The Union Minister for Heavy Industries, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, today inaugurated ‘Towards Panchamrit’ – Conference & Exposition on MHI schemes for the promotion and development of the automotive industry in the country, at the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), in Manesar, Haryana. The government is giving a major push to clean fuels in order to drive India towards cleaner mobility. The ‘Towards Panchamrit’ event is an effort in this direction to promote the adoption of ‘Panchamrit’, that are the five clean fuels – hydrogen, ethanol, bio-diesel, gas and electric vehicles. Dr Pandey and MoS Heavy Industries, Krishan Pal Gurjar, also inaugurated the exposition and ICAT Incubation Centre.

The event was attended by automotive industry leaders, senior government officials from MHI, NITI Aayog, MoRT&H, MoP, MoP&NG, senior academicians, start-ups and students. The exposition had displays from over 84 companies, which included 33 component manufacturers, 11 companies from testing equipment manufacturers and 36 vehicle manufacturers. Around 1,500 automotive professionals participated in the event. 

Dr Pandey emphasised that in line with the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's announcements at COP 26 – ‘Panchamrit Ki Saugat’, five commitments to achieve the vision of becoming a carbon-neutral country by 2070, the ministry is making comprehensive efforts to move towards fulfilling this vision. He further said that the government has abolished duty on vehicles brought in by international automakers for testing purposes in the country, which earlier attracted duties of 252 percent. He states that this will attract automakers from more countries to avail the testing facilities available in the country, and expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister as well as the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, for this. 

Gujjar highlighted the initiatives taken by the ministry to promote clean and green mobility. He said that these initiatives will give a boost to domestic manufacturing, help in employment generation, reduce the dependence on exports, promote the growth and development of the industry and thereby, help achieve the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in the automotive industry.

Secretary, Kamran Rizvi, said that the Ministry of Heavy Industries, through its schemes PLI ACC, PLI Auto and FAME II, is taking directed action towards driving India towards cleaner mobility. Rizvi also highlighted that in the last five years, the country has adopted EV technology at a very fast pace. He asked the industry to avail the benefits of MHI schemes and expressed confidence that the Indian automotive industry will make a place for itself in the world market.

At the event, there were technical sessions on developing technologies for hydrogen, EVs, biofuels and gas-fueled vehicles. The speakers from the automotive industries gave presentations on new cutting-edge technologies and the way forward to achieve the vision of Atmanirbhar in the industry. The conference deliberations also brought out policy and regulatory ecosystem for the faster adoption of these new technologies. Plus, a dedicated session was organised where representatives of the automotive industry discussed and shared suggestions with officials for the successful implementation of these schemes. 

Besides this, dignitaries visited test facilities and the certification infrastructure available at ICAT. These state-of-the-art facilities will help in the development of technologies and certification of automotive products. Over 10 start-ups displayed products which they claim will become market-ready with the support of ICAT facilities.

Digital lending platform Revfin has strengthened its management with the appointment of three senior executives as part of its FY2026 strategy, targeting INR 7.5 billion in disbursements and 5x growth over the past two years. The company also expects to cross INR 20 billion in cumulative disbursements since inception.

The new appointments include Abhinandan Narayan, Chief Business Officer – New Business, Monish Vohra, COO – Operations & Collections and Anirudh Gupta, Chief Finance & Strategy Officer. The appointments the company shared aligns with its focus on ‘People, Process, Profitability.’

Furthermore, Revfin has outlined its ambition to finance 24,000 EVs in FY2026. Till date, it claims to have financed over 85,000 EVs across 25 states, with 75 percent of borrowers from marginalised communities. Cumulatively, its driver partners have covered 1.6 billion electric miles and earned over USD 400 million.

In FY2025, the company grew its L5 EV loan book by 1,700 percent, supported by a partnership with Bajaj Auto and expanded collaborations with logistics firms. The L5 segment remains a key focus as a replacement for ICE vehicles in urban transport.

Sameer Aggarwal, Founder & CEO, Revfin, said, “The last financial year was a volatile one for the EV industry, but the excitement and energy within the sector remain undiminished. At Revfin, we are deeply convinced that intracity and small commercial vehicles must – and will – transition 100 percent to electric within the next three years. The opportunity is here and now. It’s time to set bold targets and pursue hypergrowth over the next two years. At this critical juncture, the right leadership becomes essential to realizing our ambitions. With the strong momentum we’ve already built, we’re confident the journey ahead will be even more rewarding. We’ve entered 2025 with a sharp focus on what truly matters: People, Processes, and Profitability. These latest leadership hires are a natural extension of that focus and our commitment to scale with purpose.”

Ahmedabad-based clean energy company Matter has launched its flagship electric motorcycle – the Aera, in Bengaluru at an introductory price of IRN 179,000 for the first 500 customers, post which it will be available at INR 188,000. The company has started taking pre-registrations for the e-motorcycle at INR 1,999.

Furthermore, the company has also announced that its first Experience Hub will come up at BTM Layout, which will showcase its tech prowess and philosophy firsthand.

The Matter Aera is claimed to be the world's first electric motorcycle with manual gears – 4-speed transmission, 3 ride modes that delivers 12 unique ride combinations. It features a 7-inch Smart Touchscreen Dashboard, onboard charger and liquid cooled powertrain. The e-motorcycle has a claimed IDC range of up to 172km, a zero to 40 kmph in 2.8 seconds, dual disc brakes with ABS, telescopic front fork and dual rear suspension.

Mohal Lalbhai, Founder & Group CEO, Matter Energy, said, “There’s no better city to lead this journey than Bengaluru—where innovation isn’t just an idea, it’s a way of life. Every lane, every rider here resonates with purpose and progress. The Aera isn’t just a bike – it’s the 22nd Century motorbike. It delivers the thrill of a rocket and the practicality your pocket loves. With our in-house developed Hypershift manual gearbox, liquid-cooled powertrain, and connected tech, AERA brings together performance, emotion, and sustainability like never before.”

The Kia EV3 has won the prestigious ‘2025 World Car of the Year’ award at the globally renowned 2025 World Car Awards ceremony, held during the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).

A jury of 96 distinguished worldwide automotive journalists from 30 nations assessed the 2025 World Car Awards. With the EV3's triumph, Kia has now won six World Car Awards since 2020. The EV3 has a dramatic, forward-thinking design and a creative, useful interior that makes the most of available space, comfort and utility. The EV3 can charge from 10 to 80 percent in 31 minutes and has a segment-leading range of up to 375 miles (around 603 kilometres). While Kia's AI Assistant, advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) and Over-the-Air (OTA) upgrades improve the ownership experience with cutting-edge technology, the vehicle's creative interior design maximizes room, comfort and accessibility.

Ho Sung Song, President and CEO, Kia, said, “It is an immense honour for everyone at Kia that the EV3 has been awarded the 2025 World Car of the Year title. This award highlights Kia’s global leadership in providing design-led, technologically advanced, sustainable mobility solutions and how the EV3’s class-leading attributes redefine the user experience for customers worldwide.”

The Hyundai INSTER sub-compact EV has won the prestigious 2025 World Electric Vehicle award at the globally renowned 2025 World Car Awards ceremony, held during the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).

With this recognition, Hyundai Motor Company has dominated one or more World Car Awards categories for the fourth year in a row. Hyundai Motor's commitment to developing EV technology and sustainability is highlighted by the 2025 World Electric Vehicle award, which also acknowledges INSTER's exceptional value in the EV market. The finalists were chosen by a sealed-ballot jury consisting of 96 international automotive journalists from 30 different countries. On 16 April 2025, the winners were revealed at the 2025 NYIAS. With its unique design, remarkable driving range and state-of-the-art technology, INSTER is the market leader in the sub-compact EV sector. A 10- to 80-percent charge can be made in around 30 minutes thanks to INSTER's quick charging technology, and the 49-kWh long-range variant has a range of up to 370 kilometres.

José Muñoz, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor Company, said, “The Hyundai INSTER has been a winner with customers since we introduced it. It’s very gratifying that the experts on the prestigious World Car Awards jurors feel the same way. The combination of compelling design, range, enjoyable driving characteristics, intuitive infotainment and technology that customers appreciate is emblematic of Hyundai’s approach of delivering exceptional value to our customers. The fact that our global portfolio is successful both commercially and critically speaks to the hard-working people throughout the Hyundai value chain who are delivering some of the best vehicles on the road today. Thank you to all the jurors for your service to this great industry.”