L-R: Bhimsen Gulabani, Vice-President, Customer Experience, Kia India and Arindam Lahiri, CEO, ASDC.

Kia India, a leading passenger vehicle manufacturer in the country, has signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with ASDC (Automotive Skill Development Council) to promote automotive skill training in the country.

The partnership will promote a 30-day training model module combining classroom-based theoretical learning and practical on-the-job experience. The course includes 15 days of foundational training at ASDC-certified training centers covering core automotive concepts and dealership functions. In addition, it will also feature Kia-specific process to familiarise candidates with brand standards, systems and product knowledge. The curriculum will provide students with 15 days of experiential learning at authorised Kia dealerships under expert supervision.

Joonsu Cho, Chief Sales Officer, Kia India, said, “This collaboration with ASDC represents a pivotal step in Kia India’s commitment to shaping a future-ready ecosystem, one that is anchored in skilled human capital and elevated customer experience. By creating a robust talent pool through structured training and certification, we are not only empowering India’s youth with meaningful employment but also reinforcing our dealer network with professionals who embody Kia’s values of quality, care, and innovation. Ultimately, this initiative will translate into a more seamless, informed, and rewarding journey for every Kia customer across the country.”

The co-developed learning model aims to provide candidates with the technical know-how and workplace readiness to be effective from day one. Upon successful completion of the program, candidates will undergo an evaluation at the ASDC centre, get certificate jointly awarded by Kia India and ASDC, and eligible for the direct recruitment by Kia dealerships into Sales and Service roles.

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Chennai-based electric mobility solutions provider Refex eVeelz has been rebranded as Refex Mobility, along with the appointment of Anirudh Arun as its new CEO and Ankit Grover as Chief Business Officer.

The company currently has over 1,400 electric vehicle plying across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. Its focus remains on employee transportation, airport transfers and long-term rentals. Interestingly, the company claims to have grown its fleet from a modest 400 cars in FY2024 to over 1,400 at present.

In terms of finances, the company had a turnover of INR 370 million last year, and reported a net loss of about INR 260 million. But now the company is working on streamlining its operations, expanding deeper into the geographies it serves and further make inroads with new customers.

“Mobility is more than just getting from point A to B – it’s about trust, dignity and dependability. Our vision at Refex is to build a fleet and service culture where customers, drivers, and partners all experience that trust every single day,” said Arun.

The rebranding exercise also sees a new visual language compromising of new redesigned logo, a modern app icon and new vehicle decals.

While at present, Refex Mobility only has a fleet of electrified vehicles, it may also look at other alternative sustainable fuel mix to provide cleaner transportation solutions.

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Mahindra Logistics, one of India’s largest integrated logistics and mobility solutions providers, has launched ‘Alyte’, which it said is a premium and tech-enabled B2C mobility service.

Alyte will provide airport-to-city, in-city travel and outstation rides starting with Delhi-NCR region, with planned expansions across Noida International Airport, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other key metropolitan cities.

The company shared that while Alyte has been providing Enterprise solutions for corporate customers, it now will expand its offerings to the B2C (business to consumer) and airport travel service.

It offers assured rides, transparent surge-free pricing, zero cancellations and a premium in-ride experience delivered by well-trained chauffeurs. The service is supported by a 24x7 customer support – with no bots – and live GPS tracking to enhance safety.

Alyte rides can be booked through the newly launched company’s mobile app. To begin with there are two ride options being offered – Prive and Select.

Under Alyte Prive customers will get premium electric vehicles, while Alyte Select features sedans and SUVs.

Hemant Sikka, Managing Director & CEO, Mahindra Logistics, said, “India’s mobility ecosystem stands at an inflection point – demanding new standards in safety, comfort, reliability, and service excellence. With Alyte, we are building on a trusted legacy to reimagine urban and airport mobility through a premium, tech-enabled platform that shapes the future of people mobility”.

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Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker Ola Electric is set to host its annual event ‘Sankalp’ on 15 August, at its Gigafactory in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu.

At the event, the company shared that it will unveil its ‘India Inside’ vision across products and technologies. This year, Ola Electric has made its event public inside the Gigafactory, which will be live-streamed on its official channels with more details to be announced soon.

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Pune-headquartered automotive major Force Motors has unveiled Force iPulse, its new connected vehicle platform designed to enhance operational intelligence and vehicle lifecycle management.

Developed in partnership with Intangles, the platform uses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) and hybrid analytics to provide insight into vehicle performance. It continuously analyses high-resolution data to predict issues, enabling the early detection of performance problems and component failures.

Unlike traditional monitoring systems, Force iPulse goes beyond simply reporting faults. It performs root-cause analysis on key subsystems, including the engine, powertrain and electrical and thermal systems, allowing for proactive intervention to prevent unplanned downtime. This enables fleet operators to make precise, data-backed decisions.

Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors, said, “At Force Motors, we believe in value-driven innovation, and this launch is yet another step in our mission to deliver superior, intelligent mobility solutions. Force iPulse is more than just a technological solution—it is a business enabler for our customers. It brings in transparency, improves efficiency, and ensures safety across operations, thereby equipping our customers with complete control over their fleet operations. We are confident that this new initiative will be well appreciated by both our customers as well as our partners and help take us another step forward in delivering our promise of customer delight.”

The platform, built on a secure cloud-native architecture, provides access to real-time and historical vehicle data on both mobile and desktop devices. It offers a unified view of operations, helping fleet managers detect inefficiencies, enforce best practices and optimise the total cost of ownership.

Furthermore, to support the new technology, Force Motors has established an Intelligence Command Centre at its headquarters in Pune. Manned by diagnostics experts, the centre provides remote vehicle monitoring, alert management and expert guidance. This is backed by a 24x7 support infrastructure.

Force iPulse is now available across Force Motors’ network of more than 300 dealerships. It will be a standard feature on all new commercial vehicles and can also be fitted as a certified aftermarket solution.

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