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.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Maruti Suzuki India has partnered with Adobe to modernise its digital ecosystem across marketing, sales, service and vehicle ownership lifecycle touchpoints.

The initiative integrates legacy systems to unify customer profiles and content delivery platforms. The automaker utilises Adobe Experience Manager Sites as a Cloud Service alongside Edge Delivery Services to manage brand web portals, including NEXA and ARENA, achieving reduced page load times and incorporating 3D showroom interfaces.

Additionally, Adobe Experience Platform consolidates customer data to support campaign orchestration, loyalty initiatives and service workflows. The manufacturer is also integrating artificial intelligence capabilities through journey orchestration tools and content optimisation solutions.

Sunil Kakkar, Director of Corporate Planning and Executive Committee Member at Maruti Suzuki India, said, "This collaboration has enabled us to respond to the market shifts very effectively, innovate faster and create a meaningful experience that strengthens our leadership in the quickly evolving digital landscape, so we can deliver superior products with high value while shaping the future of the automotive ecosystem."

Shobhit Mittal, Executive Vice-President of Digital Enterprise, Maruti Suzuki India, said, "One of the biggest challenges during Maruti Suzuki’s website revamp was integrating multiple legacy systems. We had to ensure data consistency and smooth connectivity across platforms while delivering a modern, intuitive interface. Adobe's live “See-to-Believe” proof of concept was a game changer. It allowed us to experience the platform's capabilities in real time, demonstrating how their solutions could handle complex integrations and deliver personalized experience at scale. Adobe's consultative approach, involving global experts, showcased strong commitment for us and assured us that they were the right partner to deliver a seamless, future-ready digital experience."

Tapan Sahoo, Senior Executive Officer of Digital Enterprise, Maruti Suzuki India, said, "Transformation is about people coming together with a shared vision, collaborating across teams and co-creating value for customers."

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

KUKA Mexico has opened its Innovation and Technology Development Centre in Monterrey, expanding operations in Northern Mexico.

The R&D setup is located within the Centre for Innovation, Research and Technology Development at the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon within the Technological Research and Innovation Park.

Spread across the 500-square-meter facility, it provides automation technologies, training programmes, technical support and product demonstrations for sectors including automotive, intralogistics, electronics and metalworking.

The facility houses educational cells from the KUKA College training initiative, autonomous mobile robots for intralogistics and industrial robots for welding applications.

Through a collaboration with the university, the centre aims to double KUKA Mexico's annual training capacity from approximately 550 engineers to support technicians, students and partners in robotics and automation deployment. The opening coincides with KUKA marking 30 years of operations in Mexico since its establishment in 1996.

Christopher Hernandez Moya, MD, KUKA Mexico, said, "Opening this new facility marks an important step in KUKA Mexico’s continued growth. By establishing a stronger presence in Northern Mexico, we are working more closely with our customers, partners and educational institutions to expand robotic automation training. At the same time, we are providing greater access to KUKA technologies, services and technical expertise. We are excited to continue supporting the development of automation and manufacturing talent in the region."

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Hyundai Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has formally inaugurated its manufacturing plant in Talegaon, Pune.

The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, accompanied by Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and Hyundai Motor India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Tarun Garg inaugurated the new facility.

The plant operates with an installed annual production capacity of 170,000 units, which the company plans to scale to 320,000 units by 2030 through a phased investment of up to INR 110 billion.

Combined with Hyundai's Chennai facility, total manufacturing capacity in India for the company will reach approximately 1.14 million units annually by 2030. The Talegaon facility incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) quality control systems, automated assembly platforms and an engine plant producing 150,000 units per year. To support plant operations, 55 supplier partners have invested nearly INR 46 billion in the state.

"The inauguration of Hyundai Motor India's Pune plant and the company's achievement of 4 million cumulative passenger vehicle exports reflect India's growing strength as a global automotive manufacturing hub. Hyundai's continued investments in advanced manufacturing technologies, innovation, localization and skill development will contribute significantly to economic growth, employment generation and development of a robust automotive ecosystem in Maharashtra. We welcome Hyundai's long-term commitment to the state and the nation. The Government of Maharashtra shall extend our full support to Hyundai's future growth journey," said Devendra Fadnavis.

Euisun Chung said, "India remains one of Hyundai's most important and strategic markets globally. The inauguration of the Pune plant reflects our long-term commitment to India's growth and our confidence in its bright future. HMIL’s milestone of 4 million cumulative vehicle exports demonstrates the global competitiveness of Indian manufacturing and highlights India's growing role within Hyundai Motor Group's worldwide operations."

Tarun Garg, MD and CEO, Hyundai Motor India, said, "The inauguration of our Pune plant marks the beginning of HMIL’s next chapter of growth in India. We will invest INR 110 billion in phases at this facility. Beyond expanding manufacturing capacity, the facility will drive industrial development, innovation and employment generation in the region. Supporting this vision is a strong regional supplier ecosystem, with 55 supplier partners having already invested nearly INR 46 billion in the state. Together with tier-II vendors, the ecosystem has created more than 18,000 employment opportunities in Maharashtra, reinforcing the region’s emergence as a key automotive manufacturing hub. As we celebrate 30 years in India, we remain committed to creating long-term value for our customers, partners and communities. We sincerely thank the Government of Maharashtra, under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Government of India, for fostering a progressive ecosystem that continues to strengthen manufacturing, investment and economic growth in India."

The ceremony also marked Hyundai Motor India's milestone of 4 million cumulative passenger vehicle exports from India since 1999, alongside domestic sales approaching 10 million units. The Venue model produced at the Pune facility will be exported to more than 35 countries as part of the company's global supply chain strategy.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Automotive technology firm Six Sense Mobility has opened its first manufacturing facility in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, following an investment of over INR 150 million. The launch coincides with the company's fourth anniversary and supports a target revenue of INR 5 billion backed by an INR 1.6 billion order book.

The company, supported by IIT Delhi and funded by Piper Serica and investor Ashish Kacholia, currently supplies automotive devices to markets in India and Europe. Six Sense Mobility plans to expand operations into North America and Southeast Asia, while tripling its workforce over the next two years by adding approximately 300 engineering and manufacturing positions.

The new 40,000-square-foot plant features integrated electronics manufacturing and assembly capabilities with an annual installed capacity exceeding one million units. The facility brings hardware development, firmware engineering, software integration and serial assembly under one roof to manufacture connected-vehicle electronics, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication devices, radar systems, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

Sumit Roy, Co-Founder 7 CEO, Six Sense Mobility, said, "Four years ago, we set out to build automotive electronics with full control over the hardware and software. This facility gives us the capacity to support larger customer programmes and take technologies like V2X from the lab into vehicles at scale. Designing and manufacturing them here in India is our contribution to Make in India and the journey toward Viksit Bharat".

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!