Tier 1 automotive supplier Lumax Auto Technologies (Lumax) has inaugurated its new Technology Centre in Bengaluru, christened the ‘Smart Hub for Innovation and Future Trends’ (SHIFT).

The new facility will focus on accelerating the company’s electronics engineering and digital capabilities amid the global transition toward software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

The inauguration saw participation from Lumax’s key customers and partners, including leaders from Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, Hero MotoCorp, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki India, Tata Motors and TVS Motor Company.

The new centre aims to serve as a nucleus for advanced research and product development in key areas such as in-cabin experiences, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), connectivity and embedded electronics.

Anmol Jain, Managing Director, Lumax Auto Technologies, said, “This centre marks a major step toward our Tier 0.5 vision, enhancing our strengths in electronics, mechatronics and digital systems. We aim to lead the transformation toward intelligent, connected and sustainable mobility and Bengaluru’s dynamic tech ecosystem provides the ideal environment for this journey.”

The tier 1 supplier stated that the component industry is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by electrification, digitisation and autonomous technologies. As vehicles become increasingly software-centric, Lumax Group is working to integrate intelligent systems and deliver seamless user experiences.

Deepak Jain, Promoter Director, Lumax Auto Technologies, said, “The launch of our Technology Centre reaffirms our long-term commitment to customer-centric innovation and technological leadership. As the industry transitions toward software-defined vehicles (SDV), the future of mobility will increasingly be driven by intelligence, connectivity and digital integration. SHIFT will enable Lumax Group to accelerate innovation, strengthen collaboration and shape intelligent mobility solutions of the future.”

The SHIFT Technology Centre is equipped with advanced electronics labs for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, rapid prototyping and product validation, enabling end-to-end innovation from concept to commercialisation.

Satish Sunderesan, CTO, Lumax Auto Technologies, said, “With SHIFT, we aim to converge talent, technology and transformation to engineer software-defined and digitally driven vehicles and evolve from smart systems to autonomous intelligence.”

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Mattel, AirConsole, and BMW have launched Hot Wheels: Xtreme Overdrive, a title for BMW customers on the AirConsole gaming platform. The game was announced at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo.

The game follows the success of Mattel’s UNO Car Party! and combines a brand, automotive innovation and social play.

A feature of the game is the Panoramic Drive track, a level where players race Hot Wheels cars inside the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X. Players can also get behind the wheel of a car inspired by the BMW iX3, the series version of the Vision Neue Klasse X, to race alongside a range of classic Hot Wheels vehicles.

This integration will be for BMW drivers until June 2026.

With the game, players can earn points from races, unlock Hot Wheels cars and customise them. Game features include:

• Race cars – Choose from a lineup of 8 Hot Wheels vehicles, as well as a BMW iX3.
• Tracks – Zoom through six courses, including the Panoramic Drive track built inside the BMW Neue Klasse X.
• Race Options – Compete in Quick Race, Cup Mode and Custom Track mode.
• Multiplayer action – Up to four players can join the fun with smartphones as controllers.
• Customisation – Unlock and customise cars to show off custom looks on the track.

The market for in-car gaming is expanding, and players expect integration and content. N-Dream, the company which developed AirConsole, aims to make the car a new frontier for shared entertainment.

Anthony Cliquot, CEO, N-Dream, said, “Cars are no longer just about driving them, they’re becoming entertainment hubs. BMW’s continuous investment into exclusive content with AirConsole is a testament of in-car entertainment’s growing importance. With BMW and Mattel, we’re proving that the passenger experience can be as iconic as the drive itself.”

Since 2022, the BMW Group and N-Dream have been pioneering gaming in BMW vehicles. AirConsole is available in current BMW and MINI models with Operating System 9 (in combination with BMW Digital Premium / MINI Connected Package) and with BMW Operating System 8.5 (in combination with BMW ConnectedDrive Professional). It will also be available with the new BMW Operating System X.

Also read: KPIT Acquires Majority Stake In AirConsole Creator N-Dream

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Tsuyo Manufacturing, an electric powertrain design and manufacturing start-up, has raised INR 400 million in a Pre-Series A round led by Avaana Capital. The investment will fund Tsuyo's next phase of growth, including the establishment of a second R&D centre and the commissioning of a new greenfield manufacturing facility.

Founded in 2020, Tsuyo has delivered over 150,000 powertrain units across various EV applications to more than 25 OEMs. The company aims for a 7-8x growth within the next three years, with expansion plans targeting Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea and Europe.

The company said it is a tier-1 supplier of integrated powertrain solutions to OEMs, including Mahindra, Volvo Eicher and Sonalika, with products covering three-wheeler, four-wheeler, Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV), Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCV) and off-road applications.

It claims to be the only Indian supplier with a validated powertrain platform for HCVs and retrofit solutions for existing ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) fleets.

The upcoming third manufacturing unit will focus on producing high-wattage electric motors (up to 250 kW) and transmission assemblies, with an initial annual capacity target of 20,000 units. The new facility will also include a vehicle testing track and end-of-line validation systems aligned with PM e-Drive and FAME standards.

The new R&D centre will concentrate on power electronics, embedded systems and prototype development. Tsuyo has filed four patents and has 25 more in the pipeline, including innovations in rare-earth-free motors and hybrid magnet-based motors.

Vikas Verma, Venture Partner at Avaana Capital, said, “Tsuyo is building the backbone of India’s energy transition. Their vertically integrated powertrain, critical for electrification across automotive and industrial applications, exemplifies the kind of indigenous, scalable innovation that will define India’s role in building globally resilient supply chains and reducing reliance on rare earth mineral-based technologies. We’re proud to partner with a team that brings together deep design and engineering innovation with the operational excellence needed to scale commercially”.

Vijay Kumar, Founder & CEO, Tsuyo, said: “Our mission has always been to design and manufacture powertrain systems from India that compete at a global level. With Avaana’s support, we’re scaling high-wattage motor production and advancing deep-tech R&D. From magnet-less designs to novel winding approaches and localised tooling, our focus is on creating more efficient, reliable and sustainable powertrain solutions.”

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Samsung has announced the rollout of Digital Car Key compatibility with Mahindra Electric Origin SUVs through Samsung Wallet in India. This integration offers Galaxy users a seamless way to use their smartphones to lock, unlock and start their paired Mahindra e-SUVs.

This makes Mahindra Group the first Indian automaker to integrate the Digital Car Key feature with Samsung Wallet.

Built into Galaxy devices, the Digital Car Key allows users to manage vehicle access without a physical key. Users can also share their Digital Car Key with friends and family for limited periods.

The solution is secured by defence-grade security from Samsung Knox. If a device is lost or stolen, users can remotely lock the device or delete their data, including the Digital Car key, via the Samsung Find service. Access requires biometric or PIN-based user authentication, ensuring privacy.

Madhur Chaturvedi, Senior Director, Services & Apps Business, Samsung India, said, “We are very excited to bring Mahindra eSUV owners the incredible convenience of Samsung Digital Key through Samsung Wallet. Expanding access to Samsung Digital Car Key is an important part of our commitment to delivering connected and secure experiences within the Galaxy ecosystem. Our partnership with Mahindra marks another exciting step forward in making everyday activities – like driving – hassle-free for more Galaxy users.”

Nalinikanth Gollagunta, CEO - Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra and Executive Director, Mahindra Electric Automobile, said, “Our Electric Origin SUVs – XEV 9e and BE 6 have captivated our customers with their advanced technology and futuristic designs. We are delighted to partner with Samsung to bring yet another first-in-class feature – Digital Car key via Samsung wallet, ensuring every journey is even more seamless and convenient. This latest innovation again exemplifies Mahindra's commitment to delivering an exceptional ownership experience with premium, intelligent electric SUVs for India.”

The Digital Car Key functionality for select Mahindra eSUVs is scheduled to roll out soon in India.

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Mercedes-Benz India has introduced a transformative new Dealer Management System named SKYLine, a custom platform developed in collaboration with Zoho. This system represents a significant technological leap, engineered entirely in India to meet the specific demands of the local luxury automotive market. SKYLine is built to overhaul the entire customer service journey, creating a seamless and digitally integrated experience from the moment a vehicle is booked for service until it is returned to its owner.

The platform marks a strategic departure from older, fragmented systems by implementing a modern, decentralised architecture. A key feature of this new approach is that each Mercedes-Benz dealership across India now operates on its own dedicated instance of Zoho CRM. This grants individual locations a high degree of operational autonomy while still ensuring they adhere to the brand’s centrally governed standards and processes. A critical technical achievement was the system's ability to integrate flawlessly with the manufacturer's existing European headquarters infrastructure without requiring any modifications to those core systems, facilitated by a sophisticated co-developed middleware layer.

By digitising the complete service lifecycle, SKYLine introduces unprecedented operational efficiency and transparency. The system manages a comprehensive suite of processes, including service booking, digital check-in, vehicle inspection and job card creation. It also enables skill-based assignment of technicians, allows for live job tracking and automates customer communications. This connected workflow eliminates previous inefficiencies, creating a cohesive and paperless journey for the customer. The platform's scope extends beyond core services to also streamline other dealership operations, such as managing courtesy car availability through visual dashboards and centralising processes for the growing pre-owned vehicle business.

The deployment of SKYLine was supported by an extensive rollout programme involving thousands of man-days dedicated to user training and testing to ensure widespread and effective adoption. Orchestrated by Zoho’s Enterprise Business Solutions team, the project stands as one of the most technically sophisticated and strategically important Dealer Management System implementations in the region, fundamentally modernising the customer ownership experience for Mercedes-Benz in India.

Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, “SKYLine represents a significant step towards managing our customer service operations, being a key lever that will significantly enhance customer’s experience. This bespoke DMS is built by Zoho for our dealer partners, making it seamless and highly integrated into our global systems, redefining customer journey. With SKYLine, we are setting a new benchmark in customer experience by blending technology with personalised service. We are proud that Zoho developed a world-class, highly secured and local ‘no code-no source’ platform like SKYLine for the Indian customers, underlining the unmatched prowess of Indian technological innovation, having international adaptability. SKYLine brings transparency, efficiency and control into every service interaction, empowering customers while delivering an elevated experience which they desire from Mercedes-Benz.”

Mani Vembu, CEO, Zoho, said, “SKYLine is a technology marvel born of close collaboration and co-creation. When Mercedes-Benz India came to us with a vision that had no off-the-shelf solution, we saw an opportunity to build something truly unique. Together, we have built a decentralised platform that empowers each dealership with autonomy while maintaining central control and real-time HQ integration. To meet these complex needs, we co-developed middleware capabilities alongside our evolving Qntrl platform, enabling seamless communication across legacy protocols. This project reflects what’s possible when product teams and customers come together with a shared sense of purpose and a commitment to solving real-world challenges.”

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