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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Spanish automotive engineering company Gestamp has officially opened its 5^th production facility in Bhagapura, Gujarat, marking an investment of INR 5.23 billion across its initial phases. The site adds 31,790 square metres of manufacturing footprint to its operations in the country.

The new plant employs 240 people and houses two hot-stamping lines, a laser cutting line and welding cells for assembly operations. It produces body-in-white (BiW) components, including parts from the Ges-Gigastamping product line, which integrate large structural components into single pressings. The site features an energy monitoring system to track power consumption and plans to source electricity through renewable power purchase agreements.

The expansion increases Gestamp's total manufacturing footprint in India to 188,000 square metres across five sites located in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

Gestamp operates 14 stamping production lines in the country, five of which utilise hot stamping, with two additional hot-stamping lines currently under installation. It has a total employee strength of 2,300 people in India and reported revenues of EUR 245 million in 2025.

Francisco J. Riberas, Executive Chairman, Gestamp, said, “India is a key strategic priority for Gestamp. After two decades here, we have established ourselves as a trusted technology partner for both domestic and international automakers operating in the country. Our investment in Gujarat enables us to begin manufacturing in one of India’s leading industrial hubs, strengthening our presence and driving further growth in this key market. “India’s strong market growth prospects, combined with continued improvements in vehicle quality and increasingly demanding safety requirements, will create significant opportunities for Gestamp. Our advanced technologies, products and value proposition are specifically focused on delivering lighter and safer components that help automakers meet these evolving challenges.”

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The automotive industry in India is facing a demand-supply gap in talent as industrial growth and new technologies outpace the available workforce.

In an interaction with Motoring Trends, Vinay Dhingra, Senior Director, HR & Admin, CA, IT, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) and Trustee of Honda India Foundation (HIF), shared his observations on the current trends in the domestic market.

“Talent shortage is definitely an issue, though I would describe it more as a demand-supply gap rather than a lack of availability. The pace of industrialisation and growth in India has pushed demand very high, while supply has not increased at the same pace,” Dhingra observed.

He pointed out that new technologies such as electric vehicles, electronics and advanced manufacturing have increased the need for specialised skills, while the training ecosystem continues to develop.

Dhingra shared that HMSI is addressing the gap through internal training. The company hires freshers from ITIs and trains them for production roles within about a month. “We have a strong internal training system and training schools,” Dhingra said.

Replying to the attrition seen in the industry, he shared that for Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, the attrition among blue-collar staff remains below 4 percent, against an industry average of around 8–9 percent. The company plans for this level and maintains a margin in manpower planning.

Emerging requirements centre on IoT, Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing. “A person needs to be trained not only on conventional machines and the kind of skills traditionally taught at ITIs, but also on these emerging technologies,” Dhingra said.

The government and industry are upgrading ITIs to introduce these technologies so that new entrants arrive with greater familiarity and a shorter learning curve.

Sharing his observation on the industry trend, he pointed out that the competition for skilled workers now extends beyond the automotive sector. “Someone may have the option of working in manufacturing, warehousing or other sectors, sometimes at similar salary levels,” Dhingra noted.

Companies must therefore strengthen working conditions, career opportunities and the overall package. At HMSI, overtime is monitored and weekly offs are prioritised to support work-life balance.

Automation and digitisation have changed processes without reducing headcount. The company has moved to a largely paperless system.

“We have not seen jobs being eliminated because of digitisation or automation. It has primarily improved the way work is done,” Dhingra said. Efficiency gains free capacity for safety, quality and other improvements, while business growth continues to raise overall manpower needs.

Interestingly, around 10–12 percent of Honda’s white-collar workforce has progressed from blue-collar roles, some reaching department-head level.

Looking ahead, Dhingra identified three areas for the industry: technology, the skilling gap and the quality mindset.

“Each can be both an opportunity and a challenge. If we fail to address them in time, they become risks. If we address them proactively, we can convert them into opportunities,” he concluded.

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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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