Toyota has accelerated its ‘Green Wave Project’ commemorating this year’s environment month. It is aimed at enhancing its nature conservation activity in the community with the company distributing saplings to its employees, under its sixth challenge that is termed as ‘Establishing a Future Society in Harmony with Nature’ and looks to contribute to the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050. 

While the eco campaign continues to drive active community involvement to promote greenery, through employee engagement, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has successfully distributed over 7000 saplings to its employees, marking significant progress towards its 8,000-sapling target set under its plantation activity. 

With TKM employees encouraged to plant and nurture the distributed saplings within their neighbourhoods and submit periodic reports on plant growth, the it is noteworthy to mention about Toyota’s tree plantation activities that are strongly driven by adopting a unique concept namely the ‘Miyawaki Method of Afforestation’ since 2009, and TKM was the first corporate in India to implement such plantation methodology. TKM’s steadfast commitment to sustainability and ecological restoration is yielding remarkable results, as evidenced by the numerous advantages of the Miyawaki approach. A comprehensive study conducted in collaboration with experts from Bangalore University revealed that the Miyawaki method excels in carbon sequestration, capturing an impressive 30.86 tonnes of carbon per acre.

By doing so, TKM not only restored native habitats but also created self-sustaining ecosystem that contribute to a healthier planet. Under the guidance of Late Dr Akira Miyawaki himself, TKM initiated its maiden Miyawaki plantation drive, way back in 2009, marking a significant milestone in its journey towards conservation of greenery and eco-consciousness. Since that momentous day, TKM's plantation drives have continued to evolve and expanded to 112 acres of green cover within the factory premises, out of which 32 acres of afforestation has been developed using Miyawaki method. Today, Toyota’s manufacturing facility, located in Bidadi (on the outskirts of Bengaluru) proudly boasts more than 328,000 trees of over 790 native species planted within its premises. The results have been truly awe-inspiring with a remarkable increase in biodiversity observed over the years. 

From a mere 181 plant species, the count has surged to an impressive 790, while the number of faunal species has risen from 76 to 284. The vibrant ecosystem now encompasses 88 bird varieties, 38 butterfly species, 107 insects, 17 reptiles, 8 mammals, and 6 amphibians, reflecting the successful development of a thriving native forest ecosystem.

In addition, TKM has created an experiential environmental learning centre ‘Ecozone’ (spread across 25 acres with 17 theme parks and home to 65,000 trees with 650 native species) for children, teachers, community members and other stakeholders, within its manufacturing facility aimed at creating the environment leaders and change champions for the future, to usher in desired behavioural change in the communities. This green zone depicts the creation of dense forest within the plant facility using the ‘Miyawaki Concept’ of plantation. The forests are dominantly planted with species of 4 major forest types such as Dry Deciduous, Moist Deciduous, Semi-evergreen and Evergreen Forest, covering 21 different sub-concepts such as Pollination meadows, herbal garden, plants for spices etc. So far, more than 42,000+ students & other stakeholders have been covered through ecozone initiative.

B Padmanabha, Executive Vice President and Director of Manufacturing - Toyota Kirloskar Motor, averred, “At Toyota Kirloskar Motor, we recognise that environmental and social sustainability are just as crucial as economic progression. Guided by Toyota’s Global Environmental Challenge 2050 (six challenges announced in 2015), our sustainability efforts are far reaching that go beyond product zero emissions. While the first three challenges seek to achieve zero carbon emissions covering the entire life cycle of our products, across manufacturing operations as well as our value chain, the last three challenges focus to achieve water conservation, establishing recycled based society and living in harmony with nature.”

“We believe that a sustainable future is built through collective action and community involvement, as exemplified by one of our eco initiatives - Green Wave Program that covers afforestation (plantation drives, distribution of saplings), sharing best practices (e.g. Miyawaki plantation methodology), creating awareness on nature conservation and imbibing good eco behaviour (Toyota Ecozone – Experiential Eco Learning). Together with our employees and other stakeholders, we aim to catalyse positive change in the community to safeguard the environment to the future,” he added. 

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Global automotive technology supplier Marelli has marked the 30th anniversary of its flagship electronics manufacturing plant in Guangzhou. Established in 1996 as Marelli’s inaugural manufacturing investment in China, the facility has transformed from a baseline assembly outpost into a major smart manufacturing and hardware-software validation centre.

Over the past three decades, the facility has expanded from a single operational production line with approximately 100 technicians into a 30,000-square-meter automotive electronics campus.

Today, the facility employs nearly 1,000 people and runs 66 active production lines, manufacturing components for both localised Chinese vehicle programs and global vehicle architectures.

The campus houses an adjacent, fully integrated Engineering Center that holds more than 100 registered patents. The manufacturing framework integrates high-precision assembly lines, automated optical bonding modules and site-wide rooftop solar arrays designed to manage factory energy overheads and lower operational carbon density.

The Guangzhou plant functions as a strategic industrialisation hub focused on low-cost, scalable architectures suited for the industry transition toward connected, software-defined vehicles (SDVs). The facility specialises in several high-growth hardware and display segments like advanced display solutions based on Mini-LED and MicroLED technologies. Additional key platforms include electronic control units (ECUs) for body and seat systems, zone control units, as well as digital cockpits, digital instrument clusters, and 5G telematics systems.

Ravi Tallapragada, President of Marelli’s Electronics business unit, said, “Our Guangzhou plant is a cornerstone of Marelli’s Electronics business in China and a powerful example of how innovation and advanced manufacturing can drive sustainable growth. Over the past 30 years, the team has continuously evolved its capabilities, developing advanced technologies and scalable platforms that address the rapid transformation of the automotive industry, building on long-standing collaboration with customers and partners. I’m proud of our team in Guangzhou and confident that the plant will continue to play a key role in shaping Marelli’s future globally.”

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Bosch MC Battery Service Innovations, a 50:50 joint venture established by Bosch and Mitsubishi Corporation, has secured its first commercial customer for its ‘Battery-as-a-Service’ (BaaS) solution. The platform has officially gone live with the opening of an automated energy service hub in Chizhou, Anhui Province.

The new logistical hub is owned and operated by Shanghai Lingzhou Technology Co. The site acts as a high-volume transit point configured specifically for heavy-duty electric trucks, allowing operators to either swap out spent battery packs or utilise fast-charging bays within a few minutes. The Chizhou station currently processes more than 100 commercial electric trucks per day.

The commercial roll-out aligns with rapid fleet electrification trends in China, where New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) accounted for nearly 30 percent of all heavy-duty truck sales in 2025. Internal market projections from Bosch indicate that over 50 percent of new truck registrations in the country will be fully electric by 2030.

The joint venture's business model separates the acquisition cost of the vehicle chassis from the battery chemistry, mitigating a core hurdle for corporate logistics fleets: accounting for unpredictable battery degradation and its subsequent impact on total cost of ownership (TCO) and residual vehicle asset valuation.

The operational framework of the joint venture utilises a collaborative technical and commercial division between both partners. As per the understanding, Bosch will provide the core software stack for the platform. Real-time operating metrics – including local ambient temperature profiles, instantaneous current loads and historical charging frequencies – are beamed continuously to cloud servers. The algorithms evaluate the exact state of health (SoH) of individual packs, run predictive wear modelling to catch cell stress anomalies and dynamically manage fast-charging protocols to minimise thermal strain.

On the other hand, Mitsubishi manages localised market deployment, regulatory anchoring and downstream financial underwriting. The data harvested through the tracking platform is being funnelled into integrated aftermarket networks to build commercial products, including predictive hardware maintenance contracts, connected usage-based fleet insurance packages and secondary-life battery storage applications.

Thomas Pauer, President of the Bosch Power Solutions division, said, "With this service, Bosch and Mitsubishi Corporation can create real added value for fleets. Although the state of health can decline due to ageing and many charging cycles, our solution allows fleet operators to keep an eye on the battery condition of their vehicles – a decisive criterion for the everyday suitability and total cost of ownership of a fleet."

Qian Yang, General Manager of the joint venture’s local subsidiary in China, said, "Our service hits a local nerve: We support battery-electric vehicles in the fleet business. This holistic approach accelerates the electrification of fleets and optimises the entire battery lifecycle. The combined expertise of Mitsubishi and Bosch is a perfect match for our customers."

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L&T Electronic Products & Systems (LTEPS) has formed a strategic partnership with Israeli electric propulsion technology firm EVR Motors to co-develop, manufacture and distribute next-generation electric vehicle traction motors for the Indian market.

The collaboration will focus on industrialising traction motors optimised for regional conditions. The designs are engineered for high operational efficiency, compact physical packaging and a reduced reliance on rare-earth materials. The product line will cater to multiple transport segments, ranging from electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers to passenger cars and heavy commercial vehicles.

The traction motors will be manufactured at the LTEPS production facility in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. When paired with LTEPS's indigenously designed Motor Control Units (MCUs), the combined hardware will provide automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with a complete, integrated EV powertrain and drivetrain solution.

LTEPS is a business unit of Larsen & Toubro that specialises in the design, engineering and manufacturing of high-reliability electronic systems across the aerospace, defence, industrial and energy sectors.

EVR Motors specialises in proprietary electric motor topologies, utilising a patented Trapezoidal Stator radial flux architecture designed to reduce weight, size and material volume while maximizing power density.

Prashant Jain, Head of L&T Electronic Products & Systems, said, “This partnership reflects our commitment to developing indigenous, high‑performance solutions that support India’s clean mobility ambitions. By combining advanced motor innovation with indigenous motor control unit, we bridge the gap between cutting‑edge technology and real‑world deployment across India’s EV landscape.”

Opher Doron, CEO, EVR Motors, stated, “Our collaboration with LTEPS enables us to scale innovation responsibly – delivering traction motor solutions that are not only technologically superior, but also manufacturable, reliable and tailored for Indian mobility needs.”

Sajal Kishore, Managing Director, EVR India, added, “India’s electric mobility transformation requires system-level powertrain integration and deep localisation. The collaboration between EVR Motors and L&T will enable next-generation electric powertrain solutions across mobility segments.”

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Maruti Suzuki India has established an Advanced Manufacturing Lab (AML) at the Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Hassangarh, Rohtak. The facility is designed to train approximately 200 students in its first year of operation under the company's corporate social responsibility (CSR) skill development programme.

The laboratory replicates automotive manufacturing environments to provide technical instruction in vehicle assembly, welding, industrial painting, machining, mechatronics and workplace safety protocols.

The project is aligned with the central government's Skill India mission and aims to prepare students for technical positions within the domestic automotive manufacturing sector.

The facility was opened during an event attended by Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Sachin Gupta and executives from Maruti Suzuki. During the ceremony, the company distributed formal apprenticeship offers to selected students who will join Maruti Suzuki's production facilities upon completing their coursework.

Maruti Suzuki currently provides infrastructure and training support to 31 ITIs across India. The Hassangarh facility marks the 18th Advanced Manufacturing Lab established by the vehicle manufacturer. The firm also operates four Japan-India Institutes for Manufacturing (JIMs) located in Mehsana and Gandhinagar in Gujarat and Manesar and Sonipat in Haryana, which deliver technical education based on Japanese shop-floor management principles.

Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer of Corporate Affairs, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Through the Advanced Manufacturing Lab at Hassangarh, we are bringing real shop-floor learning and modern machinery into classrooms. This initiative, aligned with Skill India mission, equips students with confidence to handle industry-specific processes and nurtures talent for the evolving automotive ecosystem. It is part of our commitment to build a skilled, future-ready workforce for India’s manufacturing sector.”

Sachin Gupta, IAS, Deputy Commissioner of Rohtak, said, “The establishment of the Advanced Manufacturing Lab at ITI Hassangarh marks a defining milestone in Rohtak’s journey towards becoming a centre of excellence in skill development and a significant contribution to the vision of Viksit Bharat. By introducing industry-grade infrastructure, advanced manufacturing technologies, and hands-on technical training, Maruti Suzuki has created an ecosystem that seamlessly aligns academic learning with the dynamic requirements of modern industry. This initiative will not only equip students and trainees with future-ready skills and enhance employability, but will also nurture a culture of innovation, productivity, and technical excellence. The lab will play a pivotal role in developing a highly skilled workforce capable of supporting India’s industrial transformation and strengthening the nation’s competitiveness in the global manufacturing landscape.”

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