Witnessing manufacturing modernisation since Maruti Udyog began producing cars in collaboration with Suzuki of Japan at Gurgaon in 1984, the Indian auto industry landscape has drastically changed. Opening up to automation with the installation of some of the best robots available at Kuka, ABB and others, the auto industry has left no stone unturned. Such has been the fervor that Tal, a Tata Motors company, launched a robot called Brabo in 2018 to make manufacturing processes involving the application of sealants, picking and placing of parts, welding and vision inspection reliable and easy to perform. Made with an eye on manufacturing process the world over, the Brabo was tested in over 50 work streams and has so far found use in sectors like lighting, aerospace, software, electronics, plastics, education and logistics sectors apart from the auto industry. Coming from an auto maker that installed 300 Kuka robots to automate the assembly of Sumo and Safari at its Pune plant in 2009, the Brabo has seen many rounds of development and application-preparedness since its launch.                

Smart manufacturing trend

Highlighting the smart manufacturing trend, the TAL Brabo robot with payloads of two and 10 kilos has also found favour with companies in Europe and other places. Highlighting the prowess of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT), the robot is an example of the fast-changing manufacturing canvas. Producing about 1,286 engines per day, the Igatpuri plant of Mahindra & Mahindra became India's first carbon-neutral manufacturing facility by adopting smart manufacturing practices under Industry 4.0 in 2019. It invested in energy efficient technologies among others. It invested in recycling of water and other waste. It invested in solar panels to power some of its processes in the plant. An industry source expressed that the rapidly changing business environment the world over is providing impetus to smart manufacturing. It is driving efficiency enhancements and collaborations, he added. Emphasising on efficiency enhancements and collaborative efforts as key smart manufacturing drivers, an industry expert stated that technologies like AI, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), automation, big data and 5G are the biggest triggers. They are touching every aspect of manufacturing, from sourcing of raw materials to final inspection, he quipped.  

Industry 4.0

As companies like Lincode (it has collaborated with Switzerland-based Global Automotive Alliance), specialising in AI-powered visual inspection with multiple patent-pending defect detection capabilities, find more and more takers in India, the smart manufacturing shift is continuing to take place despite disruptions. It has, in fact, gained speed in India with the race to successfully accomplish BS VI transition in the last few years. A source in the auto industry mentioned that BS VI transition led to manufacturers upping their global ambitions. Vinay Raghunath, Partner and Leader, Automotive Sector, EY India, averred in a report that automotive shop floors are evolving and adopting digital technologies. This, he added, is happening amid challenges like slowdown in demand, non-availability of labour, concerns on health and safety management on the shop floor. Witnessing disruptions relating to ROI among other factors, as Raghunath has informed, the Indian auto industry has been an early adopter of digital manufacturing techniques.  

Working to dial higher efficiency, expertise and superior productivity, the Indian auto industry has been overhauling existing assembly lines, erecting new ones and extensively re-evaluating its manufacturing processes and practices in view of smart manufacturing, especially from an automotive value chain point of view. Taking to Industry 4.0, it is leveraging AI and IoT-based manufacturing technologies to automate further – to engage in machine-to-machine communication (M2M) such that there is self-monitoring as well as self-diagnosing. Taking to Industry 4.0 to tackle unanticipated disruptions like the Covid-19 pandemic, which has put well-oiled supply chains and production lines to the test and made it painfully clear that they in their current form are not as agile or resilient as expected, the auto industry is shifting to smart manufacturing in a big way. It is exploring and experimenting; it is finding new ways. It is doing so as it absorbs a significant change in technologies and products like electrification and EVs.

Operator 4.0 and hyper-intelligence

Investing heavily in data analytics infrastructure and capabilities, the auto industry is leveraging opportunities to digitally transform itself. It is defining the boundaries of physics for data-driven model. It is focusing on digital skills development. It is supporting the rise of Operator 4.0. Taking to collaborative robots that coexist with humans in a workplace, it is transforming its ways of manufacturing significantly. Drawing attention to the semi-conductor shortage and how the auto industry was affected despite using only 10 percent of the production, Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland, explained that the rapidly changing consumer psyche is dictating a move to a completely different technological aspect. Emphasising on material technology, he said smart manufacturing is about digitising and achieving cost competitiveness. It was some two to three years ago that the Chennai-based CV maker began implementing smart manufacturing technologies to mitigate challenges. It took to modernising and digitising existing workplaces to address quality issues that are difficult for human beings to detect and acquire made-to-order or mass customisation capabilities. It took to equipping itself with an ability to expand and contract in tandem with the market conditions even as it took to modularisation of product lines.  

Automating its cab panel pressing plant at Hosur in 2019, which increased the output by up to 66 percent, Ashok Leyland has been one of the many automotive OEMs globally that are investing in hyper-intelligent automation. A confluence of AI and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), hyper-intelligent automation is redefining not just Industry 4.0 but also Operator 4.0. It is facing challenges like the high initial acquisition cost in terms of tools, but that isn’t worrying players involved like Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Catalytic Inc and Infosys Limited among others. Estimated to grow at a CAGR of 18.9 percent as manufacturers strive to reduce energy consumption, up quality and reliability, and control costs through predictability and data-driven unique insights, hyper-intelligent automation is turning out to be yet another finer aspect of smart manufacturing. It is proving to be a big enabler for automating repetitive tasks – to enhance efficiencies, to take to cloud computing to ensure significantly more flexibility and to achieve scalability and the ability to collaborate and reduce costs.

Increasing visibility, predictability and enhancing control on operations and inventory, hyper-intelligent automation is aiding effective decision-making. Supported by development of new technologies such as 5G, which according to a domain expert, promises the need for speed and flexibility along with the capability to eliminate network instability or downtime, hyper-intelligent automation is helping automotive suppliers like Rane Madras Limited to make efficiency, reliability and cost control gains. In 2018, the company adopted automated solutions of Mistubishi Electric Corporation for its new plant in Gujarat. It led to a significant decrease in energy consumption. Aiding smart manufacturing, technologies like hyper-intelligent automation and 5G are helping the auto industry to achieve resilience and immunity against future uncertainties. They are helping to integrate Information Technology (IT) systems used for data-centric computing with Operational Technology (OT) systems – for data readiness and cyber security, and for the development of digital talent. Technologies like hyper-intelligent automation and 5G are helping to develop cross-functional profiles like engineering-manufacturing, manufacturing-maintenance and safety-security.

Tackling disruptions and smart working environment

Looking at productivity gains, emerging competition and risk aversity in the globalised world as per the EY report, the auto industry is taking to smart manufacturing to achieve significant technology transformations like electromobility as well. Apart from the creation of a smart working environment, it is also looking at the use of new materials, new process guidelines and practices. With health also becoming a disruptive factor in recent times, the auto industry is looking at automation in processes like inbound logistics, production planning, sourcing, press shop, body shop, paint shop, quality control and outbound logistics through data visualisation. With sensors and analytics shaping up, the smart working environment in a factory is coming to include AI-based alerts and fully automated work floors. This is increasingly getting compounded by data collection, historical data and high-quality extensive data mining. Helping to guarantee ROI, smart manufacturing is helping to lower the ‘takt’ time. It is also ironically undermining the involvement of humans on the shop floor.   

Reducing the cost of computation, storage and connectivity, smart manufacturing is coming of age with plummeting prices of sensors, 3D printers and robots. Empowering cloud-based manufacturing techniques and a gradual increase in the understanding of emerging technologies, smart manufacturing is providing an advantage in terms of the ability to respond to market changes quickly. Taking to develop a new light-duty truck platform with export ambitions and flexibility in terms of left-hand drive and right-hand drive orientation, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd took to automating its welding line with robots at its Pithampur plant. It also took to robotising its windshield pasting station among others. Experiencing quality, consistency, efficiency and cost gains, the CV maker is also known to have reduced the takt time and energy consumption. As global ambitions and modularity strike in view of the ability to explore new export markets with a cost competitive BS VI product, the auto industry in India is using embedded sensors, RFID and GPS etc. for smart tracking. It is using smart manufacturing technologies to monitor parameters like temperature, pressure, vibration, machine rpm and flow rate.

Smart flexibility

As part of a shift to smart manufacturing, automakers and suppliers are resorting to flexible manufacturing and AR-based solutions to upskill. They are, in view of the technologies like connected vehicles and EVs, stressing on re-aligning their traditional manufacturing setups with that of the future. Emphasising on quality, resource optimisation, streamlining of business processes and adoption of new emerging technologies, they are closely evaluating the advantages of solutions like digital twins and rapid prototyping using additive manufacturing offer. With ROI on their mind, they are embracing smart manufacturing to move up the value chain.

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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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