German tier 1 supplier Continental’s Gurgaon plant has attained a new production milestone of producing 10 million Electronic Brake Systems (EBS) and 100 million Wheel Speed Sensors (WSS), two components integral to the safety of a vehicle. 

The EBS portfolio comprises Electronic Stability Control (ESC) for passenger cars and Anti-lock Brake Systems (ABS) for both, passenger cars and two-wheelers. It provides directional stability and steerability of the vehicle whereas, ABS aims to avoid locking of the wheels and keeps the vehicle steerable during braking. Additionally, the signals from the WSS are required for control systems like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC).

The company states that over 1.3 million people loose their lives in road accidents worldwide every year and more than 50 million are injured. In India, 53 accidents and 19 deaths occur every hour, or an average of 1,264 accidents and 42 deaths daily due to road crashes, according to a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways report in 2023. To enhance road safety in the country, ABS technology was made mandatory in 2019, followed by a proposal for ESC in 2022 by the government.  

Sukhdeep Sandhu, Head of Safety and Motion, Continental Automotive India said, “Safety is non-negotiable. At Continental, we have consistently brought relevant technologies to the market for our customers, helping make vehicles and thereby our roads safer. Our expertise in active and passive safety systems is a key driver in reducing the number of traffic-related fatalities, injuries, and road accidents”.

“Localisation is at the core of company’s strategy in India. Supported by legislations which have played a huge role in ensuring vehicular safety, we have been able to localise both production and R&D, ensuring greater value to our customers in the market. Customers in India are proactive in their adoption approach towards safety technologies”, he added.

Continental’s ‘Vision Zero’ is focussing on ensuring zero road fatalities, injuries and crashes, through technologies, components and systems and ongoing innovations.

The tier 1 supplier is also one of the largest manufacturers of WSS in India. Apart from catering to leading OEMs in India, these components are also exported to other Asian and European regions.

Anudeep Garg, Head of the Gurgaon plant, Continental Automotive India said, “We are proud to achieve this milestone and continue to focus on localisation. As a Tier 1 supplier, we follow global manufacturing standards and have adopted several advanced technologies to create a digital shopfloor. Additionally, industry 4.0 technologies enable us to not only maintain product quality and enhance efficiency but also to effectively streamline our supply chain. We aim to increase the manufacturing capacity of EBS and WSS in double-digit percentages in the next three years for both passenger vehicles as well two-wheelers.” 

Continental’s ‘in the market, for the market’ approach has seen its entire value chain from R&D to design and production being localised. This way Continental is focusing on enabling easy access to safety products by adapting globally proven technologies to suit the local market. Wide-scale production offers economy of scale and ensures cost advantage, thereby contributing to increased democratization of safety features in vehicles across segments in India.

It was in 2016, when Continental set up assembly lines in Gurugram for Antilock Brake Systems (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems for two-wheelers and passenger cars. In 2018, it commenced production for ABS and ESC Electronic Control Units (ECU) at its Bengaluru plant. In the subsequent year, the company achieved the production milestone of one million ABS and ESC ECUs at its Bengaluru plant, and in 2020, reached a milestone of 50 Million Wheel Speed Sensors (WSS) at its Manesar plant. Additionally, Continental entered into a joint venture with Japanese firm Nisshinbo Holdings in 2022, to localise machining for valve blocks for Electronic Brake Systems (EBS) in India. 

Uno Minda, a leading tier-1 supplier has announced its expansion in Indonesia and India.  

The company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, PT Minda Asean Automotive (PTMA), has secured additional orders, including orders for long tail lamps for passenger cars from OEMs in Indonesia. To meet this growing demand, Uno Minda will establish a new manufacturing facility in Indonesia, expected to be operational by Q4 FY2026 at an estimated expenditure of INR 2.1 billion.

The tier 1 supplier has been a leading supplier for the Indonesian automotive market since 2005, when it established its first manufacturing facility. PTMA currently supplies components and systems to major two-wheeler OEMs in the country. The new plant will enable Uno Minda to diversify its product offerings and cater to the growing demand for passenger car components. Once the new plant is commissioned, the existing plant will also be relocated to the new site to consolidate operations and achieve economies of scale.  

In addition to its Indonesian expansion, Uno Minda is also expanding its capacity in India with its key subsidiary Uno Mindarika recently setting up a new plant in Farrukhnagar, Gurugram, Haryana. 

In phase 1 of this new plant, it had set up manufacturing facilities for part products to be used for manufacturing of automotive switches. UMRPL will be shifting existing manufacturing plant from Manesar, Nawada Fatehpur, Haryana to Farrukh Nagar, Haryana in Phase-II with an Investment of INR 1.2 billion. The phased relocation will be completed by Q3 FY2027, ensuring uninterrupted supply to customers and provide flexibility for future growth.

In addition to the above expansion in Indonesia and India, its joint venture company, Toyoda Gosei Minda India, through its subsidiary Toyoda Gosei South India will set up a new plant in Harohalli, Karnataka. This facility will manufacture safety systems (airbags, steering wheels, etc.) and interior and exterior products (console boxes, etc.) to meet the increased demand. The total capital expenditure for this new plant in Harohalli is estimated at INR 2.8 billion, with operations expected to commence in Q1 FY2027.

Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. is set to open a new plant in Harohalli, Karnataka, India, to meet the growing automobile production in India.

Built on a total land parcel of approx 40,000 square metres, with a building area of approx 18,000 square metres, the new plant is a branch plant of Toyoda Gosei South India Pvt Ltd. The company has pumped in INR 2.05 billion for this project. The plant is expected to have a staff of approx 580 people and will begin production of safety systems, such as airbags and steering wheels, and interior and exterior products, such as console boxes and pillars, from 2026. Armed with collaborative robots and karakuri technology, the automated plant will feature automated transport machines, energy-efficient electric moulding machines and solar panels.

India is one of Toyoda Gosei's main markets. As the car industry grows quickly, there is an increasing need for airbags, one of the company's primary products, against a backdrop of rising traffic deaths. In recent times, manufacturers have been boosting their manufacturing capacity for sports utility vehicles (SUVs) due to their rising popularity. The company intends to enhance the safety and comfort of mobility in society by utilising its research and manufacturing network inside the nation.

Kia Corporation has opened the Kia Gwangmyeong EVO Plant, which is Hyundai Motor Group’s first dedicated EV manufacturing facility globally.

Located at Kia Autoland Gwangmyeong, the new facility has an annual production capacity of 150,000 units and started production of the Kia EV3 in the first half of this year, to be followed by the EV4 in the first half of 2025.

In his welcome address, Jun Young Choi, Executive Vice-President and Head of Domestic Production Division, Kia said, “The completion of the Kia Gwangmyeong EVO Plant solidifies Kia’s first step as an EV leader following the company’s brand relaunch in 2021. With the goal of providing sustainable mobility solutions, we will lead innovation in the EV market and fulfil our responsibilities in helping to deliver a sustainable future.” 

Seung Won Park, Mayor of Gwangmyeong City added, “The completion of the Kia Gwangmyeong EVO Plant will help Gwangmyeong City to establish itself at the centre of the EV industry in Korea. Through this we will strive to promote sustainable development of the local economy and create more jobs."

The Gwangmyeong EVO Plant is a dedicated EV facility, with an investment total of KRW 401.6 billion (USD 304.2 million) over approximately 60,000 square meters and will serve as an outpost for production of Kia’s popular EV models.

The Korean automaker states it spent approximately one year transforming Gwangmyeong Plant 2, which was completed in 1987 to produce small internal combustion engine vehicles such as the Kia Pride, Avella and Stonic. The Kia Gwangmyeong EVO Plant is also meaningful in that it is the Group’s first dedicated EV plant and a facility that has been completely rebuilt on an existing plant site to become a hub for next-generation vehicle production.

The plant has been constructed with a full-scale conversion to electrification in mind, focusing on ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘worker-friendly’ processes.

The body shop is now a high-tech logistics factory thanks to the introduction of automated guided (AGV) forklifts, and the green credentials of the paint shop have been increased by applying the water-based 3C1B method instead of the previous oil-based 3C2B method. New equipment has also been introduced to improve wellbeing and reduce the workload of plant employees, including machinery which can automatically install high-voltage batteries, wheels and tires on the vehicles.

Following the completion ceremony of the Gwangmyeong EVO Plant, Kia will ramp up EV production. Mass production of the EV3, a compact all-electric SUV, began in the first half of this year. The EV3 is Kia's third dedicated EV model after the Kia EV6, the all-electric crossover SUV launched in 2021, and the Kia EV9 all-electric flagship SUV launched in 2023.

In the first half of 2025, Kia plans to introduce the EV4, the brand’s mid-sized electric sedan.

Tata Motors, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, held the groundbreaking ceremony of its new production facility to manufacture cars and SUVs, at Panapakkam in Ranipet district, Tamil Nadu.

The facility will produce next-gen vehicles for Tata Motors and Jaguar Land Rover for both India and international markets.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin and N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons & Tata Motors.

Tata Motors Group intends to invest about INR 90 billion in this greenfield manufacturing facility, which has been designed for an annual production capacity of over 250,000 vehicles. Production will begin in a phased manner and progressively increase to reach this capacity over the next five to seven years.

M.K. Stalin said, “Tata Group is renowned for its contribution to nation building. It has a deep, historic relationship with Tamil Nadu with many of its manufacturing plants successfully operating in our state for the past several years. We welcome Tata Motors, an auto manufacturer of global scale, for setting up its newest manufacturing facility in Panapakkam, Ranipet.”

The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility has the potential to create over 5,000 employment opportunities (direct and indirect). In addition, the plant will be guided by principles of sustainability and use 100 percent renewable energy for running operations.

N Chandrasekaran added, “We are pleased to make Panapakkam as the home of our next generation of cars and SUVs, including electric and luxury vehicles. Tamil Nadu is a leading industrial state with progressive policies and an established automotive hub with qualified and talented workforce. Several Tata Group companies have been successfully operating from here. We now intend to build our advanced vehicle manufacturing plant here using cutting-edge manufacturing technology and world-class sustainability practices. Our endeavour will be to have a high share of women employees across levels, in line with our focus towards greater empowerment of women.”