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. 

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Tata Motors has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Welspun Renewable Energy to develop an 86 MW wind-solar hybrid project. The project will supply power to Tata Motors' manufacturing plants in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Karnataka.

The project is expected to generate 200 million units of energy annually and offset 140,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. This initiative supports Tata Motors' goal to meet its RE100 target by 2030 and its ambition to achieve net-zero emissions.

Vishal Badshah, Vice-President – Operations, Tata Motors, said, "This project reflects Tata Motors’ continued focus on building greener and more energy-efficient manufacturing operations. The scale and integrated nature of this wind-solar hybrid solution will help us secure a reliable supply of renewable energy for key commercial vehicle manufacturing facilities, while meaningfully reducing carbon emissions across operations on a sustained basis. Collaborations like these are critical as we progress to fulfil our RE-100 commitment and net-zero aspirations."

Kapil Maheshwari, MD & CEO, Welspun Renewable Energy, said, “This partnership with Tata Motors represents a defining milestone in Welspun New Energy's journey. We are not merely signing a PPA, we are co-creating a model for how India's largest manufacturers can decarbonize and achieve net zero and sustainability goals. We thank Tata Motors for their trust and look forward to making this one of many long and successful partnerships. At Welspun New Energy, we remain committed to building resilient, future-ready renewable energy infrastructure for both Utilities and C&I consumers”

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has further expanded its capacity with its new manufacturing facility at IMT Kharkhoda, Haryana, going on stream.

The facility was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, via video conferencing. The site represents an investment of INR 350 billion and is expected to create 21,000 jobs. Once the facility reaches its capacity of one million units per annum, it will be among the largest vehicle manufacturing sites globally.

Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director & President, Suzuki Motor Corporation, said, “It is a great honour for Suzuki group today as its most advanced car manufacturing facility at Kharkhoda, Haryana has been inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi and Sanae Takaichi. From current capacity of half a million units, the plant will be further scaled to one million units, making it one of the largest car plants in the world. It is a testament to the success of India-Japan partnership and ‘Make in India’ initiative. With favourable policy environment under PM Modi’s leadership, Suzuki is accelerating investments, employment, exports and technologies towards Viksit Bharat journey.”

“Over the years, India’s importance has grown significantly within the Suzuki Group. Suzuki’s first Battery Electric Vehicle, the e VITARA, is manufactured exclusively at Maruti Suzuki’s Gujarat plant, for exports to 100 countries globally. Thanks to exports of Made in India cars, Suzuki has become the largest car importer in Japan, one of the most demanding automobile markets. This shift is a strong reflection of how ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ is unfolding in practice, demonstrating growing global trust in India’s quality, capability, and advancement in manufacturing,” added Suzuki.

The Kharkhoda facility operates as a ‘Suzuki Smart Factory,’ utilising digital technologies to monitor operations and Industry 5.0 practices, such as the use of collaborative robots (COBOTS).

Interestingly, 100 percent of the facility’s electricity is sourced through renewable methods, including an installed solar capacity of 20 MWp, which is planned to reach 70 MWp by 2030. The site also includes a biogas plant and a Battery Energy Storage System.

The plant functions as a zero liquid discharge facility, with water requirements met through recycling and rainwater harvesting.

Furthermore, an in-plant railway siding will be established to manage vehicle transportation.

The company is also conducting community development projects in 10 nearby villages and continues to operate Japan-India Institutes for Manufacturing (JIMs) to develop a skilled workforce. Maruti Suzuki currently operates manufacturing plants in Gurugram, Manesar, Hansalpur, and now Kharkhoda, with a target capacity of 2.9 million units by the FY2026-27.

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Hindustan Zinc has expanded its Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) license to include Hindustan Zinc Die-Casting Alloy 5 (HZDA 5). The company now holds BIS certification for both HZDA 3 and HZDA 5, which are used in sectors including automotive, engineering and infrastructure.

The BIS certification confirms that products meet standards for quality, safety and reliability. This development is intended to provide customers with assurance regarding product consistency and performance.

Arun Misra, CEO & Whole Time Director, Hindustan Zinc, said, “The extension of our BIS license scope to include HZDA 5 is an important step in strengthening customer confidence in our certified product portfolio. For us, certification is not only about meeting standards, but also about assuring customers of dependable quality and long-term value. As industries increasingly look for high-performance and responsibly produced metals, Hindustan Zinc remains committed to delivering products that customers can trust.”

The company manages quality through processes including raw material sourcing, production, and testing. It uses systems such as the Laboratory Information Management System and Agile Quality Circle to monitor production. In addition to BIS, the company maintains certifications such as REACH and LBMA.

Hindustan Zinc produces zinc, lead, silver and alloys, including low-carbon offerings. The company also manages customer engagement through its digital platform, Vedanta Metal Bazaar.

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European auto major Stellantis has installed a blanking press at its Warren Stamping Plant in Michigan to increase in-house production capacity. This development supports the manufacturing of components for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles in North America.

The Warren Stamping Plant and the Sterling Stamping Plant supply components – including hoods, doors and liftgates – to assembly plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. These operations contribute to the volume growth targets established in the FaSTLAne 2030 strategy.

Ed Daniels Jr., Vice-President of North America injection and stamping operations, Stellantis, said, “When people think about vehicle manufacturing, they usually picture the assembly line. But stamping is where that work begins. Sterling and Warren give our North America operations the scale, speed and flexibility needed to deliver precision parts on time, support key vehicle programs and help drive sustainable, profitable growth. As Stellantis executes its USD 13 billion U.S. investment plans, these plants and the people behind them are critical to strengthening our manufacturing foundation and keeping assembly operations moving.”

The new press at the Warren facility is expected to produce between 4.5 million and 6 million parts annually for the Ram 1500, Wrangler, Gladiator and Grand Cherokee.

Curtis Booth, Vice-President and Plant Manager, Warren Stamping Plant, Stellantis, added, “The new press has the capacity to produce between 4.5 million and 6 million parts annually for vehicles, including the Ram 1500 and three Jeep models – the Wrangler, Gladiator and Grand Cherokee. Together, the Hellcat line and the new blanking press give WSP the ability to both prepare and form critical vehicle components within a highly integrated manufacturing operation.”

Quality control is maintained using the Automated Body Inspection System, which validates geometry and precision during production.

Greg ‘Butch’ Bauer, Vice-President and plant manager, Sterling Stamping Plant, Stellantis, said, “Our workforce is what makes an operation like this possible. There’s a level of ownership and pride across every shift that ensures we’re delivering the same quality and performance at all times.”

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