Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons, is no more. Admitted to the Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai, the 86-year-old Tata Group patriarch passed away in the late hours of 9 October 2024 due to age-related ailments.

Spearheading the entry of Tata Motors into passenger vehicle manufacture rather than be a commercial vehicles manufacturer only, Tata took over the mantle of Tata Sons as the umbrella organisation of Tata Group of companies in 1991 from JRD Tata.

Chairman emeritus of the USD 130-billion salt-to-software group, Tata was always passionate about automobiles and aeroplanes as much as he was caring about animals. A skilled aviator who would fly a plane himself, Tata was also a philanthropist. 

Highlighting an ability to risk by acquiring business such as Corus Steel of UK, Jaguar Land Rover of UK (from Ford Motor Company) and develop products such as the Nano for the common people, Tata messaged on ‘X’ that the recent rumours circulating regarding his health should not be considered as he was undergoing check-ups for age-related medical conditions and was in good spirits

He was admitted to the hospital on 7 October 2024 with age-related medical conditions. He has left behind him robust organisations in the form of Tata Motors and others, which have set an example of how success is achieved and how benchmarks are set. 

Tata Motors began its journey in the late 80s in the passenger vehicle space with the Tata Estate, Sierra and later the Indica against the competition  that was superior in their abilities to make cars.  Tata drove Tata Motors from what looked like a failure to the success that it today enjoys in the passenger vehicle domain by building capabilities starting with the passnger vehicle factory within the company's Pune premises. 

While projects like the Nano peoples’ car were very close to his heart and an outcome of the ambition to provide the ‘middle-class’ families a safe mode of personal transport, Tata was quite passionate about cars himself.

While he was often seen driving a Honda City in Mumbai near ‘Bombay House’ (the Tata Group headquarters) and the NCPA where he launched the Indigo Marina estate based on the Indica platform, Tata loved loved fast cars and flying his own plane.

Born on 28 December 1937 to Naval Tata and Soonoo Commisariat, Tata was raised by his grandmother Navajbai Tata along with his younger brother Jimmy. He completed his degree in architecture in 1962 from Cornell University, New York. He did an advanced management programme at the Harvard Business School in 1975.

On the advice of JRD Tata, Tata turned down a job offer from IBM to join the family business and began his stint as an apprentice on the shop floor of Tata Steel, shovelling limestone and handling the blast furnace.

Taking charge of the National Radio & Electronics Company (Nelco) in the late 70s along with the Mumbai-based Empress Mills, Tata was the fourth generation in the dynasty.

Successfully steering the Tata Group out of the rough winds that it got into when some of the business such as Tata Telecom went down, Tata stepped down on 28 December 2012 on turning 75. He passed the reigns over to Cyrus Mistry as his successor.

As relations between Mistry and Tata soured, Tata moved ahead to take over the leadership of the Tata Group on 24 October 2014. He put N Chandrasekaran, who was then heading TCS, in the commanding position as the Tata Group chairman in January 2017.

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Maruti Suzuki India, a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation and the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has announced that it is set to acquire land from the Government of Gujarat for the construction of a new production facility.

The decision follows a basic agreement reached with the state government in January 2024 to establish a second manufacturing base in the region.

The site in Sanand covers approximately 1,750 acres valued at INR 49.6 billion. Once operational, the facility is expected to have an annual production capacity of 1 million units.

The company cited Gujarat’s supply chain, infrastructure and proximity to ports as factors for the selection. The location provides access to highway and railway networks, supporting its function as both a domestic production base and an export hub for vehicles.

Current and Planned Production Capacity

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Ashok Leyland, one of the leading commercial vehicle manufacturers in the country, has opened a new integrated manufacturing facility in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

The greenfield facility, located near Lucknow Airport in Sarojini Nagar, was inaugurated by Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, alongside Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and H D Kumaraswamy.

The 70-acre site is designed to produce 5,000 vehicles annually, with a primary focus on electric buses and other green mobility solutions. The facility employs a workforce predominantly from Uttar Pradesh, including a high percentage of women. To support its sustainability goals, the plant features rooftop solar panels, energy-efficient lighting and zero-discharge water systems.

Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman, Ashok Leyland, said, "The inauguration of this new plant marks the beginning of an important new chapter for Ashok Leyland in the vibrant state of Uttar Pradesh. Our Group remains deeply committed to unlocking further opportunities that drive economic growth, create meaningful employment, and foster long-term prosperity in the region. This manufacturing plant reaffirms our resolve to help shape the future of India’s commercial vehicle industry, and we are confident that it will make a strong contribution towards employment generation while advancing sustainable mobility. With this new plant, we are preparing ourselves for the future and take one step further to achieve our Net Zero emission goals."

Shenu Agarwal, MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland, said, "As one of India’s largest and most progressive states, Uttar Pradesh has demonstrated a strong and consistent commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable development, making it a natural partner in our green mobility journey. This coupled with Ashok Leyland’s ambition to achieve Net Zero by 2048 has been a key catalyst for establishing this state-of-the-art facility in Uttar Pradesh. Equipped with most modern technology and high levels of automation, the plant reflects our focus on world-class quality and innovation. With a strong emphasis on electric buses, this facility marks a significant step towards building a cleaner, future-ready mobility ecosystem for India.”

The plant's logistics are managed using battery-operated vehicles to maintain its status as a green facility. This expansion aligns with Ashok Leyland's target to reach Net Zero emissions by 2048 and supports the state of Uttar Pradesh's transition toward electric transportation.

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Bharat Forge and Germany-based Agile Robots have agreed to explore a collaboration to develop AI-driven robotics and industrial automation. The partnership combines Bharat Forge's domain expertise with Agile Robots' automation solutions to deploy technology for the automotive, healthcare, and consumer electronics industries.

The agreement focuses on civilian industry and manufacturing. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the companies will co-develop and offer solutions in manufacturing, industrial CPG and logistics for markets in India and Southeast Asia. The partnership also aims to develop vision and AI-based robotic systems to enable autonomous ‘dark’ factories.

Amit Kalyani, Vice-Chairman and Joint Managing Director, Bharat Forge, said, “This strategic collaboration with Agile Robots is a reinforcement of Bharat Forge’s ambition to provide state-of-the-art intelligent robotic and automation solutions across multiple industries while driving manufacturing efficiencies at home. Manufacturing in India is on a steep growth path, and I am very excited that with Agile Robots we are going to deploy bespoke, modular and intelligent automation solutions across the sectors.”

Rory Sexton, Executive Director, Agile Robots, said, “By partnering with Bharat Forge, Agile Robots is strengthening its position in India's rapidly growing manufacturing sector. Combining Agile Robots’ proven leadership in AI driven robotic automation with Bharat Forge’s sectoral expertise will allow us to improve the efficiency and precision of entire production systems.”

The collaboration intends to set up capabilities for bespoke solutions while utilizing existing Agile Robots technology. By integrating AI into production systems, the companies aim to improve precision and efficiency across manufacturing sectors in the region.

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Hindustan Zinc and Silox India have expanded their long-term collaboration to focus on industrial decarbonisation and the development of sustainable supply chains. As part of the agreement, Silox India has adopted EcoZen, a low-carbon zinc brand produced by Hindustan Zinc, for use across its manufacturing operations. This integration is intended to reduce the carbon footprint of zinc-based chemical products while maintaining existing quality standards.

EcoZen is manufactured using renewable energy and has a verified carbon footprint of less than one tonne of CO2 per tonne of zinc. According to the company, this is approximately 75 percent lower than the global industry average. The material offers full traceability, allowing downstream users to account for the environmental impact of their inputs. When used in galvanising, EcoZen can prevent approximately 400 kilograms of CO2 emissions per tonne of steel compared to conventional zinc.

Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company, supplies materials to various sectors including infrastructure, automotive and renewables. The company is a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and has prioritised the reduction of Scope 3 emissions for its clients. Silox India, which specialises in inorganic chemistry and non-ferrous metal derivatives, will use EcoZen to support its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets.

Arun Misra, Chief Executive Officer & Whole-time Director, Hindustan Zinc, said, “Decarbonisation at Hindustan Zinc is not limited to our own operations; it extends to how our products are used across industries. EcoZen represents a step change in how zinc can support cleaner manufacturing. By partnering with customers like Silox India, we are enabling the wider adoption of low-carbon solutions at scale.”

Prakash Raman, Managing Director, Silox India, said, “Integrating EcoZen into our manufacturing processes allows us to lower embedded emissions across our product portfolio while continuing to deliver high-performance solutions to our customers. This partnership demonstrates how upstream innovation can accelerate sustainability outcomes downstream.”

The partnership aligns with the increasing demand for low-carbon materials in the automotive and infrastructure sectors. EcoZen is supported by life-cycle assessments and globally recognised ISO and REACH certifications to ensure transparency and compliance with environmental regulations.

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