Volvo Group in India, Ericsson and Bharti Airtel have come together to explore the potential of Extended Reality (XR), digital twin technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) in the manufacturing sector. The partnership aims to leverage 5G and 5G Advanced to transform industrial operations, improve workforce training and real-time process optimisation.

As per the understanding, the research will be conducted at the Volvo Group Factory and Volvo Group’s R&D Centre in Bengaluru. The facilities will explore industrial Metaverse applications including human and machine interaction and collaboration, which means a blend of physical and digital worlds. The idea is to enhance efficiency, foster innovation in manufacturing and real-time optimisation using AI technologies.

The partnership will leverage high-speed 5G network to test ‘what if’ scenarios and improve production workflow. They will also explore potential new revenue streams and business models for the telcos.

Kamal Bali, President & MD, Volvo Group India, said, “Our industry is undergoing a once in a lifetime transformation driven by the emerging trends across automation, connectivity and alternative energy carriers – tools which will be key in our ambitions to be net zero and shape a sustainable future for all. This transformation also includes the way we work and collaborate across our industrial and R&D sites. 5G, coupled with extended reality applications, will help foster innovation as well as collaboration between our sites and engineers, in real-time, through the power of connectivity & digitalization backed by advanced AI technologies.”

Sharat Sinha, Director & CEO, Airtel Business, said, “We are thrilled to leverage the capabilities of our advanced 5G network for innovative industrial applications in partnership with Ericsson and Volvo Group. Through this collaboration, our high-speed, low latency 5G network will redefine and transform the manufacturing sector by enabling real-time XR applications for enhanced productivity and efficiencies, unlocking new revenue streams and accelerating the adoption of Industry 4.0 applications.”

Nitin Bansal, Managing Director, Ericsson India, said, "As India embraces Industry 4.0, 5G will be a game-changer towards enabling intelligent, connected, and immersive industrial experiences. This collaboration with Airtel and Volvo Group underscores Ericsson’s commitment to driving innovation through 5G and extended reality. By combining our expertise in network technology with cutting-edge XR applications, we are creating an ecosystem that will help industries to transform manufacturing. The research insights will be instrumental in shaping the future of industrial digitalization, not just in India but globally."

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Skoda Auto Volkswagen India (SAVWIPL), one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has attained a new production milestone of rolling out its 2 millionth unit in the country.

The milestone marks a pivotal moment in the company’s 25-year history in the country. This achievement follows the Group's strongest commercial performance, with October 2025 being its most successful month since the Group's formation. The total includes over 500,000 vehicles built on the MQB-A0-IN platform, which was developed in India by local engineering teams. This platform supports the Skoda Kushaq, Slavia, Kylaq and the Volkswagen Taigun and Virtus.

The last 500,000 units were produced in just 3.5 years, reflecting demand for India-built products.

Interestingly, Skoda Auto India recorded its highest-ever 10-month performance, more than doubling year-on-year to 61,607 units in 2025. Volkswagen India recorded its highest-ever monthly sales for the Virtus during Diwali, with the model holding over 40 percent share in the premium sedan segment in 40 months.

During the year, the Group’s premium and luxury brands also contributed to its market position:

• Bentley launched Bentley India, an operational division within SAVWIPL, accompanied by new showrooms in Mumbai and Bengaluru.
• Porsche India added over 4,400 customers over the past six years and expanded its footprint to 13 points of sale.
• Audi strengthened India’s EV ecosystem with over 6,500 charging points installed under Phase II of the segment-first Charge My Audi initiative. The Audi Approved: plus segment posted 5 percent growth between January and September 2025.
• Lamborghini delivered its best-ever annual performance in 2024, delivering 113 cars, a 10 percent increase over 2023. The launch of the Temerario in India completes Lamborghini’s hybrid transition in line with its Direzione Cor Tauri strategy.

Piyush Arora, CEO & Managing Director, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, said, “Every milestone we achieve in India reflects our strong belief in the country’s potential – not just as a market but as a driving force in the future of mobility. The 2-million mark is the outcome of consistent investment in people, technology and local capability. It also speaks to the exceptional trust Indian customers place in our six brands. Indian buyers are among the most informed and discerning in the world. They evaluate every strength and every limitation before choosing a Volkswagen, Škoda, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini or Bentley, and their confidence strengthens our resolve. This achievement highlights how closely we listen to our customers and how their evolving expectations shape the products we design and build here, with the same quality, precision and trust that define the Group worldwide.”

Going forward, exports will continue to remain a key pillar of the Group’s operations, with more than 700,000 vehicles shipped from India to markets across Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, strengthening India’s emergence as an export hub.

The Group operates facilities in Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. The Pune plant was established with an investment of nearly €600 million to support higher volumes and deeper localisation.

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Greaves Cotton, an engineering firm, has partnered with Europe’s Ligier Group, a manufacturer of light and heavy quadricycles. The collaboration will see Greaves’ Euro V+ certified 499cc REVO D+ diesel engines powering Ligier’s JS50 and Myli microcar models.

The engines, designed and manufactured at Greaves' facility in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, India, are integrated into Ligier vehicles sold across multiple European countries, including France, Italy, Spain and Germany. This partnership highlights India's increasing role as a supplier of regulatory-compliant automotive technologies globally.

The 499cc REVO D+ single-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engine features electronic fuel injection and is designed for the light quadricycle, L6e category of vehicles.

The engine produces 6.0 kW of power at 3000 rpm and 26 Nm of torque at 1800–2200 rpm. The engine is claimed to deliver superior fuel efficiency, exceptional Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH) performance, and low friction. The engines met the stringent Euro V+ compliance norms through rigorous European-grade quality assurance, including cold-weather validation and lifecycle reliability assessments.

Parag Satpute, Managing Director and Group CEO, Greaves Cotton, said, “This partnership with Ligier is a proud milestone for Greaves Cotton, showcasing how a Made-in-India powertrain is driving European mobility solutions. It reflects our strong engineering capabilities, customer-centric approach, and commitment to delivering global quality standards from our Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar plant. As a trusted partner to OEMs worldwide, we continue to strengthen our comprehensive solutions driven approach that meet the demands of global OEMs for highest standards of performance, efficiency, and sustainability.”

Christian Dujardin, CEO, Ligier Group, said, “Our partnership with Greaves has been marked by outstanding collaboration and mutual trust. Together, we have succeeded in bringing to market the new 499cc REVO D+ engine - a modern, efficient, and reliable powertrain that perfectly meets today’s market expectations, regulatory standards, and customer demands. We are proud of the quality and fluidity of our exchanges throughout this project, which have allowed us to combine innovation and performance. Our teams continue to work hand in hand on future developments to stay one step ahead of the competition and uphold Ligier’s promise of always being at the forefront of innovation.”

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Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has achieved another milestone with the grant of its first product development patent for a lead- and tin-free bismuth-aluminium alloy. This innovation offers a sustainable, high-machinability solution designed to address the global phaseout of hazardous elements like lead and tin in industrial applications.

The alloy, developed by Vedanta Aluminium’s in-house R&D team, replaces lead and tin with bismuth. The company states that the alloy meets global environmental standards while delivering machinability and mechanical strength.

The alloy is engineered for components across the automotive, electronics and textile sectors where machining operations are central to production. Applications include automotive parts such as hydraulic manifolds and drive shafts and electronic components like mobile phone housings.

The innovation was driven by customer demand for sustainable alternatives to traditional machinable alloys (like AA6262 and AA6020) that contain restricted elements. These alloys are currently under regulatory scrutiny.

Lab trials of the new alloy demonstrated performance metrics compared to conventional grades:

• Strength and Durability: 8 percent higher tensile strength, 21 percent higher yield strength and 17 percent greater hardness.
• Machinability: Smaller, easily breakable chip formation enhances cutting efficiency and reduces operational time.
• Tool Life and Surface Finish: Up to 30 percent smoother surface finish and extended tool lifespan.

Rajiv Kumar, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium, said, “Innovation and sustainability are at the heart of Vedanta Aluminium’s R&D efforts, driving us to create solutions that advance our environmental goals while delivering world-class breakthrough products. This patent validates our efforts at pushing the boundaries of material science, while embedding sustainability into every stage of our value chain. The bismuth-aluminium alloy represents the future of responsible manufacturing.”

Image for representational purposes only.

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Mumbai-headquartered engineering major Greaves Cotton has reported its financial results for Q2 FY2026 with revenue of INR 8.15 billion, up 16 percent YoY, as compared to INR 7.05 billion last year.

The profit after tax grew by 140 percent YoY to INR 6.32 million, as against a loss of INR 14.33 million, showing improved profitability across its businesses.

The company reported that its Engineering Business grew 31 percent YoY in Q2 FY2026 and 30 percent YoY in H1 FY2026.  The Automotive business grew by 48 percent YoY, driven by demand for Euro V+ compliant diesel engines from its European automotive OEM partnership.

Parag Satpute, MD and Group CEO, Greaves Cotton, said, “Greaves Cotton’s performance in Q2 FY2026 reflects the continued strength, agility and resilience of our business portfolio. Our core Engineering business has achieved strong growth. This has been driven by our customer-centric approach of developing products in close partnership with our customers, improved profitability, & is supported by efficiency enhancements that have strengthened our margins. We remain steadfast in our focus on disciplined execution, operational excellence and prudent capital allocation to drive sustainable value creation. Greaves continues to make a meaningful impact across Genset Solutions, Automotive and Industrial sectors through its diverse engineering portfolio, positioning us as a reliable partner in the application engineering space.”

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