Bengaluru-headquartered electric two-wheeler manufacturer Ultraviolette Automotive has announced a 5-year investment plan to expand its manufacturing operations in Karnataka.

The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Karnataka during the ‘Invest Karnataka’ Conclave in Bengaluru, securing proposed incentive support through the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

The EV maker has announced a two-phase expansion strategy to increase domestic production and support global export requirements:

Phase 1: An investment of INR 2 billion to enhance existing capacity and manufacturing at the current Bengaluru facility.

Phase 2: The establishment of a new production plant in Karnataka with an annual capacity of 150,000 units.

The plan aims to deepen local manufacturing, create employment and accelerate research and development within the electric vehicle sector. Ultraviolette currently produces the F77 performance motorcycle and the X-47 Crossover, utilising proprietary battery technology.

Headquartered in Bengaluru, Ultraviolette intends to expand its Indian retail presence from 40 to 100 cities by the end of 2026. Internationally, the company has entered 12 European countries and has scheduled further expansion into Asian and Latin American markets.

Narayan Subramaniam, CEO and Co-Founder, Ultraviolette Automotive, said, “Karnataka has been central to Ultraviolette’s vision of Making in India for the World. This proposed manufacturing expansion reflects our confidence in the state’s forward-looking EV ecosystem, talent, and policy support. The combination of infrastructure readiness, proactive governance, and long-term incentive visibility creates a strong foundation for Ultraviolette’s next phase of growth.”

Niraj Rajmohan, CTO and Co-Founder, Ultraviolette Automotive, added, “Karnataka has been home to Ultraviolette’s R&D journey from the very beginning. The state offers a unique combination of deep engineering talent, strong supplier networks, and close proximity to key industrial and manufacturing hubs. What makes this especially meaningful for us is that we have built world-class products here proving that with the right talent, ambition, and ecosystem, innovation can be created right here in Karnataka.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Tier 1 automotive supplier Uno Minda has announced that its Board of Directors has approved the establishment of a greenfield manufacturing facility in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra.

The facility, managed through its subsidiary Uno Minda Auto Innovations (UMAIPL), will focus on high-voltage electric powertrain products for four-wheeler passenger vehicles.

The plant will manufacture and assemble Electric Drive Units (EDU) and Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT) systems. The expansion is supported by orders for these systems from an anchor customer. The project involves an estimated investment of INR 5.5 billion, funded through a combination of debt and equity. Capital expenditure will be phased over the next two years, with commissioning expected by Q2 FY2028.

This represents the second electric vehicle (EV) powertrain facility announced by UMAIPL, following the ongoing construction of its plant in Khed City, Pune, which is scheduled to start operations in H2 FY2027.

The expansion comes as the automotive market increases the adoption of advanced powertrains, including battery electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and range-extended electric vehicles.

Ravi Mehra, Managing Director, Uno Minda, said, "The Indian automotive landscape is undergoing a structural shift toward sustainable mobility, and Uno Minda is at the forefront of this transition. By establishing our second dedicated EV powertrain plant in Maharashtra, we are not only expanding our capacity but also advancing our product offerings with Electric Drive Unit and DHT. Our commitment remains firm: to lead the localization of high-voltage powertrain technologies in India, ensuring that our partners have access to global-standard innovation right at their doorstep."

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company, hosted ‘Zinnovation 2026’ in partnership with V-Spark DeepTech Ventures. The company aims to achieve INR 20 billion in value delivery through AI-driven industrial transformation. The initiative focuses on accelerating the deployment of technology across mining, smelting and manufacturing operations.

The projected value is expected to be derived from several operational areas, including productivity improvement, cost optimisation, asset reliability and energy efficiency. The transformation also targets enhanced safety, improved mineral recoveries and accelerated decision-making across the company's mines and smelters.

V-Spark intends to extend these AI use cases to the broader manufacturing sector, which currently contributes 17 percent to India’s GDP but maintains lower levels of digital integration compared to other sectors.

During the event, Hindustan Zinc and V-Spark signed several agreements to move technologies from proof-of-concept to industrial scale –

• Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with XCMG, Sandvik, STL Digital and AVEVA.
• V-Spark entered agreements with emerging firms, including Beta Tanks Robotics, Symboticware AI, Kernely, Uncharted Technologies, Infinite Uptime, Intellisense.io and Flutura.
• Hindustan Zinc is currently working with over 50 deep-tech startups on more than 100 projects through the V-Spark platform.

Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc, said, “The future of manufacturing will be defined by our ability to scale with intelligence. At Hindustan Zinc, we are embedding technology directly into the core of our operations to prove that an industry traditionally defined by grit can be led by data”.

Akarsh Hebbar, Chairman, V-Spark DeepTech Ventures, added, “Zinnovation reflects our commitment to moving innovation from pilots to performance, proving that a 3x to 4x return is a highly achievable reality for deep tech AI enterprises. This is how we create globally benchmarked, future-ready operations across industries.”

The forum highlighted specific industrial applications of AI, such as predictive maintenance, digital twins, autonomous systems and computer vision. Hindustan Zinc also demonstrated its existing digital capabilities, including tele-remote operations and a winder simulator for mining. The venture-client approach utilised by the company is designed to rapidly validate and scale technologies with measurable business impact.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

California-headquartered Aptera Motors Corp., the solar mobility company specialising in ultra-efficient electric vehicles, has announced that five validation vehicles have successfully completed assembly on its new low-volume validation line.

The vehicles were manufactured at Aptera's facility in Carlsbad, using a 14-station assembly process designed to bridge the gap between prototype development and high-volume manufacturing. By running multiple units in sequence, the company is validating the assembly system's repeatability and refining technician workflows.

The 14-station line is being used to test cycle times, workstation efficiency and the precision of the manufacturing system. Each build provides real-world data to sharpen production predictability and identify improvements for future high-volume scaling. The five vehicles will now join an expanding validation fleet for a rigorous testing regime, including durability, safety verification, software integration and solar energy harvest performance.

The Aptera EV, with its around 700 watts of integrated solar cells, claims to provide up to 40 miles or 64km of range per day and a 400 miles or 640km range per full charge. It can accommodate 2 passengers plus a pet, and is targeted as a city vehicle.

Chris Anthony, Co-CEO, Aptera Motors, said, "Every vehicle we run through this line teaches us something. With five vehicles now off the line, we have a growing foundation of data, a team that is getting sharper with every build, and a process that is proving itself in real time. That is what gives us confidence as we move toward our goal of customer deliveries."

Steve Fambro, Co-CEO of Aptera Motors, added, "What we are building here is not just vehicles, but the system to build them well. Each cycle through the line improves precision, efficiency and repeatability. This is how we plan to meet our customers' expectations when they finally get their hands on their own Aptera vehicle."

With nearly 50,000 reservations, the transition to a sequenced assembly line is a vital step for Aptera. The ‘low-volume’ approach allows the engineering team to implement firmware and hardware refinements in real-time before finalising the configuration for mass production.

The milestone underscores Aptera's progress in proving that its unique three-wheeled, solar-integrated design can be manufactured consistently at scale, a critical factor for the company as it approaches its first wave of customer handovers.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

CNH India, one of the leading manufacturers of agricultural and construction equipment, has achieved a significant manufacturing milestone with the rollout of its 800,000th tractor from its Greater Noida facility.

This achievement highlights the plant's accelerated production pace, as the final 100,000 units were produced in record time following the 700,000th unit milestone in 2024.

Following the success of the New Holland brand, which remains the company’s fastest-growing label in the region, CNH India has announced plans to establish a new tractor manufacturing facility. This expansion is intended to further solidify India's role as a global hub for the design and export of small-to-mid-sized ‘Made in India’ agricultural equipment.

CNH India continues to operate through its Case IH, New Holland, and CASE Construction Equipment brands, supported by its dedicated financing arm, CNH Capital India.

The Greater Noida plant, spread across 60 acres, which has been operational since 1999, serves as a global hub for CNH, manufacturing tractors under the New Holland and Case IH brands. The facility currently has an annual production capacity of 60,000 units, with plans underway to ramp this up to 70,000 units to meet rising domestic and international demand.

The site produces over 3,000 tractor variants, along with engines, transmissions and axles. Products from this facility are exported to over 90 countries across North America, Australia, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. CNH India employs more than 4,000 people across its operations. The plant integrates eco-friendly initiatives, including rooftop solar power, water conservation, and Miyawaki-style afforestation.

Ravi Kundra, Director Manufacturing Agriculture, CNH India, said, “As a key pillar in CNH’s global manufacturing network, our Noida plant continues to deliver world-class, technology-driven solutions, backed by the trust of our customers and our commitment to the future of farming. Rolling out our 800,000th tractor from the Greater Noida facility is a significant milestone that reflects the strength and agility of our manufacturing operations, especially achieved in the shortest time till date – a reflection of our growing volumes in domestic and export markets.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!