The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the apex body representing the automakers in India, recently organised the Automotive HR & Skilling Conclave 2025 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 31 October 2025.

The event, themed ‘Accelerating Ahead: HR and Skilling for the Future of Mobility’, focused on the evolving landscape of human resources and skill development within the mobility sector.

The conclave saw participation from government officials, Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) of automotive firms, HR specialists and academics. Key sessions addressed topics including ‘Driving Industry Readiness: Aligning Talent, Skills & Business Goals’ and ‘Healthy, Inclusive & High-Performing: The New Workforce Mindset’. These discussions aimed at shaping a workforce ready for the future, strengthening industry-academia links, and fostering progressive work cultures.

C V Ganesan, Minister for Labour Welfare & Skill Development, Government of Tamil Nadu, observed the significant role of HR leads. He said, “HR leaders of auto companies have greater responsibilities, as they need to take care of thousands of skilled professionals working for their organisations.”

K Veera Raghava Rao, Secretary, Labour Welfare & Skill Development, Government of Tamil Nadu, highlighted the need for appropriate skills, stating, “There is a need to ensure that we have appropriately skilled people to support the ever-evolving technological landscape and to ensure that the investments made by companies are sustained.”

Industry leaders stressed the sector’s contribution to the economy and employment. Dr. Natwar Kadel, Chairman, SIAM Human Capital Group, and Vertical Head- People Strategy, Hyundai Motor India, said, “HR leaders of Auto Industry have a responsibility to ensure we continue to unlearn, relearn and innovate ourselves in a sustained manner.”

Focusing on investment in future talent, Prabhu Nagaraj, Co-Chairman, SIAM Skilling Group and Operating Head - Corporate Affairs, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, commented, “Investing in skills today is the key to building a strong industry tomorrow. Let us continue to collaborate, innovate, and invest in our people, because the future of mobility will be built not just in factories, but in classrooms, workshops, and training centres across India.”

Madhuri Mehta, Co-Chair, SIAM Human Capital Group and CHRO, Hero MotoCorp, said, “Auto Industry needs to evolve itself to meet the expectations of the Gen-Z as they integrate into this Industry.”

Senior HR personnel from companies including Ashok Leyland, Hyundai Motor India, Mahindra & Mahindra, Royal Enfield and Tata Motors also contributed insights during the event.

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ALTEN India, a global engineering and technology consulting group, has appointed Prabhakar Atla as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 5 October 2026. He previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer at Cyient, succeeds Balaji Viswanathan as head of the company's Indian operations.

Atla brings three decades of industry experience to the role, having led global operations and business units across sectors including aerospace, communications, rail, energy and semiconductors. His previous assignments include roles in Europe, India, the United States, Japan, and Australia, as well as serving as President and Chief Financial Officer at Cyient prior to his appointment as Chief Operating Officer.

Pascal Amore, Group EVP, Head of APAC, ALTEN, said, "Prabhakar's depth of experience in engineering, IT and technology services, and his track record of leading large global organisations through transformation, make him the right leader for ALTEN next chapter in India. India is core to the ambitions of our 2030 strategic plan, and I am confident Prabhakar will strengthen our organisation, develop new capabilities and accelerate our growth across the country."

Prabhakar Atla said, "I am honoured to join ALTEN and lead its talented teams in India. ALTEN India has grown into a strategic capability hub for the Group, with deep engineering expertise and trusted client relationships. My ambition is clear: enable and empower India as the engine of ALTEN Group's transformation, powered by deep sector expertise, AI-led engineering and faster innovation for our clients."

The company currently employs more than 8,500 personnel across 13 centres in eight Indian cities. The unit provides engineering, digital transformation, semiconductor and artificial intelligence solutions to clients in the automotive, aerospace, defence, telecommunications, consumer technology, manufacturing, and life sciences sectors.

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AIC Pinnacle Entrepreneurship Forum and the National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) have signed a memorandum of understanding to support startups in the automotive, electric vehicle and connected mobility sectors.

The agreement was executed at EKA's vehicle manufacturing facility in Chakan by Dr Avinash Thakur, CEO, AIC Pinnacle and Dr Manish Jaiswal, Director, NATRAX.

The collaboration combines AIC Pinnacle’s business incubation and mentoring programs with the testing and certification infrastructure at NATRAX. The partnership aims to assist startups in progressing from prototypes to validated commercial products. Immediate initiatives include organising a startup hackathon and granting select cohort members access to the NATRAX testing tracks near Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh.

The signing event included representatives from EKA Mobility, AIC Pinnacle and NATRAX, such as EKA Mobility Chief Product Officer Zoeb Altafhussain Karampurwala, Chief Engineers Kaustubh Vasant Joshi and Pankaj Shivrudrappa Munoli, and R&D Team Lead Swapnil Anil Tambe, alongside AIC Pinnacle Senior Manager Shadab Hussain and NATRAX Group Lead Tulika Mazumdar.

"The partnership with NATRAX opens an important bridge between startups and the automotive testing and validation ecosystem. Our objective is to help promising innovations move beyond the incubation stage and gain access to the technical, industry and testing support required to develop market-ready solutions," said Dr. Thakur.

Dr Manish Jaiswal said the partnership would create opportunities for startups and innovators to access relevant testing, validation and ecosystem capabilities. "Such partnerships can contribute to accelerating the development and adoption of emerging mobility technologies," he said.

Dr Sudhir Mehta, Founder and Chairman, Pinnacle Industries and Group Companies, said, "Electric mobility will remain a key focus area for AIC Pinnacle in the coming period. This MoU strengthens that vision by giving startups direct access to the industry, strategic partners, academic institutions and government agencies they need to scale."

The initiative will establish networks between early-stage companies, industrial firms, academic institutions, and government agencies across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. AIC Pinnacle operates as a non-profit incubator supported by NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission, while NATRAX operates testing and certification facilities in Central India.

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Indian vehicle retail sales reached a record 2,536,920 units in September 2026, marking a 31.82 percent YoY increase and a 4.69 percent sequential rise over August shows data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA).

Interestingly, in H1 (April–September) of FY2027, auto retail reached 15,512,319 units, a rise of 20.77 percent YoY.

In September 2026, growth was recorded across all major segments compared to the previous year. Two-wheeler sales rose 33.08 percent to 1,790,188 units, surpassing the pre-pandemic peak recorded in 2018 by 15.3 percent.

Passenger vehicle registrations increased 32.10 percent to 427,213 units and commercial vehicle registrations grew 37.62 percent to 103,557 units, crossing the 100,000 mark in September for the first time.

Three-wheeler sales climbed 22.25 percent to 132,570 units, with electric models accounting for 64.90 percent of the total.

Wheeled construction equipment sales increased 38 percent to 6,486 units. Tractor sales grew 13.75 percent YoY to 76,906 units, though registrations fell 12.58 percent compared to August due to a delayed festive calendar and uneven rainfall.

Total electric vehicle sales across all categories reached a monthly figure of approximately 334,000 units, bringing electric vehicle market penetration to roughly 13 percent.

In the two-wheeler space, electric vehicles accounted for 11.58 percent of new vehicle sales. In the passenger vehicle segment, petrol vehicles held a 41.27 percent market share, while alternative fuel vehicles accounted for 41 percent. The alternative fuel share comprised compressed natural gas at 23.11 percent, hybrid powertrains at 9.44 percent and electric vehicles at 8.45 percent.

Passenger vehicle dealer stock levels rose to between 43 and 45 days of sales, exceeding FADA’s recommended benchmark of 21 days.

Sai Giridhar, President, FADA, said, “September’26 was the best-ever September in Indian auto retail, with the industry registering 25,36,920 units, up 31.82 percent YoY and 4.69 percent MoM. I would, however, urge that this headline be read with discipline: the 31.82 percent is the most base-distorted print of the year – a mirror of last September, when buyers deferred purchases in the week before GST 2.0 took effect on 22 September 2025. The cleaner signals are three. It was the best-ever September across five of our six categories and, with it, the best-ever first half of any financial year at 1,55,12,319 units (+20.77 percent); retail rose 4.69 percent over August and even setting the distorted September aside, FY’27’s first five months grew about 17 percent, which is the truer underlying run-rate.”

Going forward, survey results from FADA indicate that 75.57 percent of automobile dealers expect sales growth in October, up from 67.09 percent in August. For the October–December quarter, 78.28 percent of dealers anticipate growth and 49.5 percent have revised their sales forecasts upward for the full financial year following the first-half results.

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French automotive major Renault Group has announced the appointment of Carine Damois as Chief Financial Officer, effective 14 November 2026. She will report to Francois Provost and join the Group's Leadership Team.

She comes with over 20 years of experience in corporate finance, financial governance and digital transformation within international organisations. Her background includes oversight across management control, treasury, risk management, tax, strategic planning, consolidation and sustainable finance.

Since 2021, she has served as Deputy Chief Financial Officer of Michelin, managing finance functions across more than 100 countries. Her prior career includes senior leadership roles across manufacturing, logistics, energy, and operations within Michelin and the AREVA Group. She is a graduate of ESSEC Business School.

The appointment comes as Renault Group continues the implementation of its futuREady strategic plan, aimed at maintaining financial performance and operational agility.

François Provost said: "I am delighted to welcome Carine Damois to Renault Group. Her recognised financial expertise, strong industrial background and international perspective make her the ideal leader for our Finance function. As we continue to execute our strategy and aim to maintain a high level of financial performance, I am confident that Carine will play a decisive role in achieving our ambitions. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Duncan for his commitment and contribution to the Group's development over nearly three decades."

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