L-R: Gwanggu Lee, MD, Kia India with Prof. K N Satyanarayana, Director, IIT-Tirupati.

Kia India, a leading mass premium carmaker of the country, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology, Tirupati (IIT-Tirupati), with an aim to accelerate engineering excellence, promote research-led innovation and nurturing future-ready automotive and industrial talent.

As part of the understanding, Kia India will invest INR 350 million over a five-year period (2025–2029) to support academic infrastructure, collaborative research programs and student development initiatives at IIT-Tirupati. The company will also support establishing the institution as a prominent centre of excellence in advanced manufacturing, electric mobility and sustainable automotive technologies.

As part of the agreement, an internship programme with Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs) will be introduced for students, strengthening the bridge between academic learning and industry practice. The partnership also includes scholarships and financial assistance for deserving M.Tech students, awarded based on both academic merit and financial need, ensuring wider access to advanced education.

A key feature of the collaboration is the establishment of a ‘Makers Laboratory’ on campus — a state-of-the-art innovation hub where students will be able to design and build prototypes across disciplines. This facility is expected to drive hands-on research and reinforce IIT-Tirupati’s position as a centre for applied technological advancement.

Gwanggu Lee, MD and CEO, Kia India, said, "This partnership is not merely the signing of an MoU — it is the coming together of shared values and a unified vision for the future of mobility and engineering in India. At Kia, we firmly believe in the transformative power of education, research and collaborative innovation. By joining forces with IIT-Tirupati, we aim to nurture highly skilled engineers and technologists, equipped to lead advancements in sustainable mobility and industrial manufacturing. Together, we are building more than infrastructure — we are building opportunities, capabilities and a foundation for meaningful societal impact.”

Going forward, the partnership will also explore international academic partnerships between IIT-Tirupati and reputed Korean universities, facilitating student and faculty exchange programs and joint research initiatives in emerging technologies.

Prof. K N Satyanarayana, Director, IIT-Tirupati, said, "We are delighted to partner with Kia India in this forward-looking collaboration, which resonates deeply with our commitment to research excellence and nation-building. This initiative will provide our students with exposure to global industry practices, global learning opportunities, and advanced infrastructure. Beyond academic benefits, this partnership signifies our joint resolve to contribute to India’s aspirations in sustainable industrial development and technological leadership. We look forward to creating impactful innovations and empowering our students to shape the future of mobility.”

Hindustan Zinc Limited, the world’s largest integrated zinc producer, has announced a range of cutting-edge technology deployments transforming its mining and manufacturing operations.

The company recently introduced tele-remote and guidance-enabled loaders at its Rampura Agucha mine in Rajasthan, increasing hoisting capacity from 6,500 to 8,000 tonnes per day. It also became the first Indian metals firm to implement smoke-hours drilling, enabling uninterrupted production and yielding an extra 22,000 tonnes of metal annually.

Partnering with start-up Infinite Uptime, Hindustan Zinc has installed over 1,000 AI-powered sensors across its operations, reducing unplanned downtime by nearly 500 hours. Additional AI tools are helping optimise consumables use and maintain product quality.

Arun Misra, CEO, Hindustan Zinc, said: “Technology is core to our value chain. We strive to implement industry-first technologies that enhance our manufacturing excellence and assist in delivering superior product quality while using resources very judiciously. By integrating such technologies, we are also reducing our environmental footprint and providing a standardised work experience for all. In fact, we are increasingly becoming a technology company, as tech is now integral to our metal production. By rapidly adopting AI/ML, robotics, automation we are propelling the industry and nation forward.”

The company is also trialling LiDAR-enabled drone scanning, robotic automation in smelting, and AI surveillance systems. Through Vedanta Spark, it is collaborating with over 40 tech start-ups on projects spanning ESG, safety and digital transformation.

NXP Semiconductors has unveiled its new S32R47 imaging radar processors in 16 nm FinFET technology, which the company shared will support Level 2+ to Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities.

In its 3rd generation, the radar processor delivers up to 2x processing performance in the radar MPU in a 38 percent smaller IC footprint. It also includes AI/ML support for features like enhanced Direction of Arrival (DoA) processing and object classification. The solution achieves comparable or better performance with up to 89 percent less antenna channels than alternative solutions.

Combined with NXP’s mmWave radar transceivers, power management and in-vehicle networking solutions, the S32R47 family meets functional safety ASIL ISO 26262 ASIL B(D) requirements and prepares the automotive industry for new levels of autonomous driving. The company stated that as per a Yole Intelligence’s Status of the Radar Industry 2024 report, by 2029, around 40 percent of passenger vehicles sold will be equipped with Level 2+ / Level 3 ADAS capabilities, along with increasing number of Level 4 autonomous vehicles.

The company stated that to meet the fast-growing autonomous driving market for SDVs, automotive OEMs and tier 1 suppliers will need to improve radar performance as it is essential for safe, advanced autonomy features such as piloted driving or fully automated parking.

“The S32R47 can efficiently process three times, or more, antenna channels in real time than today’s production solutions. It enables improved imaging radar resolution, sensitivity and dynamic range - required by demanding autonomous driving use cases - while still meeting the stringent power and system cost targets set by OEMs for volume production”, said Meindert van den Beld, Senior Vice-President & General Manager, Radar & ADAS, NXP Semiconductors.

NXP stated that imaging radar leverage richer point cloud data for more detailed modelling of the environment, which is a key enabler for AI-based perception systems. This simply allows the vehicles to manoeuvre efficiently and safely in most challenging environmental conditions, such as complex urban scenarios.

The S32R47 integrates a high-performance multi-core radar processing system, allowing denser point cloud output and enhanced algorithms that enable next- generation ADAS systems. This the company stated results in better separability of objects, improved detection reliability and more accurate classification of objects such as vulnerable road users or lost cargo.

Pune-headquartered mobility solutions company KPIT Technologies has announced its acquisition of Caresoft Global’s Engineering Solutions business. This strategic move is poised to significantly enhance KPIT’s offerings in cost optimisation and innovative engineering solutions for the trucks, off-highway and broader mobility sectors.

The acquisition of Caresoft Global’s Engineering Solutions arm will allow KPIT to leverage Caresoft’s deep-rooted relationships and extensive domain knowledge within the commercial vehicle segment, particularly in trucks and off-highway vehicles. Furthermore, it is expected to accelerate KPIT’s expansion into the burgeoning Chinese automotive market, capitalising on Caresoft’s established presence and understanding of local OEMs, new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturers and suppliers.

A key driver for this acquisition is the increasing pressure on global OEMs to innovate rapidly and reduce costs amidst supply chain uncertainties and the growing influence of Chinese competitors.

KPIT believes that an integrated approach encompassing vehicle software, hardware design and manufacturing is crucial to address these challenges.

Kishor Patil, Co-Founder, CEO & MD, KPIT Technologies, said, “At KPIT, we are deepening relationships with trucks and off-highway makers and accelerating foray into China. Also, OEMs across segments are looking for a partner who can bring more agility and cost efficiency by taking an integrated view of software, hardware, and manufacturing. With Caresoft’s strong expertise, we have a strategic partnership which will bring unparalleled value to the mobility ecosystem.”

The integration of Caresoft’s expertise in cost benchmarking and teardown analysis, gleaned from hundreds of vehicle models, will enable KPIT to ramp up value creation through comprehensive full vehicle cost reduction solutions for passenger cars, trucks and off-highway vehicles. This includes tapping into insights from Caresoft’s technology optimisation programs and expanding into areas like software benchmarking. The combined entity also aims to explore downstream implementation opportunities.

Beyond cost optimisation, the acquisition will equip KPIT with new capabilities in manufacturing and industrial engineering, plant layout planning and assembly line optimisation. This will empower OEMs to make more informed decisions from the initial product design phase through to production, ensuring efficiency and quality.

Mathew Vachaparampil, CEO, Caresoft Global, said, “This milestone reflects more than growth. It honours our shared values with KPIT: being relentlessly customer-centric and caring deeply for our people. We will jointly deliver more value to our automotive customers in terms of technology, cost, and speed to market.”

Caresoft Global will restructure its remaining business into three distinct units: Benchmarking, Technology Optimisation & Cost Reduction Engineering, Engineering Talent Solutions and Engineering Solutions (the acquired entity).

Noida-headquartered fuel-tech startup Nawgati has raised USD 2.5 million in pre-series A funding round from Ajay Upadhyaya and participation from Deepak Bhagnani Family Office, MeitY Startup Hub, Aamara Capital and notable angel investors including Sanjay Sharma (ex-Accenture MD), Ashish Sharma and Prithvijit Roy (founders of BRIDGEi2i) and Vivek Mathur (former Partner & COO at Elevation Capital).

The start-up shared that it has earmarked the funds towards strategic global expansion initiatives and to further strengthen its domestic footprint across India. Additionally, it plans to scale its fleet management solutions, currently deployed with Mahanagar Gas, to other major fuel corporations. This move aims to solidify Nawgati's position in providing intelligent and connected solutions for fleet operators and fuel station networks.

Vaibhav Kaushik, CEO and Co-founder, Nawgati, said, "We are thankful for the support of such a distinguished group of investors who share our vision for transforming fuel operations. This funding will be crucial in deepening our Indian market presence and accelerating our entry into international markets. Our focus remains on delivering tangible value to both businesses and end consumers as we scale our partnerships and technology offerings."

Nawgati has developed Aaveg, a comprehensive platform that integrates fuel stations, fleet operators and consumers. This unified system optimises fuel network utilisation, streamlines refuelling processes, reduces customer wait times and provides real-time visibility into fuel availability and fleet movements.

Furthermore, Nawgati's technology offers critical operational insights for fuel station owners, enabling improved forecasting, smarter resource allocation, congestion mitigation, enhanced compliance management and data-driven strategic decision-making.

Lead investor Ajay Upadhyaya, said, "Nawgati is tackling a significant pain point in a high-impact industry that has seen limited technological disruption. I am enthusiastic about supporting their team as they bring much-needed efficiency, transparency, and scalability to fuel and fleet management, both within India and on a global scale. Their vision and execution capabilities make them a compelling player in this space."

This pre-series A funding builds on previous investments from key players such as Maharatna PSU GAIL, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), MeitY Startup Hub, investors from Shark Tank India, BITS Spark and Girnar Growth Ventures.