The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) concluded its four-day Sustainability Week 2026 by hosting the inaugural International Conference on Automotive Material Compliance & Sustainability (AMCS) at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. The event convened global regulators, industry leaders, technology experts and policymakers under the theme ‘Driving Circularity, Compliance and Innovation in the Global Automotive Supply Chain'.

The opening session, ‘India's Transition towards Sustainable Mobility & Material Compliance’, was addressed by SIAM Executive Director Prashant K Banerjee, who emphasised India's role as the world's third-largest auto industry in advancing sustainable mobility through global safety standards and circular economy principles. He noted that compliance with the End-of-Life Vehicles Rules 2025 strengthens structured vehicle scrappage and resource recovery. During this session, a context paper titled ‘Strengthening Automotive Material Compliance Across the Vehicle Value Chain’ was released.

Jaywant Hardikar, Senior Advisor at ICAT, addressed attendees by framing sustainable mobility as a legacy for future generations. He called for circularity in product life cycles, strong linkages between vehicle end-of-life and material reuse and quantifiable targets such as sustainability indexes or digital product passports for every vehicle. Hardikar emphasised that government-registered scrapping facilities would play key roles in ensuring proper material segregation from the design stage onward.

Sanjeev Jain, Director of Purchase at Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, shared insights on India's journey towards global green mobility leadership through circular economy principles and resilient supply chains. He pointed to policy measures including Extended Producer Responsibility mandates, vehicle scrappage norms and CAFE standards as key drivers for achieving 45 percent reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 through clean technologies including flex fuels, electric vehicles, charging networks, green logistics and green hydrogen.

Frank Nottebom, Account Delivery Executive for IMDS & CDX at DXC Technology, highlighted India's strategic importance for the International Material Data System, noting that active Indian users had grown from 3,600 to 21,000 in 2025. Hanno Focken, Managing Director of Catena-X, discussed global automotive value chain complexity and advocated for open, neutral and industry-governed solutions as India positions itself as a central link in global digital automotive supply chains. Dr Prabhakar Bhangare, CEO of Global PCCS, delivered the vote of thanks, emphasising shared commitment between manufacturers and service providers towards zero pollution goals.

The first technical session focused on ‘Policy and Regulatory Framework for End-of-Life Vehicles Worldwide’, moderated by SIAM Senior Advisor Dr Rashid Hasan. Dr A Ramesh Kumar, Principal Scientist at CSIR-NEERI, explained that Persistent Organic Pollutants are regulated under the Stockholm Convention requiring controls on 37 listed substances. International presentations followed from Europe delivered by Naina Agrawal of Marelli representing CLEPA and SaiKishore Uddandi of Joison Safety System representing CLEPA. From United States, Shridhar Rajappanavar of Key Sustainability represented AIAG. From Japan, Yoshihito Tanaka and Yosuke Miyake represented JAPIA.

The second technical session addressed ‘Digital Transformation in Supply Chain Transparency’, chaired by Frank Nottebom. Key presentations included Asmita Sathaye of Tata Motors on IMDS data best practices, Muthukumar N of Ashok Leyland on IMDS data accuracy and Hanno Focken on building digital ecosystems. Anja Lang of BMW Group and Shanawaz Sheik addressed product carbon footprint integration in IMDS. Deepti Kapil, Additional Director at CPCB, provided insights on end-of-life vehicle management guidelines.

The third technical session featured a panel discussion on ‘Overcoming Product Compliance Challenges in OEMs & Component Manufacturers’. Dr Prabhakar Bhangare served as moderator, delivering a context presentation on IMDS adoption levels and supplier maturity in India. Martin Eichhorn of DXC Technology addressed the session. The panel included Auto OEM representatives Arun Kumar of TVS Motor Company and Paurnima Barwe of Volvo. Auto Component Manufacturers were represented by Dr Naveen Verma of DENSO, Deepak Patil of Uno Minda and Sharad Raut of Southco. Sri Vinnakota of APA Engineering represented allied industries, concluding the four-day Sustainability Week 2026.

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Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has reported a twenty-fold surge in granted patents over the past decade, rising from just 56 patents accumulated since its inception through fiscal year 2016 to 1,334 by fiscal year 2026. The Indian automotive and farm equipment major attributed this leap to sustained investment in research and development, alongside a firm backing of the ‘Make in India’ initiative. As of March 2026, the company’s total patent applications reached 2,728, underscoring a systematic drive toward technological innovation and engineering excellence.

An analysis of the 1,334 granted patents reveals that 60 percent are linked to the automotive business, while the remaining 40 percent belong to the farm equipment division. The company’s application-to-patent conversion ratio has improved dramatically from just eight percent in fiscal 2016 to over 65 percent for applications filed in the last 10 years. This patent portfolio also includes filings from M&M’s subsidiary, Mahindra Electric Automobile Ltd, reflecting a broadening scope of intellectual property development.

Beyond the numerical growth in patents, M&M’s expanded research capabilities have enabled more immersive technological experiences for customers. The company has also garnered multiple prestigious accolades in the past year alone, including the CII IP Award for Best Patent Portfolio, recognition as one of India’s Top 50 Innovative Companies 2025, the CII National Award for Industry-Academia Partnership, the Questel IP Excellence Award and honours at the CMO Asia Awards 2025.

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Venttup, a Manufacturing as a Service (MaaS) company,  has announced the appointment of Prashanth R. Menon as strategic advisor. He will work on the company’s strategy, expansion plans and growth roadmap, with a focus on profitability.

The company seeks to connect industries with manufacturing solutions from India and focuses on innovation to alter the manufacturing sector by aligning efficiency with the demand for sustainability.

Menon has experience in strategy, operations and business transformation. He previously served as Director – India at Tesla, where he managed the strategy for the company's entry into India and established its operations. He also served as Chairman of the Board for Tesla India.

Sandeep Nair, Co-Founder & CEO, Venttup, said, “We are excited to welcome Prashanth R. Menon to Venttup. His deep global experience in strategy and transformation, combined with his leadership in scaling global organisations, will help us accelerate our journey towards building a world-class manufacturing startup from India. We are focused on localisation and rapid development of critical components to support the growing deep-tech ecosystem."

Prior to his role in India, Menon was Director – Advisory at Tesla US, where he led teams focused on revenue, productivity and cost. Earlier in his career, he worked with EY, advising on corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, supply chain management and working capital.

Prashanth R. Menon, said, “I am impressed by the outlook and the energy of the Venttup leadership team, and their vision to build a sustainable and local supply chain to fulfill global needs. Venttup has a promising business model, and it is aligned with the Government of India’s “Make in India” initiative. I am looking forward to guiding the team in achieving their growth and operational goals.”

Menon will work with the founders and leadership team to shape the growth roadmap, drive expansion and manage scalability. He will also support investor engagement and partnerships.

Bhaskar Majumdar, Managing Partner, Unicorn India Ventures, added, “A warm welcome to Mr Menon to the Venttup Advisory team. His deep industry experience, decades of global exposure in the US, strong understanding of evolving global supply chain dynamics, and keen interest in contributing to India’s manufacturing deep-tech ecosystem will significantly strengthen Venttup’s scale-up strategy and growth journey."

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L&T Technology Services (LTTS) has officially announced the induction of Amitabh Kant and Rajeev Gupta to its Board of Directors, effective 22 April 2026. The appointments were finalised during the same board meeting where the company approved its FY2026 financial results, reporting a 14 percent revenue growth.

The additions to the Board aim to strengthen the company’s governance and strategic focus on ‘Engineering Intelligence’ and sustainable global growth.

Amitabh Kant is one of India’s most influential policy architects, previously serving as the CEO of NITI Aayog and as India’s G20 Sherpa. His 5-year term (extending to April 2031) is expected to provide strategic depth in innovation, sustainability and international economic transformation.

Rajeev Gupta, Executive Director has served as the Chief Financial Officer at LTTS since 2020. He has been promoted to the Board for a 3-year term and has nearly three decades of experience at firms like Amazon, PwC and Capgemini. He has been central to LTTS’ financial resilience and M&A strategy.

The leadership changes come as LTTS recalibrates its portfolio toward high-growth, technology-driven sectors. The company recently divested its Smart World and Communication (SWC) business to sharpen its focus on AI-integrated engineering services.

Amit Chadha, CEO & MD, L&T Technology Services, said, “We are delighted to welcome Amitabh Kant to the LTTS Board. His unparalleled experience in shaping India’s growth story, coupled with his forward-looking vision on innovation and sustainability, will be invaluable as we scale new heights globally. I also congratulate our CFO, Rajeev Gupta on his appointment to the Board. His strong financial stewardship and strategic acumen have been instrumental in strengthening LTTS’ growth trajectory, and we look forward to his continued contributions at the Board level.”

Rajeev Gupta, added, “I am honoured to be inducted into the Board of Directors at LTTS. It is a privilege to be part of such an esteemed group of Board Members and I look forward to contributing to the company’s continued growth and value creation journey.”

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TUV Rheinland, a global leader in independent testing and certification, has inaugurated its state-of-the-art Automotive Component Testing Laboratory (ACT Lab) in Manesar, Haryana. The facility is designed to support the Indian automotive industry by providing globally recognised testing for both conventional and electric vehicle (EV) components.

Strategically located in a major automotive hub, the lab focuses on accelerating time-to-market for manufacturers while ensuring compliance with evolving international and OEM-specific standards.

The ACT Lab offers a comprehensive range of end-to-end testing solutions under one roof, utilising advanced systems from leading international manufacturers:

• Structural & Durability Testing: Includes fatigue and lifecycle assessments for critical components to ensure long-term reliability.
• Environmental Simulation: Replicates extreme real-world conditions to test component resilience against corrosion, temperature fluctuations and moisture.
• Material Analysis: Provides deep insights into the performance and composition of both metals and polymers used in next-generation vehicle architectures.
• Operational Replication: The facility is specifically engineered to replicate the operational environments of diverse automotive sub-assemblies.

The investment highlights India's role as a high-growth market within TUV Rheinland’s global mobility portfolio. The facility acts not just as a testing centre but as a collaborative platform for innovation in the electric mobility ecosystem.

Dr. Matthias Schubert, Executive Vice-President Mobility at TUV Rheinland Group, said, “Our investment in the Automotive Component Testing Laboratory in Manesar reflects TUV Rheinland’s long-term strategic commitment to India as a key growth market. As the mobility sector undergoes rapid transformation, this facility enables us to support manufacturers with advanced testing capabilities that not only ensure compliance but also drive innovation, safety, and global competitiveness.”

Rajendra Kisanrao Bandal, Vice-President, Mobility at TUV Rheinland India, added, “This facility goes beyond a conventional testing laboratory – it is a platform for collaboration and innovation. Combining global expertise with local insight, it enables manufacturers to enhance quality, reliability, and performance, while strengthening India’s position in the global mobility landscape.”

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