German automotive supplier Continental AG’s ContiTech arm will be focusing on its industrial segment in India, noted Chief Executive Officer of ContiTech Groupe, Phillip Nelles, during a visit to Kolkata.

Speaking to Motoring Trends exclusively, Nelles said, “ContiTech is doubling down on industrial applications, seizing opportunities amid India's multi-billion-dollar infrastructure and energy investments. With sweeping transformations underway, the company aims to cement its position as a leader in material-driven solutions. Our strategy is to focus on industrial sectors such as commercial vehicles, railways, construction and construction machinery, where we can deliver the highest impact.”

Picking up the sentiment, Hannes Friederichsen, Head of BA Industrial Solutions APAC, Continental AG, said, “We specialises in rubber, thermoplastic materials and rubber-metal bonded components, ensuring system-critical reliability for industrial clients. If a conveyor belt fails, it’s not just an inconvenience – it’s a system-critical disruption. That’s where we add real value.” 

The parent company recently announced plans to spin off its automotive division and Contitech’s OESL. While industrial applications remain the core focus, the company acknowledges that the automotive sector operates on a different business model, requiring a distinct strategic approach.

In focus

ContiTech's core industries in India include mining, ports, energy, cement, highway vehicles, heavy trucks and construction machinery. Additionally, the company has a plant in Pune for its surface solutions vertical, producing foils and surfaces for vehicle interiors and living environments. Having already established a strong presence in Europe and the Americas, the company is now investing in APAC, with India playing a central role in its regional strategy. 

The company operates a conveyor belt plant in Kalyani and another facility in Sonipat for power transmission belts and air springs. While specific investment figures were not disclosed, ContiTech plans to expand operations in both Sonipat and Kalyani, potentially diversifying the product portfolio in these locations.

“We’ve been laying the groundwork for major investments and are now scaling up with an expanded product portfolio and localised operations. In the commercial vehicle segment, we are focusing on air springs for trucks, trailers and buses, driven by increasing demand for comfort and tyre wear reduction. Additionally, we are exploring rubber-metal bonding systems for heavy-duty applications. The Pune facility remains a key part of this growth strategy, supporting increasing production volumes,” said Friederichsen.

The company is also eyeing opportunities in the motorcycle segment, particularly in seat coverings. As it expands, it plans to bring advanced technologies from its European and US operations into India, focusing on design, functionality and sustainability. 

“Sustainability is a growing priority, and we have the expertise to integrate recycled materials into our products. We’re also enhancing functionality with features like embedded buttons and translucent surfaces for interactive displays while ensuring that vehicle interiors reflect modern design trends,” noted Nelles.  

The company’s future innovations span beyond the cockpit, extending to seating, interior coverings and mid-arm components.

Another area of expansion is predictive maintenance services, aimed at identifying early warning signs for component replacement or repair. This initiative is expected to significantly reduce downtime and operational costs for industrial customers.

Additionally, ContiTech is actively involved in air springs for high-speed trains and metros. With India’s rapid rail infrastructure development, ContiTech is transferring its expertise to support high-speed and metro train projects.

Smart surface solutions

ContiTech is adapting its smart surface solutions portfolio for the Indian market. Commenting on the same, Friederichsen said, “Leveraging our material expertise, advanced design capabilities and expertise in living solutions, we're empowering our customers to design the car interior of the future. This includes the development of functional surfaces that bring the comfort and aesthetics of home interiors to future car interiors. Moreover, we're committed to sustainability, as evident from our first carbon-neutral product, XPRESHN - Carbon Neutral. We've also developed a comprehensive sustainability toolbox for our PVC products, catering to the diverse needs of our customers. Last year, we launched our Benova Eco Protect Line, a testament to our dedication to reducing environmental footprint.”

“In the commercial vehicle segment, our easy-to-clean surfaces, equipped with the staynu technology, are designed to enhance the well-being of truck drivers. By providing attractive cabin solutions, we are contributing to a better driving experience. In the Asia-Pacific region, we are observing a strong preference for translucent materials and super soft materials. We're well positioned to cater to these requirements, with a broad range of products that are generating significant interest among our customers,” he added. 

Alluding to the significance of his visit to Kolkata, he noted, “We have been in the Indian market for many years and we are constantly scanning the market to identify opportunities to grow. Kalyani plant remains in focus for us to expand Indian operations, and as we follow the principle of ‘in the market, for the market’, we are evaluating opportunities of extending our local product portfolio too.”

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Tier 1 automotive supplier Tata AutoComp Systems, through its British subsidiary Artifex Interior Systems (Artifex), has signed a conditional agreement to acquire 100 percent stake in IAC Group (Slovakia).

The move is part of Tata AutoComp’s strategy to further strengthen its capabilities and expand its presence in the UK and EU markets. 

Arvind Goel, Vice-Chairman, Tata AutoComp, said, “The acquisition of IAC Slovakia will mark a significant milestone in Tata AutoComp’s global growth journey. Following our earlier acquisition of Artifex, this step strengthens our European presence and reflects our commitment to serving global OEMs more effectively. IAC Slovakia’s strong operational excellence, skilled workforce, and strategic location will enhance our ability to deliver high-quality interior systems. This move supports our vision to be a trusted and value-driven partner in the global automotive supplychain.”

Manoj Kolhatkar, MD & CEO, Tata AutoComp, said, “We see strong synergy between IAC Slovakia’s capabilities and our existing European operations, which will enable faster integration and value delivery to OEM customers.”

Alan Fennelly, Chief Executive Officer, Artifex, said, “We are excited to welcome IAC Slovakia into the Artifex family. This expansion is a pivotal step in our journey to become the valued partner of choice. It strengthens our expertise in automotive interior systems, expands our capabilities, and opens the door to new partnerships and broader markets. I’m excited about what we’ll achieve together.”

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Tier 1 supplier Uno Minda has reported a robust INR 44.89 billion in revenue in Q1 FY2026, up 18 percent YoY, as compared to INR 38.18 billion last year.

The EBITDA came at INR 5.43 billion with a margin of 12.1 percent, as against INR 4.08 billion and a margin of 10.7 percent for the same period last year. The net profit grew by 46 percent at INR 2.91 billion.

Ravi Mehra, Managing Director, Uno Minda Group, said, “The automotive industry is undergoing a seismic transformation – driven by electrification, digitalisation, safety and premiumisation. At Uno Minda, we have embraced this change with agility and vision, positioning ourselves as a key enabler of next-generation mobility solutions. Our performance in Q1 FY26 reflects not only strong execution but also the growing relevance of our innovation-led portfolio across emerging technologies. We continue to invest in future-ready capacities, strategic partnerships, and R&D capabilities across India and overseas to deepen our technology leadership and enhance our value proposition to customers. We are confident that our continued emphasis on technology, quality, and customer-centricity will shape Uno Minda’s next phase of sustainable and inclusive growth.”

Sunil Bohra, CFO, Uno Minda Group, said, “We are pleased to report a strong start to FY26 with robust top-line and bottom-line performance across key product segments. The 18% year-on-year revenue growth reflects the strength of our diversified portfolio, deep customer relationships, and our continued ability to outperform the industry. Our strategic investments in emerging technologies like EV components, ADAS, sensors, and advanced electronics are beginning to yield tangible results, further strengthening our position as a future-ready automotive solutions provider. As we move forward, we remain committed to disciplined capital allocation, margin stability, and accelerating localisation efforts to create long-term value for all stakeholders.”

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Bharat Forge, a leading engineering and manufacturing company in India, has announced its financial results for Q1 FY2026, which saw its revenue at INR 21.05 billion. The net profit came at INR 3.39 billion, EBITDA at INR 6.82 billion with a margin of 17.5 percent.  

The company attributed that it maintained a healthy financial performance despite challenging export market conditions, but resilient performance driven by strong domestic demand and strategic order wins.

During the quarter, Bharat Forge secured new orders worth INR 8.47 billion, which includes INR 2.69 billion from Defence business.

Baba Kalyani, Chairman and MD, Bharat Forge, said, “During the quarter, the company secured new orders worth Rs 847 Crores including INR 2.69 billion in Defence. As of Q1FY26, the defence order book stood at INR 94.63 billion. For the defence vertical, based on the project / platforms we have participated in, we expect to secure new orders in this fiscal year generating more revenue visibility for the future years.

The US & European operations witnessed meaningful improvement in financial performance in the Apr – Jun quarter and are generating cash profit. Review of the European steel manufacturing footprint is on track, and we expect to have concrete steps in place by the end of this year. Given the recent tariff announcement by the US government and changes to emission regulation in North America, we are cautious on the outlook for the US export business for the reminder of the fiscal. FY26 is likely to be a challenging period, given where we are in the overall cycle and our geographical exposure. Our focus is on capturing opportunities in businesses & geographies which are relatively unaffected and work simultaneously on cost optimization to minimize impact of operating deleverage.”

The company stated that despite headwinds from tariff and regulatory uncertainties in key export markets, it continues to strengthen its position through targeted diversification and operational efficiency.

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Tier 1 automotive component supplier Tata AutoComp Systems (TACO) has joined forces with Japan’s Ichikoh Industries (Ichikoh) to cater to the automotive lighting market in India. Ichikoh is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market, wherein Valeo holds a 61.2 percent stake in the company.

As per the understanding, Tata AutoComp Systems and Ichikoh form a JV to acquire Valeo’s lighting business in India will see the partners acquiring Valeo Lighting Systems (VLS) business of Valeo India.

Arvind Goel, Vice Chairman, Tata AutoComp, said, “The formation of this Joint Venture would be another significant step by Tata AutoComp in offering contemporary products and technologies to automotive OEMs in India. We are pleased to welcome Ichikoh and the Valeo Group as our partner, and together with their automotive lighting expertise, we will offer technologically superior and differentiated lighting solutions to our customers.”

Manoj Kolhatkar, MD & CEO, Tata AutoComp, added, “The proposed Joint Venture will enhance our presence in the Indian automotive market and would enable us to serve various OEMs. This collaboration marks another milestone in Tata AutoComp’s journey of offering a comprehensive portfolio of auto-component products.”

Christophe Vilatte, Representative Director, President and CEO, Ichikoh, said, “Ichikoh, with more than 120 years history of technological excellence, will join forces with a new

partner Tata AutoComp, strongly established with its reputational excellence.  Capitalising on our respective strength, we will be well positioned to address the fast-growing automotive market in India.”

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