Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), one of India’s leading passenger vehicles manufacturers, has been taking huge strides to cut down on its carbon footprint both on-road and off-road.

Taking advantage of the country's robust railway network, Hyundai Motor India shipped 26 percent of its total domestic wholesale vehicles through rail freight in 2024.

This translates to a total of 1,56,724 units transported through Indian Railways, cutting down on almost 18,352 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Interestingly, the company claims that 100 percent of its dispatches to North East India were utilised rail freight. Furthermore, between 2021 and 2024, Hyundai Motor India transported 5,37,499 vehicles using the rail route, which led to a prevention of 63,452 tonnes of CO2 emissions versus road freight.

Tarun Garg, Whole-time Director and Chief Operating Officer – Hyundai Motor India, said, “At HMIL, we have been relentless in our pursuit of promoting sustainability in all facets of our operations, be it manufacturing, dispatches, sales or after sales support. By utilising Indian Railways’ extensive rail-network for delivering Hyundai vehicles from our plant in Sriperumbudur, Chennai, to multiple locations across India. As the Government of India continues to upgrade the rail infrastructure with dedicated freight corridors and modern and energy efficient rolling stock ensuring faster movement of goods, HMIL remains committed to utilising rail freight to optimise its logistic operations, leading to long-term reduction in emissions.”

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Vega Auto, the parent company of helmet brand Axor, has commenced production of Revo optical-coated helmet visors in India, marking the start of local manufacturing for the component.

The production launch follows an investment of over INR 20 million in optical coating technology and manufacturing infrastructure. The company plans to produce up to 2.4 million units of the coated visors at its domestic facilities.

The visors utilise multilayer optical coating technology designed to control light glare in bright environmental conditions and reduce visual fatigue. The product engineering focuses on glare management and optical clarity during daylight riding, expanding safety design beyond structural impact protection to address rider visual field requirements and road environment awareness.

Girdhari Chandak, Managing Director, Vega Auto Accessories, said, "At Axor, we believe rider safety begins long before impact, it begins with vision. A rider who can see more clearly can anticipate better, react faster and ride with greater confidence. Becoming the first company in India to manufacture Revo Optical Coated Helmet Visors is a proud milestone for Vega Auto. Our investment of over INR 20 million in advanced optical coating technology reflects our commitment to building world-class innovation in India. Revo is more than a premium visor. It represents a new approach to helmet innovation, one that combines protection with superior visual performance, comfort and rider confidence. This is only the beginning of our journey to redefine rider vision technology."

The manufacturing process incorporates multilayer coatings applied directly to the visor surface to produce a reflective finish while maintaining light transmission properties. Vega Auto will integrate the locally produced visors into its Axor product portfolio while continuing the development of component manufacturing capabilities in India.

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has commenced commercial production at Plant D, the fourth manufacturing unit at its Hansalpur facility in Gujarat.

The new line adds 250,000 units of annual capacity, raising the total annual production capability at the Hansalpur site from 750,000 units to one million vehicles. The expansion makes Hansalpur the first manufacturing location across Suzuki's international network to achieve a million-unit annual capacity and establishes the site as the largest single-location passenger vehicle manufacturing plant in India.

The commissioning of Plant D increases Maruti Suzuki's total installed manufacturing capacity across India to 2.9 million units per year. Total investment in the Hansalpur site stands at INR 252.88 billion, which includes INR 39 billion allocated for the construction and equipping of Plant D. Initial assembly operations at the new plant will focus on the company's battery electric vehicle, the e Vitara.

In addition to the e Vitara, the Hansalpur manufacturing complex produces the Fronx, Baleno and Swift models. The site serves as a primary export hub for Maruti Suzuki, generating approximately 47 percent of the company's total overseas vehicle shipments during the 2025-26 financial year.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Gujarat has emerged as a manufacturing and export hub for Maruti Suzuki, backed by strong infrastructure and a progressive industrial ecosystem. The start of commercial production at the fourth plant of our Hansalpur facility augments its annual production capacity to one million vehicles, making it India’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturing facility at a single location. The new line will further strengthen our ability to meet the growing demand from customers in India and overseas while advancing our ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision and expanding our global footprint.”

“Together, the Hansalpur and the upcoming Sanand facility in Gujarat will play a pivotal role in achieving our long-term ambition of producing 4 million units annually in India. These projects reflect our commitment to strengthening India’s manufacturing competitiveness, creating employment, boosting exports, and contributing towards Viksit Bharat,” he added.

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Godrej Enterprises Group's Tooling business is expanding its engineering and manufacturing capabilities to support domestic original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier-1 suppliers as the Indian automotive sector increases localisation and develops new mobility platforms.

With over 85 percent of its business linked to the automotive industry, the division supplies precision tooling solutions across passenger vehicles, two-wheelers, commercial vehicles and electric vehicle platforms.

At present, 95 percent of the tooling supplied to its automotive client base is manufactured locally within India, driven by government initiatives such as Make in India and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes that encourage domestic supply chain resilience.

The business produces press tools, die-casting dies and precision tooling systems. Alongside its core automotive operations, the unit supplies components to industrial machinery, railways, metro rail networks and defence manufacturing sectors.

Pankaj Abhyankar, Business Head – Tooling at Godrej Enterprises Group, said: "India's automotive industry is evolving rapidly, driven by localisation, changing mobility technologies, and the need for greater manufacturing agility. As vehicle architectures become more advanced, tooling is playing an increasingly important role in enabling precision, productivity, quality, and faster product development cycles. Our focus remains on building advanced engineering and manufacturing capabilities that help customers meet these evolving requirements while supporting India's manufacturing ambitions."

To meet changing manufacturing standards, the division is integrating digital simulations, additive manufacturing, Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring systems and large-tonnage dye equipment into its production processes. The business is also utilising vacuum-assisted systems, thermo-regulation processes, squeeze casting and conformal cooling methods.

The expansion comes as the Indian tooling market experiences increased demand driven by capital investments in automotive manufacturing, electric mobility infrastructure, railways and defence production. Godrej Enterprises Group aims to scale its domestic manufacturing output to support long-term supply chain localisation across these industrial sectors.

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SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation), one of the largest petrochemicals manufacturers globally, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CEER, Saudi Arabia's electric vehicle brand, to explore cooperation in applying SABIC's materials and solutions in the design, development and manufacture of electric vehicles.

The signing ceremony took place at SABIC's headquarters in Riyadh, with attendance from SABIC CEO Dr. Faisal M. Alfaqeer and CEER CEO James DeLuca.

The agreement establishes a framework for evaluating the use of SABIC materials in EV applications and jointly developing material and processing solutions. The collaboration also covers knowledge sharing on sustainability and technology, exploring strategic sourcing opportunities to build a local supply chain and identifying joint areas of cooperation.

Dr. Al-Faqeer, said, “The memorandum represents a strategic collaboration which leverages SABIC’s global expertise in advanced material solutions for the electric vehicle industry. Through this partnership, we aim to accelerate innovation, enhance local content and build an integrated national supply chain that enhances global competitiveness. This collaboration also reflects our shared commitment to contribute to Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Industrial Strategy, empowering national talent, and strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a regional hub for future industries and technologies.”

James DeLuca, said, “This strategic collaboration with SABIC marks a significant step in CEER's journey toward designing, engineering and manufacturing a world-class electric vehicle right here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In order to develop next-generation electric vehicles with leading safety and efficiency performance, we are partnering with global prominent companies that share our commitment to innovation. By integrating SABIC’s materials and deep technical expertise into our vehicles, we are building a robust and reliable local supply chain while enhancing CEER’s rule as a key player in the Kingdom’s transformation into sustainable advanced hub for mobility and technology, in alignment with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.”

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