Railway Shipment Accounted For 26% Of Hyundai Motor India Dispatches

Rail Freight

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.”

Hindustan Zinc Launches Next-Gen Alloys VedAZ And VedAyush For Galvanising Industry

Hindustan Zinc - VedAZ, VedAyush

Hindustan Zinc has announced the launch of two zinc alloys, VedAZ and VedAyush, to expand its value-added product portfolio for the galvanising industry. The introduction aims to address process efficiency, coating consistency, and corrosion protection for galvanised steel across the infrastructure, automotive and manufacturing sectors.

The move comes as corrosion-related losses in India are estimated at approximately 4.3 percent of the country's annual gross domestic product, according to a 2026 report by the CII and Nomura Research Institute.

The company produces the alloys through its wholly owned subsidiary, Hindustan Zinc Alloys, which operates a 30,000-tonne-per-annum zinc alloy melting and casting facility in Rajpura Dariba, Rajasthan.

VedAZ is a specialised zinc-aluminium master alloy designed to control aluminium levels in galvanising baths, supporting stable bath chemistry, uniform coating thickness and reduced dross formation. VedAyush is a zinc-aluminium-magnesium alloy engineered to improve corrosion resistance, coating adhesion and surface stability in coastal and industrial environments.

The company's value-added offerings also include Bureau of Indian Standards certified die-casting alloys HZDA-3 and HZDA-5 for automotive, electrical and consumer hardware applications.

Amarendu Prakash, CEO and Whole-time Director, Hindustan Zinc, said, "We see significant scope to grow our value-added zinc business across infrastructure, automotive, engineering and consumer products. Customers in these sectors need specialised grades tailored to their manufacturing processes and performance requirements. VedAZ and VedAyush broaden the range of needs we can address and create opportunities to build closer customer relationships. Our integrated operations and alloy manufacturing capabilities provide a strong base to develop customised products and scale this business. We want value-added products to become a larger part of our portfolio, helping us reach new customers and capture more value from the zinc we produce."

Tata Projects Wins Greenfield Automotive Contract In Maharashtra

Tata Projects

Tata Projects has secured a contract from an automotive manufacturer to construct a greenfield plant at Auric-Bidkin in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra. The project expands the company's portfolio into automotive manufacturing infrastructure.

The scope of work encompasses three packages covering the assembly shop, press and weld shop & utility and support buildings. The project requires civil, structural, architectural works, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, utility networks, testing, commissioning and handover. The development builds upon the company's prior experience across semiconductor facilities, battery plants and data centres.

Rajiv Menon, President and Chief Growth and Strategy Officer, Tata Projects, said, "India’s manufacturing ambitions are being shaped by investments that combine global standards, advanced technology and world-class infrastructure. We are proud to partner with a leading global automotive manufacturer in creating a facility that will contribute to this journey. This win also represents an important step in broadening Tata Projects’ presence in advanced manufacturing. We will bring our integrated engineering and execution capabilities to the project, with an unwavering focus on safety, quality, disciplined project management and timely delivery."

Maruti Suzuki Dzire Surpasses 3.5 Million Cumulative Production Milestone

Maruti Suzuki Dzire

Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has added another milestone with its popular Dzire sedan surpassing cumulative production of 3.5 units, reaching the figure in approximately 18 years and 9 months since its launch in 2008.

Manufactured at the company's Manesar plant in Haryana, the Dzire joins the Alto, Swift and WagonR as the fourth Maruti Suzuki model to reach the 3.5 million production threshold.

The Dzire sedan took 7 years and 3 months to reach its first million units, while the most recent million units were produced in 4 years and 4 months. The Dzire became the first sedan to achieve a 5-star safety rating under Bharat NCAP and featured among Maruti Suzuki's top five export models in the previous financial year. The current generation model, introduced in November 2024, includes an automatic S-CNG variant offering fuel efficiency figures of 36.47 km/kg.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO of Maruti Suzuki India, said, "The cumulative production of 3.5 million Dzire vehicles marks a significant milestone in the model’s journey. More importantly, it reflects the trust and affection of millions of customers across four generations. It is rare for a car to remain relevant for nearly two decades. Introduced in 2008, the Dzire has created a strong legacy by combining style, comfort and practicality. Across four generations, the sedan has evolved with changing customer aspirations while retaining its core strengths, helping it to sustain its position among India’s highest selling vehicles over the years. I express my heartfelt gratitude to our customers for making Dzire a part of their lives, and to our employees, supplier and dealer partners whose contribution has made this journey possible. Together, they have shaped Dzire’s legacy and established it as one of India’s most successful passenger vehicles. Going forward, with increasing manufacturing scale, we remain committed to delivering world-class quality and delighting customers in India and across global markets."

MAHLE Commissions Germany's Largest Photovoltaic-Thermal System In Vaihingen

Mahle

Automotive tier 1 supplier MAHLE has fully commissioned a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) system at its manufacturing site in Vaihingen an der Enz, Germany, marking the largest installation of its kind in the country.

The 2,000-square-metre facility comprises over 1,000 PVT hybrid modules supplied by Dresden-based startup Sunmaxx, integrated with a geothermal borehole field and a heat pump system. The installation delivers over 430 kWp of electrical capacity and a projected annual output of 1,086 megawatt-hours of thermal energy, meeting almost the entire heating demand of the site previously supplied by fossil fuels.

The geothermal borehole field acts as a seasonal thermal storage unit, storing excess heat generated during summer months for winter use by the heat pump.

The modules utilise cooling plates developed by MAHLE, based on its automotive thermal management technology used in electric vehicles. Positioned at the rear of the PVT modules in full-surface thermal contact, the cooling plates absorb heat from the solar cells to reduce temperature-related power losses and transfer thermal energy to the heat transfer fluid.

Established in 1979, the Vaihingen facility employs 200 workers and serves as MAHLE's sole European plant manufacturing Visco fans and pumps for engine cooling systems.

Martin Wellhoeffer, Member of the MAHLE Group Management Board, responsible for the business unit Thermal and Fluid Systems, said, “With our PVT system in Vaihingen, we are creating a unique bridge from proven automotive technology to pioneering energy technology, underscoring the consistent implementation of our sustainability strategy.”

Joachim Wulff, Plant Manager, MAHLE, said, “We are particularly proud to have installed this forward-looking technology here at the site, using existing structures and without interrupting ongoing operations.”