French auto major Renault Group has inaugurated its new Renault Design Centre in Chennai, as part of its new India-centric transformation strategy – renault. rethink.

The new design centre further strengthens the company’s ‘design in India’ and ‘make in India’ strategy. It is also expected to function as a hub of excellence, particularly due to its proximity to Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre India (RNTBCI).

Laurens van den Acker, Chief Design Officer, Renault Group, said, "India is highly unique and locally driven. Having a dedicated design studio is essential to understanding its nuances, listening to its needs and building from its strengths. The Renault Design Centre Chennai will focus on developing models and concepts tailored to the Indian market while contributing to Renault Group’s global projects. By leveraging local talents and insights, this centre will play a key role in shaping Renault’s future mobility solutions. Its strategic location - at the heart of RNTBCI’s excellence hub - also enables closer collaboration across functions and faster integration of design into our engineering and innovation processes.”

Renault shared that the year 2025 marks an inflection point for the automaker in India, as it gears up to strengthen its presence in the world’s third-largest automobile market.

Venkatram Mamillapalle, Country CEO and Managing Director, Renault India Operations, said, "The launch of the 'renault. rethink' strategy heralds a new era for Renault in India. We are proud to be the most Indian of European carmakers, boasting the largest R&D centre, manufacturing unit, highly localised supply chain and now one of the largest design centres. The opening of new design centre in Chennai will play a crucial role in the deployment of the Renault International Game Plan 2027. Our commitment is to redefine our brand, product positioning, and customer experience to meet the evolving needs of our customers in the country, hence we recently witnessed the global debut of new ‘R store’ in Chennai, India."

It has renewed its commitment for India with a 90 percent localisation target, and the recent takeover of the alliance’s manufacturing plant RNAIPL.

In 2024, Renault Group clocked a record EUR 4.3 billion in profit, which is 7.6 percent of its revenue, and saw its revenue grow to EUR 56.2 billion, up 7.4 percent YoY.

Design & Engineering in India

At present, Renault Group’s Chennai R&D centre is one of its largest globally, with around 10,000 engineering working on global and local projects. Now, the Renault Design Centre Chennai extends over 1,500 metre and is equipped with the latest technologies. It features a high-tech environment designed for 3D model evaluation and virtual reality experiences, a next-generation visualisation studio, a creative collaboration zone, high-performance LED wall, advanced VR integration and a harmonious blend of European and Indian Design.

“renault. rethink is more than a sculpture – it’s a bold expression of Renault’s vision for India. It symbolises our commitment to innovation and to designing cars in India, for India. This artwork captures the energy of a nation in motion, a future taking shape, and Renault’s ambition to be part of this exciting journey,” stated Acker.

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Primus Partners, a management consultancy organisation, has announced the launch of a Global Capability Hub in Gurugram, transitioning from its previous advisory role to provide end-to-end Build & Operate services. The platform assists companies with strategy, location selection, operations and talent acquisition.

As the first milestone for this platform, Primus Partners has established a technology-focused GCC for German automotive supplier Linde-Wiemann. The centre, based in Gurugram, will support global operations across ERP, technology, finance and supply chain functions, with plans to expand into engineering and design.

The company states that Gurugram is increasingly attracting multinational enterprises for Global Capability Centre (GCC) investments, supported by the Haryana Global Capability Centres Policy 2026.

The region is emerging as a competitor to traditional hubs like Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune due to its access to talent, infrastructure and proximity to the National Capital Region.

Nilaya Varma, Global CEO, Primus Partners, said, "India's GCC story is entering an exciting new phase. While traditional destinations will continue to grow, the next wave of investments will increasingly be driven by locations that combine exceptional talent, strong industry ecosystems, world-class infrastructure and progressive policy support. Haryana, and Gurugram in particular, has all the ingredients to become one of India's leading GCC destinations. Over the years, we have partnered with multinational enterprises on their GCC strategy and advisory requirements. Today, we are taking the next step by helping them build, operate and scale these centres from India. Our engagement with Linde-Wiemann is an important milestone in that journey and reflects the growing confidence global enterprises have in Haryana as a strategic destination for future-ready Global Capability Centres."

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Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles has marked FY2026 as a pivotal year of transformation, emerging as an independent, pure-play personal mobility company following the successful demerger of its Commercial Vehicles business.

With Tata Motors split, the company renamed Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, a move Chairman N Chandrasekaran described as ‘more than a structural milestone’ that positions it to build a differentiated, future-ready enterprise with a strong presence in India and a global footprint through Jaguar Land Rover.

In his address at the company’s 81st AGM on 8 July 2026, Chandrasekaran highlighted resilient performance amid global headwinds, including supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions in West Asia, as well as a temporary production pause at JLR due to a cyber incident. Despite these challenges, the India passenger vehicles business delivered robust results.

The domestic PV business achieved record sales of approximately 642,000 vehicles in FY2026, representing 15.3 percent growth – nearly double the industry average. India business revenue reached a record INR 584.65 billion, up 20.7 percent YoY, with EBITDA margins holding steady at around 7 percent and profit before tax (before exceptional items) rising approximately 33 percent. The company maintained a strong balance sheet with a net cash position of INR671 billion.

Over the past six years, the business has grown nearly 5x in volume and 6x in revenue, swinging from significant cash burn to a free cash flow surplus while elevating its market position from 4.8 percent share in FY2020 to 14.2 percent in Q1 FY2027, securing the No. 2 rank in the Indian passenger vehicle market. The company has sustained EV market leadership for seven consecutive years and surpassed 300,000 cumulative electric vehicle sales.

Chandrasekaran emphasised the success of the multi-powertrain strategy, noting strong demand for models such as the Nexon and Punch, the reintroduction of the iconic Sierra and outperformance in CNG vehicles. The company also re-entered the South African market as part of its international expansion.

Looking ahead, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles has set clear ambitions for the decade to FY2031. The company aims to grow the business 10x, scaling to over 1.2 million annual sales, achieving 20 percent market share and attaining double-digit EBITDA margins. Plans include the launch of 6 new nameplates and more than 20 product refreshes, with EVs expected to contribute over 30 percent of sales volumes.

On the JLR front, despite a 21 percent revenue decline to GBP 22,911 million due to external disruptions, the business demonstrated operational resilience and progress on next-generation models.

A leadership transition saw PB Balaji take over as CEO. For the year ahead, JLR is focusing on modern luxury, North American growth and customer personalisation, supported by new vehicle launches.

On a consolidated basis, the company reported revenue of INR 3,355 billion and PBT (before exceptional items) of INR 25.19 billion.

Beyond financials, the company continues to advance sustainability and community initiatives, reaching over 1.8 million citizens through CSR efforts and aligning with the Tata Group’s Project Aalingana to achieve Net Zero by 2040, with electrification central to its strategy.

Chandrasekaran concluded with confidence for FY2027, citing a strong product pipeline, enhanced collaboration between TMPVL and JLR – including the new facility in Panapakkam, Tamil Nadu – and greater use of digital technologies and AI.

“Our ambition remains clear. To build trusted, aspirational and globally competitive mobility brands that connect meaningfully with customers,” he concluded.

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Electric vehicle fleet company Hala Mobility has announced the promotion of Shivam Agarwal to the position of Chief Business Officer (CBO). In his new role, Agarwal will lead the company’s commercial strategy, including enterprise partnerships, business growth, market expansion and customer success as it continues to scale its operations.

Agarwal has been part of Hala Mobility's leadership team, having previously led business development, enterprise sales and network expansion. His work has contributed to the company’s growth from its early stages to its current position within the EV mobility sector.

Shrikanth Reddy, Founder & CEO, Hala Mobility, said, "Shivam has been one of the key architects of Hala's growth journey. His deep understanding of customers, strong execution capabilities, and ability to build long-term strategic partnerships have contributed significantly to where we are today. As we enter our next phase of expansion, his leadership will be critical in scaling our commercial operations, deepening enterprise relationships, and building new growth opportunities while staying true to our focus on sustainable and profitable growth."

Shivam Agarwal, added, "Hala has always been driven by a simple belief - that sustainable mobility can transform both businesses and livelihoods at scale. I'm grateful for the trust the leadership team has placed in me and excited about the opportunity ahead. As EV adoption accelerates across India, we remain focused on building strong customer partnerships, expanding our ecosystem, and creating sustainable growth while delivering meaningful value to our enterprise partners, driver community, and the broader mobility ecosystem."

Hala Mobility operates a fleet of more than 15,000 electric vehicles across multiple cities in India, supporting over 100,000 gig workers. The company has integrated fleet operations, battery swapping, technology platforms, and financing into its business model. Looking forward, the company plans to expand its fleet to 32,000 vehicles and increase its presence to 13 cities.

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Sting Energy and Alan Walker have released the official video for ‘The Sting Within Me,’ an anthem inspired by the sounds of Formula 1. The track originated from an observation that Formula 1 engine sounds resemble the word ‘Sting,’ a concept that has since developed into a campaign across music and motorsport.

The video aims to translate the feelings of anticipation, tension, and celebration associated with a race weekend into a visual experience. It incorporates engine sounds and race-day atmospheres, following the track's live debut at the Barcelona Grand Prix.

Vandita Pandey, VP Marketing at PepsiCo, International Beverages, Hydration and Energy, said, “Few ideas get the chance to evolve the way this one has. What started as a fan observation became a global anthem – and now a video fans can experience. With the official video of ‘The Sting Within Me’, we’re bringing the sound, speed and emotion of Formula 1 to screen in a way fans can see, hear and feel. This story has always belonged to the fans and creators who made it bigger.”

Alan Walker, said, “When you're building a track from raw sounds, you start visualising it from day one. This track carries the rhythm and tension of race weekend, so the official video had to match that energy. Barcelona showed me what that emotion feels like live - this video is about bringing that same feeling to screens everywhere.”

Chandni Mehta, CEO, Kinnect Media, said, "This campaign was always about taking the energy of Formula 1 beyond race weekend and turning it into something fans could participate in. From music and creators to social storytelling and live experiences, every element was designed to bring audiences closer to the sport. The official video is the culmination of that journey – bringing the worlds of music, motorsport and fandom together in one shared experience.”

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