The Aluminium Association of India (AAI), the apex body representing aluminium producers in India, has submitted its pre-budget representation to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under Ministry of Commerce, Government of India.

It emphasises aluminium’s crucial role in India’s continued growth, especially as the nation envisions becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. High aluminium usage is an established marker of advanced economies, given the metal’s extensive use in both present and futuristic applications. This has led several nations like USA, Malaysia and Indonesia to designate aluminium as a ‘strategic sector’.

As per industry estimates, India’s per capita consumption of aluminium is still around 3kg per annum, compared to the global average of 12kg. However, the sector is facing major challenges in attracting fresh investments, despite domestic demand for aluminium set to reach 10 MTPA by 2030. So far, the Indian aluminium industry has invested over USD 20 billion, to expand production capacity to 4.2 MTPA to meet the growing demand. However, a further investment of about USD 40 billion over the next 6 years will be needed to meet the expected demand of 10 MTPA, while also creating more jobs within India.

AAI states that given that aluminium is a strategic metal with extensive usage in defence, aerospace and sunrise sectors of renewables, electric vehicles, power transmission and sustainable infrastructure, it is paramount for India to be self-sufficient in aluminium production. Towards encouraging fresh investments, aluminium producers have requested the Central Government to safeguard the industry from surging imports.

The industry body states that over the past couple of years, imports of primary aluminium have doubled while there has also been a significant surge in low-quality scrap and downstream products, especially from China.

Industry members have highlighted that the influx of imports in the domestic market is a deterrent to making new investments in the sector, even when India has all the necessary ingredients to emerge as a global aluminium hub. According to them, the primary reason for the surge in imports is the low import duties on primary/downstream products and a prevalent duty difference between primary goods and scrap in aluminium. This is unlike other key non-ferrous metals, where the duty for scrap and primary is at par.

AAI states it is therefore requesting the Central Government to help ensure the nation’s self-sufficiency and attract new investments by increasing the import duty on primary/downstream products to 10 percent from the existing 7.5 percent. Additionally, to control cheap imports, the duty on aluminium scrap also needs to be set at 7.5 percent, at par with other aluminium products. This measure would encourage the recycling of domestic scrap and limit the influx of low-quality foreign scrap, helping strengthen the circular economy.

To ensure global competitiveness, it is essential that policies nurture a sustainable environment, fostering growth for the domestic industry while positioning India as a leader in the global market. This will provide some relief to the industry, already burdened by high tax and regulatory charges.

At present, the industry incurs around 17 percent of its cost of production in taxes, levies, and regulatory compliance charges. To ease this burden, the AAI has proposed an urgent rationalising of duties on crucial raw materials.

The domestic aluminium industry’s existing investments in capacity have led to the creation of over 800,000 direct and indirect jobs and spurred the development of more than 4,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in remote regions, particularly in the downstream sector. According to the AAI, the additional investment of USD 40 billion to meet domestic demand would align with the Prime Minister's vision for an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, while also creating 2 million livelihood opportunities across the country. With government support in the form of duty rationalisation and enhanced import restrictions, the domestic producers are confident of contributing to India's journey toward self-reliance.

Representational image courses: Victor Kovshevny/Flickr

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California-headquartered Aptera Motors Corp., the solar mobility company specialising in ultra-efficient electric vehicles, has announced that five validation vehicles have successfully completed assembly on its new low-volume validation line.

The vehicles were manufactured at Aptera's facility in Carlsbad, using a 14-station assembly process designed to bridge the gap between prototype development and high-volume manufacturing. By running multiple units in sequence, the company is validating the assembly system's repeatability and refining technician workflows.

The 14-station line is being used to test cycle times, workstation efficiency and the precision of the manufacturing system. Each build provides real-world data to sharpen production predictability and identify improvements for future high-volume scaling. The five vehicles will now join an expanding validation fleet for a rigorous testing regime, including durability, safety verification, software integration and solar energy harvest performance.

The Aptera EV, with its around 700 watts of integrated solar cells, claims to provide up to 40 miles or 64km of range per day and a 400 miles or 640km range per full charge. It can accommodate 2 passengers plus a pet, and is targeted as a city vehicle.

Chris Anthony, Co-CEO, Aptera Motors, said, "Every vehicle we run through this line teaches us something. With five vehicles now off the line, we have a growing foundation of data, a team that is getting sharper with every build, and a process that is proving itself in real time. That is what gives us confidence as we move toward our goal of customer deliveries."

Steve Fambro, Co-CEO of Aptera Motors, added, "What we are building here is not just vehicles, but the system to build them well. Each cycle through the line improves precision, efficiency and repeatability. This is how we plan to meet our customers' expectations when they finally get their hands on their own Aptera vehicle."

With nearly 50,000 reservations, the transition to a sequenced assembly line is a vital step for Aptera. The ‘low-volume’ approach allows the engineering team to implement firmware and hardware refinements in real-time before finalising the configuration for mass production.

The milestone underscores Aptera's progress in proving that its unique three-wheeled, solar-integrated design can be manufactured consistently at scale, a critical factor for the company as it approaches its first wave of customer handovers.

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CNH India, one of the leading manufacturers of agricultural and construction equipment, has achieved a significant manufacturing milestone with the rollout of its 800,000th tractor from its Greater Noida facility.

This achievement highlights the plant's accelerated production pace, as the final 100,000 units were produced in record time following the 700,000th unit milestone in 2024.

Following the success of the New Holland brand, which remains the company’s fastest-growing label in the region, CNH India has announced plans to establish a new tractor manufacturing facility. This expansion is intended to further solidify India's role as a global hub for the design and export of small-to-mid-sized ‘Made in India’ agricultural equipment.

CNH India continues to operate through its Case IH, New Holland, and CASE Construction Equipment brands, supported by its dedicated financing arm, CNH Capital India.

The Greater Noida plant, spread across 60 acres, which has been operational since 1999, serves as a global hub for CNH, manufacturing tractors under the New Holland and Case IH brands. The facility currently has an annual production capacity of 60,000 units, with plans underway to ramp this up to 70,000 units to meet rising domestic and international demand.

The site produces over 3,000 tractor variants, along with engines, transmissions and axles. Products from this facility are exported to over 90 countries across North America, Australia, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. CNH India employs more than 4,000 people across its operations. The plant integrates eco-friendly initiatives, including rooftop solar power, water conservation, and Miyawaki-style afforestation.

Ravi Kundra, Director Manufacturing Agriculture, CNH India, said, “As a key pillar in CNH’s global manufacturing network, our Noida plant continues to deliver world-class, technology-driven solutions, backed by the trust of our customers and our commitment to the future of farming. Rolling out our 800,000th tractor from the Greater Noida facility is a significant milestone that reflects the strength and agility of our manufacturing operations, especially achieved in the shortest time till date – a reflection of our growing volumes in domestic and export markets.”

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Japanese automotive major Toyota Motor Corporation has announced that its Tahara Plant, located in Tahara City, Aichi, has become the first Toyota facility in Japan to reach carbon neutrality at the plant level.

The facility is spread across 4.03 million square metres and employs approximately 9,000 people, it is one of the company's largest production sites.

At the Tahara Plant, carbon neutrality involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle production as much as possible. Unavoidable emissions are balanced through removal activities, such as forest management. The scope of this achievement covers all manufacturing activities within the plant premises.

The Japanese automotive major implemented several large-scale projects at the plant to eliminate emissions. This includes installation of wind turbines standing 145 metres tall, which are among the largest in Japan. The placement of approximately 1,200 solar panels along the facility's test course. Specific changes were made within the vehicle manufacturing process itself to lower carbon output.

The transition was supported by the ‘One Tahara’ slogan, which encouraged the entire workforce to operate as a single team. Beyond infrastructure changes, the plant introduced initiatives to ensure every employee took an active role in reaching the goal.

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ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) has opened a Pickling Line and Tandem Cold Mill (PLTCM) at its plant in Hazira, Gujarat. The facility was inaugurated by Keiichi Ono, Ambassador of Japan to India.

The facility can produce 2-million tonne of cold-rolled base steel used for Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) for supply to the automotive industry. The line integrates automation and process technology from parent companies ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel to manufacture steel with strength levels up to 1180 MPa.

This facility supports the production of steel for Galvannealed, Galvanised and Press Hardened applications. These products are intended to assist vehicle lightweighting, improve efficiency and meet Bharat NCAP safety norms. The project is part of an INR 600 billion expansion at the Hazira site to develop manufacturing facilities.

The demand for flat automotive steel in India is 7.8 million tonnes per annum and is expected to grow by 6-7 percent each year. This unit aims to reduce reliance on imports as India expands its role in global automotive production.

Keiichi Ono, said, “I congratulate AM/NS India on the commencement of production at its state-of-the-art automotive steel sheet production line at the Hazira plant. Japanese advanced technology has contributed significantly to the launch of high-end steel product manufacturing in India. This signifies that Japan’s contribution to the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ initiative has entered a new phase. Japan and India share a mutually complementary relationship, where Japan’s technology and capital are complemented by India’s manufacturing capacity and growing demand. Having witnessed the vitality of the Hazira Steel Plant firsthand, I am confident that industrial cooperation between Japan and India, and the future of Viksit Bharat, will be a bright one.”

Dilip Oommen, CEO, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, said, “ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India is firmly committed to the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives. In line with the commitment and guided by our brand promise – ‘Smarter Steels, Brighter Futures’, we are building state-of-the-art steelmaking assets by leveraging the unparalleled technology and expertise of our parent companies, ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel – both globally recognised leaders for offering the best automotive steel solutions. The inauguration of the Pickling Line and Tandem Cold Mill (PLTCM) marks an important milestone in this journey, creating the foundation for manufacturing high‑quality, high‑grade automotive steels domestically. This will support import substitution, enhance supply chain resilience and enable the automotive industry’s transition towards safer, lighter and more sustainable mobility solutions. It reinforces India’s position as a competitive manufacturing hub aligned with the requirements of next-generation vehicles and global automotive standards.”

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