The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) in partnership with the Alloy Steel Producers Association (ASPA) conducted the 3rd Automotive Raw Materials Conclave and Exhibition in Delhi recently. Held under the theme ‘New Age Materials - Challenges And Opportunities’, the conclave brought together key stakeholders to discuss the transformative potential of advanced materials in the automotive industry. 

Providing insights on how efficiencies can be brough in and how sustainability and circularity could be deployed in case of next-generation materials, the event focused on cutting-edge materials in context with vehicle design, safety and sustainability. It also focused on challenges such as commodity price fluctuations, geo-political instability and geographic material concentration in terms of the transition from traditional raw materials to the new age materials. While a PwC Report presented at the conclave stressed on the above factors, the conference saw experts and industry leaders speak about the convergence of multiple factors like improved vehicle performance and enhanced safety standards in terms of new material choices in components for automotive applications. 

Gopalakrishnan Ganesan, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Government of India, said, “We've witnessed remarkable progress in the automotive and steel industries over two decades, complementing each other and aligning with government goals. The PLI Scheme for Steel has been a driving force, especially for alloy steel in fostering innovation. The Government, the Steel Industry and the Automotive industry, together need to forge a self-reliant innovative future, creating ground-breaking products in advancing the nation.” 

Vinnie Mehta, Director General, ACMA, expressed, “In this era of rapid technological evolution and environmental consciousness, the automotive sector finds itself at a critical juncture. The convergence of electrification, autonomous driving, and the pressing need for eco-friendly transportation necessitates a radical rethinking of raw materials.” “At ACMA, we firmly believe that challenges are opportunities in disguise. The complexities that lie ahead, from securing a stable supply of critical minerals to scaling up the production of new-age materials, present us with opportunities to innovate, collaborate, and create lasting impact. This conclave provides us with an ideal platform to forge partnerships, share knowledge, and collectively shape a sustainable roadmap for the industry,” he added.  

The key themes explored during the 3rd Automotive Raw Materials Conclave and Exhibition were, 

Advancements in lightweight materials and their impact on fuel efficiency and environmental sustainability.

High tensile strength alloys and their contributions to vehicle safety and performance.

Sustainable manufacturing practices and their role in reducing the automotive industry's ecological footprint.

Emerging trends and innovations in automotive materials, presenting opportunities for growth and competitiveness.

Sunil Kakkar, Senior Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., and the chief guest of the event averred, “In the rapidly transforming automotive industry, we see significant challenges and opportunities. The regulatory environment in India is aligning with global norms, and trends like connected, autonomous, shared, and electric mobility are shaping the industry’s future. Despite the pandemic, the industry has shown resilience, and our unsaturated market offers vast growth potential. Collaboration between steelmakers and the automotive industry is crucial to meet the safety, emission, and light-weighting needs of the industry. We are committed to a greener, safer, and more innovative future, embracing ESG measures for a sustainable ecosystem.” 

Several alloy steel manufacturers also displayed their next-generation products at the event.

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Beijing-based electric technology company U Power focussing on battery-swapping solutions, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Beijing Foton International Trade (Beijing Foton), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Beijing Foton Motor Co (Foton Motor), a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer in China.

The partners will come together to jointly promote battery-swapping compatible electric heavy trucks, buses and vans in Southeast Asia, South America, Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR markets.

As per the understanding, U Power will provide technological support to enable the incorporation of battery-swapping capabilities on Beijing Foton vehicles, development and testing of battery-swapping stations to serve electric vehicle models, as well as connection of vehicles with its battery-bank ecosystem.

On the other hand, Beijing Foton will gather and share performance data on battery charging, health and capacity records.

The partners have also agreed to explore expanding the cooperation in the future.

Johnny Lee, CEO and Chairman, U Power, said, "This partnership marks another significant step forward in our strategy of expanding OEM partner base. Through joint promotional and sales efforts, U Power expects to accelerate the establishment of a comprehensive battery-swapping and battery-bank ecosystem in several of its existing key markets. We look forward to a strong collaboration with Beijing Foton to strategically expand our global footprint and increase our market share."

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Delhi-NCR-based smart parking and mobility solutions provider ParkMate has rebranded itself as Blyp, which it stated is part of its vision to become a tech-driven urban mobility ecosystem that goes far beyond parking.

Dhananjaya Bharadwaj, Co-Founder & CEO, Blyp, said, “The name Blyp represents speed, precision and simplicity – exactly what we want to deliver to every urban commuter. This rebrand is more than just a new look. It’s a reflection of our expanded mission – to reimagine urban movement through data, design and deep tech. We’re excited to introduce Blyp as the mobility companion of tomorrow’s India.”

With a new identity, Blyp aims to become an enabler of intelligent urban navigation, offering users real-time parking discovery, smart routing, EV compatibility and partner integration across both public and private sectors.

Abhimanyu Singh, Co-Founder & COO, Blyp, said, “ParkMate was our beginning – a product born out of a real problem. Blyp is our evolution. Over the years, we’ve grown from a parking solution into a full-fledged mobility tech platform. This rebrand allows us to think bigger, move faster and build deeper value for individuals, businesses and governments alike.”

Going forward, the company will roll out new features, expand into new cities and aims to build new infrastructure collaborations.

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Dover India, part of USD 7 billion Dover Corporation, has joined with RV College of Engineering (RVCE), Bengaluru, to set up a laboratory in Materials and Component Reliability Testing under the Centre for Hydrogen and Green Technology, a Centre of Excellence at RVCE.

The facility will focus on research in the area of hydrogen technologies and advanced material reliability under extreme environments. The idea is to explore emerging areas in hydrogen technology such as sustainable materials, Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 solutions. The lab will be housed within the RVCE campus.

The partners state such facilities, designed according to global standards, are first-of-their-kind in India and are available only in a handful of countries globally. It will bring over 20 technologists from Dover and RVCE to work on next-generation research focusing on generation, storage, transportation, handling, safety and end-applications for hydrogen.

Established in 2021, Dover India’s R&D arm in Bengaluru, is claimed to have emerged as a leading Innovation Centre focusing on prognostics, tribology, corrosion and coatings, polymer synthesis and material characterisation.

Vivek Srivastava, R&D Head, Dover India, said, “Collaborating with RVCE enables us to foster a strong academia-industry partnership that will fuel the next wave of clean energy innovation and cover the entire spectrum of basic and applied research in this area.”

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formally signed between the two organisations saw participation from Dover India’s Tushar Banerjee, Vice President & Managing Director and Prashanth Santhanam, Senior Director – Finance. Dr M P Shyam, President – Rashtreeya Sikshana Samithi Trust (RSST), Dr K N Subramanya, Principal – RV College of Engineering and Dr Geetha K S, Vice Principal – Strategic Higher Education Leader, Expert in STEM Curriculum Development, Research & Innovation and Dr Ujwal Shreenag Meda, Coordinator, Centre for Hydrogen and Green Technology represented RVCE. 

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The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has introduced the Motor Vehicles Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, a revamped policy aimed at modernising the ride-hailing sector with a focus on safety, driver welfare and transparent operations. Under the new guidelines, a structured fare system and clear cancellation penalties are now in place.

The policy states that the State Government's notified fare will serve as the base fare, wherein aggregators can charge a minimum of 50 percent below during non-peak hours and a maximum of two times the base fare during peak demand (as compared to 1.5x). A base fare for a minimum of 3km is chargeable to compensate for dead mileage.

Drivers are guaranteed at least 80 percent of the fare, with daily, weekly or fortnightly settlements. For aggregator-owned vehicles, drivers receive at least 60 percent of the fare.

A penalty of 10 percent of the fare (up to INR 100) may be imposed for unvalidated cancellations by either the driver or the passenger. No charge for dead mileage will apply unless the ride distance is less than 3km, the fare will only be charged from origin to destination.

The new policy introduces important provisions for aggregators:

Passenger Insurance: A minimum insurance cover of INR 500,000 for passengers is now mandatory.

Aggregators cannot prevent drivers from working with multiple platforms. A mandatory in-app rating system for both drivers and passengers is required to ensure quality service.

Furthermore, a comprehensive mandatory 40-hour Induction Training Programme is now compulsory for drivers, covering app usage, legal provisions, first responder training, safe driving and sensitivity towards gender and Divyangjans.

Drivers must undergo mandatory medical examinations, psychological analyses and police verification. Aggregators will also need to provide a Health insurance (minimum INR 500,000) and term insurance (minimum INR 1 million) for each driver, with annual increases.

Annual refresher training is now mandated, with quarterly training for drivers with low ratings. Aggregators are not allowed to onboard vehicles older than 8 years from their initial registration. The app and website (aggregator) must disclose the proportion of fare and incentives provided to drivers.

To ensure accessibility, the aggregator apps must now include special features for Divyangjans, which also provides for divyangjan-friendly vehicles mandated by State governments.

Aggregators must maintain a 24x7 control room and call centre with the vehicles requiring functional tracking devices linked to government control centres, with in-app mechanisms to detect route deviations and alert authorities.

The aggregators are responsible for the safety of all passengers, particularly children, women and Divyangjans.

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