German technology company Continental’s Automotive Business has created a sustainable key FOB made of 100 percent bioplastic (for outer casing) as part of its focus on introducing environment-friendly products.

The new key FOB the company shared was developed to target ‘non-fossil oil based’ shell cover to replace the standard polyamide PA12 plastic with 100 percent bioplastic which is PA11, based on castor oil.

The PA11 polyamide material made from 100 percent bio-based substances is used in industrial applications and its composition fulfils environmental sustainability requirements. The newly developed plastic has been derived from natural resources and is completely recyclable at end of life.

Jean-Francois Tarabbia, Head of Architecture and Network Solutions, said, “Continental is committed to provide sustainable products and solutions to our customers; and the sustainable key fob is a concrete step towards mitigating climate change by utilising green recyclable products. This showcases our focus towards transforming our offerings to match not only present requirements but also contributes towards a sustainable future we envision.”

What’s more, the castor plant used for manufacturing the PA11 bioplastic can thrive even on arid soil without using additional water or causing environmental destruction. This bioplastic can be recycled without extra emissions. The company shared that its innovative product — a sustainable key fob — was also officially nominated for the German Sustainability Awards for 2024.

Pune-based automotive component supplier Belrise (formerly Badve Engineering) has acquired H-One India from Japan-based publicly listed H-One Co.

Belrise aims to expand its design & manufacturing capabilities and strengthen its position as a supplier of chassis systems and body-in-white (BIW) parts in the Indian automotive market.

H-One India designs and manufactures high-tensile steel components and high-tensile tool development for two-wheelers and four-wheelers.

The company shared that high-tensile steel components are crucial for lightweighting, enhancing vehicle safety, fuel efficiency and overall performance. These materials provide superior strength-to-weight ratios, enabling automakers to design lighter yet durable and robust vehicles.

Through this acquisition, Belrise will strengthen its production capacity and logistical efficiency by leveraging H-One India’s two manufacturing facilities in North India and integrating H-One India’s core technological capabilities.

Belrise currently counts the likes of Eicher, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors, Royal Enfield, Bajaj Auto, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, Hero MotoCorp, Suzuki Motorcycle India, TVS Motor Co and Jaguar Land Rover among others in its customers.

Schaeffler India, a leading player in motion technology, is ramping up its fight against counterfeit & fraudulent bearings and components.

The company has announced that it has undertaken extensive collaboration with local authorities, leading to hundreds of legal activities, including several successful raids in key metropolitan areas such as Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. These operations resulted in the seizure of counterfeit items falsely bearing the Schaeffler brands FAG, INA and LuK.

Schaeffler India stated that the proliferation of counterfeit products presents significant risks related to operational safety, product performance and consumer confidence. It is addressing this critical challenge by enhancing its vigilance and enforcement strategies, partnering closely with law enforcement agencies to identify and dismantle unauthorised supply chains involved in the distribution of fake Schaeffler products.

Harsha Kadam, Managing Director and CEO, Schaeffler India, said, "At Schaeffler, quality and reliability are at the core of everything we do. Counterfeit products not only compromise safety and performance but also erode trust in the industry. We are committed to eliminating counterfeit products from the market by undertaking stringent legal action, conducting awareness campaigns, and empowering customers with tools to identify genuine Schaeffler products."

The company is focussing on a three-pronged strategy to fight the counterfeit menace, which includes unique labelling & code verification, branding details and promoting authorised distribution channels.

The United States President, Donald Trump, announced a new set of tariffs as part of its ‘Liberation Day’ initiative on 2 April 2025. This new rate of tariffs is part of Trump’s administration to boost national production and what he claimed is to resolve ‘trade imbalances.’

A statement issued by ACMA India mentioned that as per an order by Trump on 26 March 2025, Section 232 charges 25 percent tariffs, but there is no mention of ‘Autos & auto parts and steel & aluminium articles.’

The industry body stated that the detailed list of auto components that will be subject to 25 percent import tariff in the United States was awaited.

Rajesh Menon, Director General, SIAM, said, “Commenting on the recent announcement by US Govt on Reciprocal Tariffs, it is to be noted that autos are not covered in this order since they are already subject to Section 232 tariffs at 25 percent, announced earlier in President Trump’s order on March 26, 2025.  We don't expect any significant impact on the Indian automobile industry since there are limited exports to US, but we will continue to monitor the situation."

Shradha Suri Marwah, President, ACMA and CMD, Subros, said, “ACMA remains hopeful that the ongoing bilateral negotiations between the Indian and U.S. governments will lead to a balanced resolution that benefits both economies. We believe that the strong trade relationship between India and the United States, especially in the auto components sector, will encourage continued dialogue to mitigate the impacts of these measures. ACMA is committed to engaging with all stakeholders to ensure the long-term interests of the Indian auto component industry.”

A statement from the White House mentioned that President Trump was working to level the playing field for American businesses and workers by confronting the unfair tariff disparities and non-tariff barriers imposed by other countries.

‘For generations, countries have taken advantage of the United States, tariffing us at higher rates. For example: The United States imposes a 2.5 percent tariff on passenger vehicle imports (with internal combustion engines), while the European Union (10 percent) and India (70 percent) impose much higher duties on the same product.’

For FY2024, India exported USD 6.79 billion worth of auto components, which translates to 27 percent of the total exports from India. On the other hand, India’s automotive component imports from the United States was valued at USD 1.63 billion or 7 percent of the total imports.

Saurabh Agarwal, Partner & Automotive Tax Leader at EY India, stated, “With US automotive tariffs rising, India's electric vehicle sector has a prime opportunity to capture a larger share of the US market, especially in the budget car segment. China's 2023 auto and component exports to the US stood at USD 17.99 billion, while India's were only USD 2.1 billion in 2024, highlighting the potential for growth. To accelerate this, the government should enhance the PLI scheme by including more auto components, opening it to new players, and extending it by two years."

Arun Agarwal, VP – Fundamental Research – Automobiles, Kotak Securities, said, “US has imposed 25 percent tariffs on imported cars, light trucks and select auto parts sourced from outside of North America. Further, almost 150 auto parts will face tariffs at similar rate. This move could result into increase in car prices in the US and cost pressure for component suppliers. In the event of car prices going up, the US car market may witness a steep volume decline and that can impact revenue for component players supplying parts to the US car/light truck industry. Further, margins of suppliers may come under pressure as they may need to partly absorb cost pressures. We believe there will be some impact, which the suppliers will have to bear, leading to negative implications on margins. Having said that, it needs to be seen on how higher tariffs are absorbed across the supply chain that includes customers, OEMs and suppliers. The extent of impact for Indian players will also depend on the US-India bilateral agreement over the next few months.”

German family-owned leading automotive independent aftermarket company Bilstein Group has formally entered India with the establishment of Ferdinand Bilstein India. 

The 23rd international subsidiary of Ferdinand Bilstein was incorporated in February 2025, but formally opened on 1 April 2025 with the onboarding of Ramachandra Puttana as its Managing Director.

Bilstein Group currently sells parts under the febi, SWAG and Blue Print brands for the passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle segment. The German brand has a turnover of over EUR 1.12 billion (in 2023), supplies parts to over 170 countries and has a catalogue of over 75,000 different products.

Automotive industry veteran Puttana comes with over three decades of experience having worked with major brands such as Fenner India, Bosch India, Oman Trading, Magneti Marelli and the ZF Group. In his last role at Greaves Retail, Puttana was responsible for the strategic expansion of product solutions for electric vehicles. 

“I am very much looking forward to supporting the international growth of the bilstein group and contributing my experience to enthuse the Indian market about the group's products and services. However, the aim is not only to work more closely with existing customers, but also to persuade others that the bilstein group is a reliable and above all, long-term partner,” said Puttana.

Karsten Schussler-Bilstein, Group Managing Director, bilstein group, said, “The expansion into India is of great importance to us. We see the Indian market as a subcontinent with a diverse vehicle fleet and rapid development in the automotive aftermarket business. We want to actively accompany and support this dynamic growth. In addition, the expansion of our presence in India underlines the increasing importance of the bilstein group as a global player. We also achieved growth of more than 10 percent in 2024. We are continuously investing in the international expansion of our sales and logistics network. Last year, we received 24 awards from international trade cooperations and industry associations. We would like to build on this success. In Ramachandra Puttanna, we have gained a very experienced and committed manager. I am confident that he will help us make great progress in India.”