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.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Bengaluru-based technology company Tsuyo Manufacturing has been granted two patents for electric vehicle motor designs, increasing its portfolio to 29 innovations.

The company claims it has supplied 300,000 powertrains to 25 manufacturers across the commercial vehicle, agriculture and industrial sectors.

The first patent covers a bridge design for synchronous reluctance motors. This architecture increases torque density and efficiency whilst reducing energy losses and the requirement for rare-earth materials. The second patent focuses on a five-phase permanent magnet motor using a dual inverter system. This technology allows the motor to switch between modes for startup and torque demands and maintains operation if a phase failure occurs.

These technologies were developed through research and collaboration with the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur. The company recently received approval from the Government of Karnataka for a manufacturing expansion to increase powertrain production.

Vijay Kumar, Founder and CEO, Tsuyo Manufacturing, said, "These patents mark a significant milestone and recognition in our mission to develop and promote Design-In-India technology for both domestic and global EV markets. At Tsuyo, we are not merely creating components; we are engineering a comprehensive design approach, crafting fundamental technology to drive sustainable and impactful innovation. Our goal is to offer a resilient powertrain system that addresses real-world performance challenges in electric mobility. Our commitment to deep-tech innovation, supported by a strong in-house R&D team and robust academic collaborations, enables us to challenge conventional construction and topology in hardware. This approach allows us to create niche, modular designs that are manufacturable and scalable, delivering solutions that enhance efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness for OEMs. We take pride in being India's fastest research and engineering startup, consistently advancing our research from TRL1 to TRL9 levels. As India moves towards electrification, we are proud to contribute to the 'Design in India, for the world' vision while expanding our IP portfolio with numerous innovations in the pipeline."

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India (SAVWIPL) has opened a new 33,000 sqft wing at its Technology Centre Pune (TCP) in Baner. The facility is designed to house 250 engineers, bringing the total engineering workforce to more than 450 across its Pune sites.

The expansion aims to increase capacity for vehicle development, platform engineering and software solutions. Staff at the Baner site will also focus on sustainable mobility and connected technologies. This centre acts as a hub for both domestic and international projects within the Volkswagen Group.

The Technology Centre Pune has previously managed the development of models for the Indian market, including the Volkswagen Taigun, the Skoda Kushaq and the Skoda Kylaq sub-4-meter SUV. The new wing is intended to improve localisation and speed up the adaptation of global platforms for local requirements.

Piyush Arora, Managing Director & CEO, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, said, “The expansion of our R&D footprint in Pune marks another important milestone in our India journey. With the new Baner wing, we are creating additional capacity in a dynamic urban location while building on the strong foundation of our Technology Centre Pune in Chakan. As part of its long-term roadmap, TCP is set to expand its competencies in digitalization, automation, and advanced safety technologies. This combined engineering ecosystem allows us to deliver global-quality solutions with higher speed, greater localisation, and a sharper understanding of customer requirements in India and the world. It further underlines India’s position as a strategic development and competency hub for the Volkswagen Group.”

The company started the Technology Centre Pune in 2019 at its Chakan plant. This latest expansion in Baner is part of a roadmap to increase competencies in automation and safety technologies while maintaining the Group's standards for the subcontinent and export markets.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Tata Motors, one of the leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, has reached a new innovation peak, filing 144 patent applications in FY2025-26, which it claims is the highest annual count ever recorded by its commercial vehicles (CV) division.

The surge in intellectual property activity reflects the company’s shift toward ‘future-ready’ technologies. Beyond traditional mechanical engineering, the new filings focus heavily on sustainable mobility, including electric vehicle (EV) architectures and hydrogen-based internal combustion engines (H2-ICE).

In addition to the record-breaking patent applications, the company expanded its broader IP footprint, which includes 21 design applications and 35 copyright applications; secured 15 new patent grants during the year and now holds a total of over 650 granted patents.

The engineering teams have focused their innovation efforts on four core pillars: Vehicle Safety – advanced driver assistance and structural integrity, Reliability – enhancing the lifecycle of heavy-duty components, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) – optimising fuel/energy efficiency to improve profitability for fleet operators. And Occupant Comfort – ergonomic and cabin climate innovations for long-haul drivers.

A significant portion of the recent innovation is tied to Tata Motors' leadership in the hydrogen ecosystem. In February 2026, the company signed an MoU with the V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority to deploy 40 hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks (Tata Prima 55-tonne).  

The patent filings support a multi-fuel strategy, encompassing Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Hydrogen ICE, and Hydrogen Fuel Cell technologies, as confirmed by Chairman N Chandrasekaran earlier this month.

Aniruddha Kulkarni, Vice-President and Head of Engineering, Tata Motors, said, “Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles. The record number of patent applications filed in FY26 is a testament to the passion, creativity, and technical excellence of our engineering teams. It reinforces our vision of establishing Tata Motors as a global benchmark for innovation in commercial mobility. As we look ahead, we remain committed to harnessing our innovation capabilities to serve the long-term interests of our customers, communities, and the nation.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

MathWorks has announced Release 2026a (R2026a) of MATLAB and Simulink, headlined by the introduction of AI-powered ‘copilots’ designed to streamline embedded systems development and software verification.

The release focuses on ‘grounded AI’ – integrating generative AI directly into existing engineering environments to improve productivity without compromising the rigour and traceability required for complex systems.

MathWorks is expanding its AI ecosystem by embedding assistants into specific development stages. The Simulink Copilot is for model-based design, it provides context-aware guidance by generating model explanations, answering behaviour-related questions and helping users navigate complex subsystems.

Polyspace Copilot assists in interpreting static analysis results. It helps engineers understand coding vulnerabilities and suggests remedies based on Polyspace analysis findings.

MATLAB Copilot now integrated into MATLAB Test to help engineers generate starter tests and equivalence tests from command history.

Beyond AI assistants, R2026a introduces new products and workflows for software quality:

Polyspace as You Code: A new tool for C and C++ developers that identifies defects and security vulnerabilities in real-time as code is written.

Polyspace Enhancements: Includes a new unified desktop application and ‘software-sanitising’ capabilities in Polyspace Test for dynamic analysis of runtime errors.

Simulink FMU Builder: A new standalone product that creates Functional Mockup Units (FMUs) to facilitate model exchange and integration across different simulation environments.

Avinash Nehemiah, Head of Product Management, MathWorks, said, “In engineering design and software verification, productivity improvements cannot come at the expense of rigor, traceability, or trust. MathWorks is committed to delivering grounded AI tools that help teams move faster while preserving the discipline required to develop complex engineered systems.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!