Germany-headquartered automotive major the BMW Group and Tata Technologies, a global product engineering and digital services company, have announced the official launch of their joint venture BMW TechWorks India with offices in – Pune, Bengaluru and Chennai.

The JV which goes on stream in November 2024, will initially start with 100 employees at these three locations and rapidly scale to four-digit number of employees by end-2025, with a strong focus on attracting top-tier Indian talent. The BMW Group and Tata Technologies will each hold 50 percent of the shares in this JV.

The management team of BMW TechWorks India is comprised of seasoned executives from both partner companies. Representing Tata Technologies are Aditya Khera as CEO and Sweta Girinatham as CFO of this JV. From the BMW Group, Oliver Scheickl will hold the position of COO of Automotive Software in this new JV and Stefan Flader will serve as COO of Business IT.

BMW TechWorks India complements BMW Group’s global strategy by engineering seamless, scalable software solutions for next-gen vehicles and delivering leading digital experiences. Tata Technologies will bring its expertise across the entire product value chain, from conceptualisation to detailed engineering and turnkey SDV (Software Defined Vehicles) development, will drive key software projects for the BMW Group’s premium mobility solutions and facilitate access to India’s impressive talents.

The partners aim to leverage India’s engineering and IT talent in developing strategic software solutions for SDVs, automated driving, digital infotainment, and automotive digital services.

In addition to automotive software, the JV will also provide digital innovations for the BMW Group's Business IT. Consequently, BMW TechWorks India will expedite the digital transformation of the car manufacturer's global production network, along with enhancing its digital customer journey and sales processes. Another key area of focus will be the development of AI applications and platforms, which will increase the speed and efficiency of all core business processes.

Christoph Grote, Senior Vice-President of Electronics and Software BMW Group said, “BMW TechWorks India is a significant addition to our global vehicle software development initiatives. India’s software talent will be a great asset for our Software-Defined Vehicles of the future. With agile processes and state-of-the-art tools, engineers at BMW TechWorks India will co-create innovative automotive digital experiences, such as automated driving and next-gen infotainment systems.” 

Alexander Buresch, CIO, and Senior Vice-President, BMW Group IT stated, “With BMW TechWorks India, we are steadily advancing our international IT-Hub strategy and broadening our global Business IT presence. The partnership with Tata Technologies represents a strategically important step and provides excellent conditions for developing innovative software solutions along our value chain. We are excited to welcome Indian tech talents to join us in driving the digital transformation of the BMW Group.”

Warren Harris, CEO and MD, Tata Technologies said: “Our joint venture with the BMW Group, BMW TechWorks India, underscores our deep expertise in Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV) and reflects our commitment to driving innovation in both automotive software and business IT. By leveraging Tata Technologies' strong brand presence in India, this JV will attract top talent and provide a platform to develop forward-thinking solutions that redefine the future of mobility. We are excited to partner with the BMW Group in engineering premium, software-driven vehicles, enhancing digital experiences, and accelerating their digital transformation journey.”

Nachiket Paranjpe, President of Automotive Sales, Tata Technologies commented, "The rapid evolution of automotive technology is transforming the way vehicles are developed, with Software-Defined Vehicles at the forefront of this shift. At Tata Technologies, our deep automotive expertise and end-to-end solutions across the value chain – from concept and detailed engineering to manufacturing engineering and turnkey SDV development – position us perfectly to support the BMW Group in shaping the future of mobility. Through this joint venture, we will push the boundaries of automotive technology, creating vehicles that are not only cutting-edge but also deliver exceptional driving experiences to consumers worldwide."

Aditya Khera, CEO, BMW TechWorks India: “With the launch of BMW TechWorks India, we are establishing a world-class software hub that will play a critical role in the BMW Group's automotive software and business IT strategy. By combining the BMW Group's and Tata Technologies' leadership in software-defined vehicles and product engineering excellence, we are poised for innovation and growth, offering India's top talent the opportunity to shape the future of the BMW Group's mobility solutions.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

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."

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

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.”

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!