Announcing that Prime Minister Modi’s message was motivating for the Indian auto industry to work together towards new age technology, world class manufacturing, and next generation infrastructure, Kenichi Ayukawa, President, SIAM and MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki, in his address during the opening session, said that there was a need to achieve sustainable and productive growth with quality and safety, and protect our environment, resources and raw materials. Stressing on the need for focused efforts, Ayukawa mentioned that SIAM and ACMA have together worked out a localisation roadmap with a target of about 15 to 20 percent further localisation in the next 2 to 5 years. Revealing that SIAM has prepared an approach paper for long term regulation roadmap that takes care of all aspects and gives clarity on future investments, Ayukawa San said that the auto industry is working on new powertrain technologies. He appreciated the government’s announcement of the scrappage policy and PLI scheme. 

Amitabh Kant.

Recognising the contribution of the Indian automobile industry to the Indian economy, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Minister of Heavy Industries, Government of India, said that his ministry is working consistently for the growth of the automotive sector. Acknowledging the rise in localisation supported by the PLI initiatives of government, Dr Pandey said that these efforts would make the industry more robust. He stressed on the need to develop EV charging infrastructure as well as manufacture quality products that would help the Indian automobile industry to be regarded as the best in the world. T V Narendran, President, CII and MD, Tata Steel Ltd, in his address, mentioned the need for the right policy support to make India a five-trillion-dollar economy by 2025-26. It is important that the Indian manufacturing sector is strong. He called on the auto industry to focus on six key areas – electric vehicles, circularity, urbanisation, resilient supply chain and an ability to reap in functionality and embed sustainability, going forward. 
 

R C Bhargava.

In his speech, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, said that the future direction of the auto industry is in the area of shared, connected and electric mobility. He opined that there are four prominent growth drivers that the industry should focus on. These include the expansion of investment in R&D, more focus on innovation in small format mobility segment, establishment of massive charging infrastructure across the country and provision of export impetus to the industry. Kant said that EV should be an integral part in every OEM’s plans. Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari spoke about the government’s aim to increase the contribution of the automotive sector towards the nation’s GDP. Currently, the sector contributes roughly 7.1 percent towards the GDP, he said. Revealing that the government would like to see the contribution rise to 12 percent, the union minister stated that it would amount to a huge step towards making India a five-trillion-dollar economy. Expressing gratitude to the dignitaries for their presence, Vipin Sondhi, Vice President, SIAM and MD, Ashok Leyland Ltd, drew attention towards the effect of Covid-19 on sales. 
 

Appreciating the efforts of the Ministry of Heavy Industries to create world-class testing and R&D infrastructure in all the auto hubs of the country, he spoke about how the auto industry will take advantage of localisation, PLI scheme and EV charging infrastructure. These efforts, he added, will contribute to the government’s initiative of ‘Make in India’. In a session focusing on the outlook of the Indian auto industry and its role in the economic growth, Venu Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director, TVS Motor Company, and R C Bhargava, Chairman, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., drew attention to the new policies introduced over the past few years. The duo stressed on the high taxation structure on automobiles and the mandatory insurance costs. These, they said, have hugely bumped up the pricing to make vehicles expensive. Srinivasan touched on two-wheelers being taxed at 28 percent despite being the most basic means of transport. This, he added, is almost equal to cars which are a luxury item. Opining that the prices of vehicles have risen over the past few years with the switch to BS IV and subsequently to BS VI, and the change in safety norms, R C Bhargava mentioned that mounting challenges have had an effect on the sales. 
 

Venu Srinivasan.

Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj said that the government is open to discussing a change in Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates on automobiles. Seeking to know from the auto industry whether it is the GST rate on cars that is preventing the sector from growing, Bajaj questioned the reason behind SUV sales going up and not that of the cars in economic terms. Stating that the tax rates were higher in some states before GST came into force, he suggested the auto industry to examine in detail the reasons behind the dip in sales. Covid-19 and other factors could be at play, he reasoned. Bajaj called on the industry to keep pace with the changing technology.

Kenichi Ayukawa.

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German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz has officially launched large-scale series production of its new high-performance electric axial flux motor at its Berlin-Marienfelde facility.

Founded in 1902, the company’s oldest active manufacturing site is being transformed into a global centre of excellence for high-performance electric motor fabrication.

The compact, high-power-density drive system is making its commercial production debut on the front and rear axles of the new all-electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe.

Bringing axial flux technology to automotive mass production required overcoming steep engineering barriers. The manufacturing footprint spans approximately 30,000 square meters across three production halls, utilising seven highly automated assembly lines.

The production workflow comprises 98 distinct process steps, including 65 deployed for the first time by Mercedes-Benz and 35 entirely new to the global manufacturing sector. These industrial innovations have generated more than 30 patent applications.

The axial flux motor, rather than using traditional round wire, uses rectangular copper wire to pack more conductive material into a tight space, boosting power density. Mercedes-Benz co-developed a high-speed bending process to shape the wire at tight radii without pinching, wrinkling or breaking the insulation coating.

The coil ends are connected to adjacent wires via ultra-precise laser welding. This delivers minimal, highly localised thermal input to prevent heat damage to surrounding plastic components.

Furthermore, drivetrain plastic parts undergo simultaneous laser transmission welding. To prevent geometric inaccuracies, an AI-driven optical system tracks component placement in real time, locks virtual protection zones over sensitive areas and verifies seal integrity instantly.

During final assembly, the stator is structurally integrated between two heavy, magnet-loaded rotor discs. The line manages massive magnetic pull forces of up to 9 kN (approx. 900 kg), keeping the stator perfectly balanced within the magnetic centre plane under a tight tolerance of less than 0.1 millimetres using micro-frequency control pulses.

The current motor design builds on early prototype architectures from British electric motor specialist YASA, which became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz in 2021.

Michael Schiebe, Member of the Board of Management, Mercedes-Benz Group AG (Production, Quality & Supply Chain), said, “With the start of large‑scale series production of the axial flux motor in Berlin‑Marienfelde, we are bringing a pioneering innovation for electromobility into industrial reality. In doing so, we are sending a strong signal of technological leadership, operational excellence and the transformation of the automotive industry in Germany."

Patrick Schnieder, German Federal Minister of Transport, noted, “Mastering the demanding axial flux technology is a major opportunity for the German and European automotive industry. This innovative electric motor helps establish a strong foothold in the premium segment. The start of production of the axial flux motor in Berlin-Marienfelde sends a powerful signal about Germany’s strength as an industrial location. With Mercedes-Benz’s axial flux motor, electromobility gains additional momentum. A decisive factor in the continued success of e-mobility is the availability of charging infrastructure. Through our Charging Infrastructure Master Plan 2030, we support both the considerable commitment of the charging infrastructure industry and the efforts of the automotive industry.”

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NXP Semiconductors has introduced the SAF8444, an automotive radar system-on-chip designed to enable advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) processing on the sensor itself.

Manufactured using 28-nanometre RFCMOS technology, the single-chip solution operates across the 76–81 GHz automotive radar band to support short-, medium- and long-range sensing. The chip is intended for vehicle platforms, including electric vehicles, where it reduces system costs by simplifying thermal management and vehicle integration.

The system addresses entry-level and economy vehicle lines by integrating hardware components to lower overall bill-of-materials costs. It combines an Arm Cortex-A53 applications processor, an Arm Cortex-M7 real-time core, and NXP’s proprietary Signal Processing Toolbox radar accelerator with digital signal processor support. This architecture allows perception-level processing to occur directly on the radar sensor, reducing the data-load reliance on centralised vehicle compute resources.

The technology is optimised for standard automated safety functions, including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot detection and park assist. To meet safety criteria such as the Euro NCAP 2030 requirements, which include low-light pedestrian detection, the chip fuses camera and radar data.

Additionally, it features a dual-threaded accelerator to run anti-jamming algorithms and mitigate radio frequency interference in congested environments.

NXP supports the device with an enablement ecosystem that includes radar software development kits, safety frameworks, security components, power management integrated circuits, and networking solutions.

Meindert van den Beld, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Radar & ADAS, NXP Semiconductors, said, “SAF8444 strengthens our one-chip radar portfolio with a solution that balances performance, power efficiency, and cost. It allows customers to meet tightening safety requirements while reducing system cost—an essential step toward democratizing ADAS adoption.”

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German technology company Bosch has officially introduced its third-generation Silicon Carbide (SiC) semiconductors to the Indian market. The strategic rollout targets the next phase of India's electric vehicle (EV) expansion, shifting the market focus from early adoption toward cost efficiency, longer ranges, and mass-market scaling.

Silicon carbide technology has become a cornerstone of modern EV drivetrains, acting as the primary control mechanism for energy flow within the power electronics system – specifically the inverter. By optimising the conversion of direct current (DC) from the battery into alternating current (AC) for the electric motor, SiC chips directly dictate a vehicle's overall electrical efficiency.

The Gen 3 SiC chips bring several structural and performance improvements over legacy silicon and previous-generation components by delivering around 20 percent higher performance, enabling electric vehicles to achieve extended driving ranges without requiring automakers to increase physical battery pack sizes.

The SiC chips are manufactured using an advanced substrate, which reduces switching energy losses and improves thermal performance. This allows for less complex, more lightweight cooling architectures within the engine bay.

Enhanced miniaturisation allows Bosch to harvest more individual chips per semiconductor wafer, lowering manufacturing cost barriers and making advanced power electronics financially viable for mass-market budget EVs, two-wheelers and commercial fleets.

To date, Bosch has delivered more than 60 million SiC chips worldwide. The multinational engineering firm continues to funnel billions of euros into expanding its global semiconductor fabrication plants to reinforce supply line resilience against global automotive chip shortages.

By introducing the third-generation lineup locally, Bosch aims to establish an end-to-end semiconductor ecosystem in India, backing the government's localized advanced manufacturing and vehicle electrification goals.

Sandeep Nelamangala, Joint Managing Director, Bosch and President of Bosch Mobility India, said, “Our advanced SiC technology is designed to deliver the tangible benefits that Indian consumers demand - longer driving range, faster charging, and lower long-term costs. By making high-efficiency power electronics more accessible, we are helping to unlock the full potential of the EV market, making clean, efficient mobility a reality for everyone in India."

Markus Heyn, Member of the Bosch Board of Management, and Chairman, Bosch Mobility business sector, said, “Our ambition is clear: we want to be a globally leading manufacturer of SiC chips. With our next generation SiC chips, we are helping our customers put even more powerful and efficient electric vehicles onto the road.”

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BYD India, a subsidiary of the world’s largest New Energy Vehicle (NEV) manufacturer, has showcased its DM-i (Dual Mode Intelligent) plug-in hybrid technology in India. Positioned as a transitional bridge between internal combustion engines and pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs), the incoming powertrain technology targets long-haul efficiency with a combined cruising range exceeding 1,200 km.

With a global plug-in hybrid history starting with the F3DM in 2008, BYD has amassed over 8 million cumulative PHEV sales, capturing a 35 percent global market share in the segment. The technology's introduction in India is intended to expand BYD's domestic portfolio beyond its current pure-EV lineup, which serves a growing base of 14,000 customers via 48 showrooms across 40 cities.

Unlike conventional hybrids that rely on a petrol engine as the primary mover with electric motors acting as secondary support, BYD's DM-i architecture reverses this layout to operate as an Electric-First system.

The vehicle relies primarily on battery power across everyday urban commutes. The petrol engine operates secondary to propulsion, working as a silent generator to maintain battery state-of-charge or engaging directly only during high-load, high-speed scenarios.

The system manages energy distribution via three intelligent operating modes:

• EV Mode: The vehicle relies entirely on the electric motor and battery pack, mimicking a standard BEV for zero-emission city driving.
• HEV ‘Series’ Mode: For mid-range driving, the onboard engine acts strictly as a generator, supplying electricity to charge the battery while the electric motor continues to turn the wheels.
• HEV ‘Parallel’ Mode: Under heavy acceleration or high-speed cruising, the petrol engine mechanically couples to the drivetrain, providing direct propulsion to the wheels alongside the electric motor.

The DM-i platform pairs advanced electric motor hardware with a highly specialised internal combustion engine optimised for thermal cycling:

• Xiaoyun 1.5L Engine: The platform utilises a dedicated 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that achieves an industry-leading thermal efficiency of 43.04 percent.
• Super Hybrid Blade Battery: Power is stored in a specialised iteration of BYD's proprietary Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) Blade Battery, engineered for structural safety, puncture resistance and high thermal stability.
• Fuel Economy: Under standard test conditions, the powertrain achieves a low consumption rate of 4.8-litre per 100 km (approximately 20.8 kmpl).
• Acceleration: The Electric Hybrid System (EHS) delivers seamless, single-speed acceleration, enabling a zero to 100 kmph sprint time of under 5.5 seconds in its high-performance configurations.

Initially entering India in 2007 to build electric buses and commercial chassis, BYD India has scaled its passenger vehicle presence with models including the e6, Atto 3, Seal, eMax 7 and Sealion 7. The company supports its local assembly operations through two manufacturing facilities spanning over 140,000 square meters, representing an investment of more than USD 200 million.

Rajeev Chauhan, Head of the Electric Passenger Vehicles Business, BYD India, said, "The introduction of DM-i technology marks a pivotal step in our commitment to making sustainable mobility more versatile and accessible for Indian consumers. By enabling electric-first driving for daily use while seamlessly supporting long-distance travel, DM-i addresses some of the most pressing barriers to the adoption of sustainable motoring in India. With this innovation, we are bringing a new technology to Indian consumers, and also shaping a smarter, more flexible pathway towards sustainable transportation."

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