In what is termed as the Netherland-headquartered automotive group’s long-term vision for India, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares was in India recently to see the operations of Jeep and Citroen. These two are among the leading automotive brands within the group that is home to 14 well regarded automotive brands in the world including Chrysler and Fiat. They are present in India – Jeep since 2016 approximately and Citroen since 2021 – and have been making in roads into India with new launches and facelifts. 
Paying visit to the group’s Ranjangaon (Pune) plant where the Jeep products are made besides that of Tata Motors since Stellantis has a JV with Tata Motors in India, Tavares is known to meticulously audit the Jeep as well as Citroen offerings. He is also known to have engaged with the local leadership team, select dealer partners and a few others in his effort to gather valuable market feedback that should help put in place a successful strategy for growth. 
Tavares has been increasingly under pressure post the less encouraging financial results the Stellantis Group recorded in the first half of the current calendar year. He is being criticised for cutting too deep in terms of his 'lean' strategy. 
In the past one year roughly, Stellantis has been battling falling sales, shrinking profit margins and a slew of executive departures. The dealers seem to be frustrated. The investors and union workers don’t seem to be happy either, according to a news report by Nora Naughton in Business Insider. 
Created from the merger of FCA Automobiles and the PSA Groupe, Stellantis is claimed to be struggling in USA with Jeep and other brands facing criticism over issues concerning reliability and abrupt discontinuation of models that have been central to the image of a brand simply to keep costs low. A household brand for over 40 years, Stellantis almost abruptly discontinued the Fiat brand in India just before the BS 6 norms came into force. 
The two brands in India – Jeep and Citroen – have also seen a change of charge often in the last few years, which does not imply well in terms of customer assurance and market commitment. 
While the Citroen Basalt has been well-received, Jeep as a brand has not launched an entirely all-new next generation model of any of its offerings for some years now. In a highly competitive market like India, this may not work in favour of the brand named after the iconic Ford and Willys Jeeps of World War II.  

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German component manufacturer Knorr-Bremse has initiated the construction of a modular campus in Chennai, India, with an investment plan of up to EUR 200 million over the next five years. The facility will integrate engineering, production and artificial intelligence (AI) activities.

Scheduled to commence operations in late 2027, the site will support both the Rail and Truck divisions. The campus is designed to accommodate up to 3,500 employees and will complement existing sites in Pune and Palwal.

The 188,000 square metre facility will be developed in phases. The initial stage includes production plants for metro and high-speed train entrance systems, alongside braking components for commercial vehicles. Later phases, extending to 2030, will add office complexes to house global business services, including finance and HR functions.

Products manufactured at the Chennai hub are intended for the Indian domestic market and global exports. Knorr-Bremse is currently a supplier for rail projects in Delhi and Chennai and is providing braking and sanitation systems for India’s high-speed rail network.

The company selected Chennai due to its infrastructure and engineering landscape. The new campus is located near the Knorr-Bremse AI centre established in 2025. This proximity is intended to accelerate digital projects and improve process efficiency.

Marc Llistosella, CEO, Knorr-Bremse, said, “India is a key region for us with great potential – as a location for innovation, a production hub, and a transport market. Our future campus enables us to connect global capabilities even more closely, make processes more efficient, and accelerate projects. This creates a strong foundation for our Rail and Truck divisions to grow profitably – in India as well as in international markets. The campus is an important building block in our global strategy and a clear commitment to Knorr-Bremse’s long-term growth path.”

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MIC Electronics Limited has secured Letters of Acceptance (LoAs) from Eastern Railway, Howrah Division, for projects valued at approximately INR 44.5 million. 

The orders have been awarded under two separate competitive tenders and further strengthen the company’s position in India’s railway digital infrastructure ecosystem.

They involve design, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of advanced Passenger Information and Communication Systems (PIS) across multiple railway stations in the Howrah Division. The scope of work includes the deployment of state-of-the-art railway information display systems and allied infrastructure, in line with Eastern Railway’s stringent technical, safety, and quality specifications. The projects are scheduled to be completed within six months from the date of issuance of the LoAs.

The development reinforces MIC Electronics’ strong execution capabilities in large-scale railway projects and its growing role in Indian Railways’ digital modernisation initiatives, said Rakshit Mathur, CEO, MIC Electronics Limited.

MIC Electronics specialises in the design, manufacture and implementation of Passenger Information Systems (PIS), railway display solutions, public address and communication systems, LED display and digital infrastructure solutions, and electronic and telecom infrastructure.

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The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have released a joint study titled ‘Bolts, Bytes and Bots: Reimagining Next-Gen Auto Component Manufacturing in India’. The report examines the impact of digitalisation, automation and analytics on the sector.

The Indian auto component industry grew at a CAGR of 14 percent between FY2020 and FY2025, reaching a value of USD 80 billion. During this period, exports increased 1.5 times to approximately USD 23 billion. The sector is now targeting USD 100 billion in exports by FY2030.

The study indicates that over two-thirds of surveyed companies are in the pilot, scale-up, or fully integrated stages of implementing smart factory initiatives. Nearly 60 percent of these firms report benefits in productivity, quality, asset utilisation and issue resolution.

1. Shift from basic connectivity to advanced analytics and AI-based maintenance.
2. Use of digital twins and automated systems to manage volume and complexity.
3. Focus on operations and quality as primary areas for digital intervention.
4. Move towards interconnected digital stacks rather than isolated solutions.

Digital readiness is becoming a requirement for global OEM sourcing. International partners increasingly expect high standards in traceability, audit readiness and quality control. The report finds that companies with scaled deployments are twice as likely to experience a significant business impact compared to those in the pilot phase.

Vikrampati Singhania, President, ACMA, said, “The findings clearly indicate that Smart Factory initiatives are moving from experimentation to execution across the sector. The next phase must focus on scaling these efforts across plants and the supplier ecosystem. This will require shared platforms, deeper partnerships and coordinated ecosystem development, where industry bodies like ACMA can play a catalytic role.”

Vinnie Mehta, Director General, ACMA, added, “What stands out is the structural shift in how digitalisation is being viewed no longer as a discretionary investment, but as a long-term lever for competitiveness. As the industry balances export growth, coexistence of multiple-powertrains and workforce challenges, smart manufacturing offers a practical pathway to improve reliability, productivity and quality using existing assets.”

Vikram Janakiraman, Managing Director and Senior Partner, BCG, noted, “India’s auto component sector has led the charge on localisation and import substitution over many years, building deep manufacturing capability and scale. Today, as growth accelerates across domestic and export markets, the challenge is managing both volume and complexity. It is promising to see that the sector has made a start by adopting Smart Factory initiatives, with Indian companies already realising significant OEE improvements, quality gains, and better throughput from existing assets.”

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European auto major Stellantis and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles (TMPV) have marked the 20th anniversary of their 50:50 joint venture, Fiat India Automobiles (FIAPL) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore further opportunities in manufacturing, engineering and supply chain operations within India and international markets.

Since its inception, the partnership has produced more than 1.37 million vehicles. The joint venture currently employs approximately 5,000 people and maintains a production capacity of 222,000 vehicles per year.

The FIAPL plant currently manufactures four Jeep models for Stellantis and three passenger vehicle models for Tata Motors. The facility has established operations across vehicle assembly, powertrain production and supply chain management.

Gregoire Olivier, Chief Operating Officer, Stellantis Asia Pacific, said, “FIAPL stands as a testament to what two strong organisations can achieve together. As we commemorate this milestone, we remain focused on evolving the partnership to support future-ready manufacturing, innovation and sustainable growth in the region.”

Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director & CEO, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, added, “Our partnership with Stellantis through FIAPL reflects the strength of a long-standing collaboration built on trust, shared values and a common vision. We look forward to deepening this relationship with Stellantis in the years ahead.”

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