The foundation stone for four manufacturing units was laid today by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Railways, Electronics, IT and Information & Broadcasting, at the Electronics Manufacturing Cluster in Divitipally, Mahabubnagar Dsitrict, Telangana. The Electronics Manufacturing Cluster in Divitipally was set up under the EMC-2.0 Scheme by the Telangana Government to promote electronics manufacturing in the state.

As part of the event, Amara Raja laid the foundation stone for its upcoming Giga Factory-1, while Altmin laid the foundation stone for its first LFP-CAM Giga Factory, Lohum held the groundbreaking ceremony for its battery recycling and critical minerals refining and Scell Energy held the groundbreaking ceremony for its cell casing manufacturing.

The Honourable Minister of Information Technology, Electronics, Industries, and Commerce, Legislative Affairs in the Telangana Government, D Sridhar Babu, the Honourable Member of Parliament from Mahbubnagar Constituency, Aruna D K, and the Legislative Assembly Member, Y Srinivas Reddy, graced the occasion. Jayadev Galla, the Chairman and Managing Director of Amara Raja Energy and Mobility Ltd, was also in attendance, as were senior state government officials and business executives.

In 2022, ARACT and the Telangana Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Amara Raja Giga Corridor, wherein the business will establish facilities for the production of lithium cells and battery packs with capacities of up to 16 GWh and 5GWh, respectively, for both the Indian and foreign markets. The project is anticipated to significantly contribute to the socioeconomic growth of the area once it is operational, providing 4,500 direct jobs and a comparable number of indirect jobs in the state.

"The battery technology is as essential for India’s economy as steel and chemical, and It is heartening to see Amara Raja taking a lead in this space. The Union government is committed to the all-round growth of the sector and Divitipally region and will contribute further through modernisation of railway station and establishing allied infrastructure. The Centre has committed over INR 50 billion for State’s railway development,” said the Union Minister.

"Telangana is committed to be the Industrial hub and has been a leader in adopting sustainability. The state government is committed to extending support to manufacturing initiatives such as these, and we look forward to Giga Factory’s inauguration,” said the State Minister.

Galla said, "The Foundation Stone laying ceremony is a big step forward for our Company and the Group. We are grateful to the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to the Hon’ble Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for being proactive and pro-industry. We are also thankful to the Telangana Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and State Minister D Sridhar Babu for their tremendous support and encouragement in this endeavour. As we step forward, we are looking to be amongst the first companies in India to present an indigenously manufactured Lithium-Ion cell to the nation.”

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Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced a target to raise women’s representation in its executive workforce to 20 percent by 2030.

Women currently make up over 8 percent of the company’s executive workforce of more than 4,000 employees. In 2026, female recruits accounted for 45 percent of management trainees and engineer trainees hired by the vehicle manufacturer.

The company is tracking female recruitment and deployment across manufacturing, engineering, research and development, sales, service, corporate and leadership functions. The target aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 for gender equality and Goal 8 for decent work and economic growth.

Hyundai Motor India’s workforce strategy includes gender-balanced recruitment practices, expanded campus outreach, competency-based assessments and leadership development frameworks.

In FY2026, female employees recorded a 23 percent promotion rate. Supporting measures encompass parental support, childcare assistance, plant crèche facilities, performance safeguards, wellness rooms and health screening programs. The TrailblazHER initiative provides mentorship and capability-building programs for high-potential female professionals.

Tarun Garg, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hyundai Motor India, said, "At Hyundai Motor India, we believe that bringing together people with diverse experiences, perspectives and capabilities helps create stronger teams, drive innovation and build a more resilient organisation. Our commitment to achieving 20 percent women representation in executive workforce by 2030 reflects our focus on expanding opportunities, strengthening our talent pipeline and creating an environment where every individual can realise their full potential. As the talent landscape continues to evolve, we are encouraged by the increasing participation of talented women professionals across industries and look forward to enabling their growth across all areas of our business."

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German leading mechanical and plant engineering firm Durr has announced that it has been selected to equip Volvo Cars' manufacturing facility in Košice, Slovakia, with final assembly automation technology.

The plant represents the automaker's dedicated facility for all-electric vehicles and is planned to commence production in 2027 with a maximum annual output capacity of 250,000 units.

As per the understanding, Durr will supply turnkey conveyor, fluid filling and testing infrastructure integrated through its NEXT.assembly framework. The installation features fluid filling equipment configured to handle low-conductivity coolants and updated air conditioning refrigerants designed to comply with European regulatory changes. The vehicle conveyance network spans over three kilometres within the facility, utilising electric monorail systems, skillet platforms and modular chain conveyors to transport vehicle bodies and door components between assembly stations.

For end-of-line testing and quality control, Durr is installing its x-wheel chassis alignment system equipped with x-3Dsurface optical sensors, alongside the x-light camera-based measurement system for inspecting and adjusting headlamp modules in accordance with ECE and SAE standards.

Jorg Neumann, Director of the End of Line Product Line, Durr in Germany, said, “Volvo Cars has exceptionally high standards when it comes to measurement accuracy. We are very familiar with these standards, as Dürr equips all Volvo sites worldwide with vehicle geometry and headlight alignment technology.”

Andreas Hohmann, CEO of Durr Italy and Vice-President of NEXT.assembly, said, “Our fully automated final assembly system represents a significant advancement in automotive manufacturing, combining precision engineering with cutting-edge automation to deliver exceptional quality and efficiency.”

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Mumbai-headquartered automotive major Mahindra & Mahindra is moving towards taking possession of an initial package of approximately 800 acres for an automobile and tractor manufacturing facility at Additional Butibori in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

The site forms part of a planned 1,500-acre development in Vidarbha, which will be accompanied by a 150-acre supplier park in Sambhajinagar.

When fully operational, the site will feature an annual production capacity exceeding 500,000 vehicles and 100,000 tractors. The Sambhajinagar supplier park will provide components to the Nagpur facility and to Mahindra's existing production plants in Chakan and Nashik.

Furthermore, Mahindra is also establishing training frameworks to identify and develop workforce capabilities for manufacturing across powertrains and technologies. Over the next two to three years, existing associates will be considered through a selection process to fill roles at the facility based on technical capability, performance and alignment with company standards.

Mahindra also plans to establish a training centre in Nagpur to build technical skills in areas including mechanical operations, welding and painting. Further operational details regarding workforce requirements and recruitment processes will be released as project development continues.

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Czech automaker Skoda Auto is marking the 30th anniversary of the modern-generation Octavia, which first entered production on 3 September 1996. The model has served as the carmaker's core product following its integration into the Volkswagen Group, reaching total production of almost 7.9 million units across four generations. At present, the Skoda Octavia is manufactured in Mladá Boleslav and Kvasiny in the Czech Republic, as well as Kostanay in Kazakhstan.

Klaus Zellmer, CEO, Skoda Auto, said, "The Octavia has been an icon of the Skoda brand for three decades. As Combi or Liftback, it has consistently delivered what customers prefer: outstanding space, practicality, safety, and features at an exceptional value. In many ways, the Octavia defined the Skoda ambition to offer more than expected. This has resulted in the Octavia powering our international growth by earning the trust of generations of customers. While Skoda continues to evolve and expand into new segments, the Octavia remains a powerful symbol of customer-centric innovation and Simply Clever thinking."

The Skoda Octavia’s development began in 1992 under design chief Dirk van Braeckel, reviving a nameplate originally used by Skoda between 1959 and 1971. The initial liftback variant launched with a 528-litre boot capacity, supported by a production plant in Mlada Boleslav that increased the site's annual vehicle capacity from 90,000 to 350,000 units.

A Combi estate version joined the line-up in 1998, followed by an all-wheel-drive variant in 1999 and the first Octavia RS in 2000. The first generation recorded 1.44 million total unit sales before ending production in 2010.

The second-generation Octavia debuted in 2004, introducing dual-clutch transmission options and expanding boot capacity by 32 litres, achieving 2.6 million sales prior to its replacement in 2013. The third generation, manufactured from 2012 to 2020, incorporated revised driver assistance systems, reduced body weight, and efficiency updates, alongside an exterior facelift in 2017.

The current fourth-generation Octavia launched in November 2019 in liftback and Combi formats. An update introduced in early 2024 added safety equipment, including up to ten airbags and revised driver fatigue monitoring software, as the vehicle continues to serve commercial and private markets globally.

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