towards translating indigenous innovation into practical, deployable solutions for India."

Dr Aravind S Bharadwaj, Co-Founder and CEO, TuTr Hyperloop, said, "At TuTr Hyperloop, our focus is on developing indigenous mobility technologies that can address real-world transportation and logistics challenges. Our collaboration with L&T brings together our capabilities in electromagnetic propulsion, advanced mobility systems and technology development with L&T’s extensive engineering and infrastructure execution expertise. Together, we aim to work on commercialisation these technologies."

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Coatings manufacturer Axalta Coating Systems has introduced Redefined, a ruby-red finish, as its 2027 Global Automotive Colour of the Year during the Automechanika exhibition in Frankfurt.

The finish incorporates pigment and effect technology designed to create depth and light reflection across vehicle body panels. Redefined marks an evolution of the red hue introduced with Radiant Red, Axalta's initial Colour of the Year selection 13 years ago. The development reflects market research into consumer preferences for vehicle personalisation and colour depth across global automotive markets.

Axalta's colour formulation teams utilise market trends and coating science to develop manufacturable formulations for global original equipment manufacturers and refinish networks. The 2027 selection is structured for application across multiple vehicle segments and production lines.

Matthew Boland, Vice-President of Global Refinish Technology, Axalta, said, "Redefined represents where we see automotive colour going, expressive and individual, but still refined and timeless. The deepness of the ruby tone combined with its luminosity and depth creates a colour that comes alive with the vehicle. It's a great example of how we can take a familiar colour and use the art and science of coatings to give it an entirely new perspective."

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South Korean automotive major Hyundai Motor Group has announced a USD 15.5 billion investment plan for India from 2026 through 2032. The strategy was outlined during a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung at the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi.

To execute the 7-year plan, Hyundai Motor Group will establish a dedicated investment entity in India to manage capital allocation across manufacturing expansion, research and development, supply chain localisation and mobility services.

The investment includes an allocation of approximately USD 700 million to expand the Group's Indian R&D centre and build a vehicle testing track facility. Manufacturing expansion will focus on scaling production capacity across Hyundai Motor India and Kia India to support domestic sales and export operations.

At present, the Group maintains an annual production capacity exceeding 1.4 million vehicles in India across Hyundai facilities in Chennai (824,000 units) and Pune (170,000 units), alongside Kia India's Anantapur plant (431,000 units).

The investment strategy also targets local component sourcing, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, specialised vehicle financing, end-of-life vehicle recycling and startup investments across India's automotive sector.

"India remains one of Hyundai Motor Group’s most important and strategic markets globally. The past 30 years have been defined by our commitment to India. This investment reaffirms our commitment to India for the next 30 years and beyond. Through this investment, we will create more employment opportunities and work together with our partners and stakeholders to support India’s continued industrial development," said Chung.

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