American automotive component supplier BorgWarner has announced leadership change with Joseph Fadool, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), to be elevated as the new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

He will also become a member of BorgWarner’s Board of Directors effective at the close of business on 6 February, 2025.

Fadool is set to succeed Frederic Lissalde who will retire from his role as President and CEO and step down from the Board of Directors. Lissalde will serve in an advisory role until 30 August, 2025 to support the transition. 

Alexis P. Michas, Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, BorgWarner, said, “As CEO, Fred has reshaped our product portfolio and set BorgWarner on a path to lead the world’s energy transition to electrified vehicles. Fred has been an exceptional leader and embodies our beliefs, values and innovative culture. We believe Fred’s passion for our business and customer focus have positioned the company for success for years to come. We look forward to celebrating his career over the coming months as we transition to our next CEO and send Fred off to a well-deserved retirement.”

“Today’s announcement reflects the Board’s thoughtful approach to succession planning. Joe has been a trusted member of our leadership team for 14 years, and we are excited to name him as BorgWarner’s next President and CEO. Having served as a President of four business units, Joe has an incredibly deep understanding of our industry, technology focused product portfolio, operations, culture and strong customer relationships. This makes Joe very well prepared to lead BorgWarner to achieve new levels of success and value creation for our stakeholders,” he said.

Frederic Lissalde said, “It has been a privilege to work alongside our talented BorgWarner team for 25 years, and I am incredibly proud of all we have accomplished. Together, we have carefully curated a resilient portfolio of market leading technologies that are accelerating the world’s transition to electrification, which we believe will be successful under different regional powertrain adoption scenarios. I know that Joe will step seamlessly into the CEO role and continue guiding BorgWarner to even greater heights. His track record of operational excellence and dynamic thinking make him the right person for the role, and I am excited to follow the Company’s continued success with him at the helm.” 

Joseph Fadool said, “Fred has been an incredible mentor to me, and I am honoured to be appointed the next CEO of BorgWarner. Over the last 14 years, I have worked closely with BorgWarner’s talented workforce and our customers to solve the world’s propulsion problems in new and innovative ways. I believe BorgWarner’s world-class product portfolio, innovative and customer-centric culture, and strong operating model position the company well to drive favourable business results for many years. As we look to capture growth opportunities ahead, we will stay focused on enhancing our strong product portfolio, efficiently managing our costs to stay competitive and supporting our dynamic teams around the globe to deliver value to our customers. We believe this focus will further strengthen our product leadership position. The future for BorgWarner is bright and I’m incredibly excited to get started in my new role.”

Fadool joined BorgWarner in 2010 and has held a number of top positions across the company, including Chief Operating Officer and President and General Manager of Emissions, Thermal and Turbo Systems, Morse Systems and TorqTransfer Systems, the precursor to PowerDrive Systems. He has also previously worked at Continental Automotive Systems as Vice-President for North American Electronic Operations and at Ford Motor Company.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Lawrence Technological University and a Master of Science in computer and electronic controls from Wayne State University.

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Pune-headquartered tier 1 supplier Tata AutoComp has formed a joint venture with Skoda Group, a leading European manufacturer of components and vehicles for public transport, to manufacture railway propulsion systems and components in India.

With a multi-million euro investment, the new company will focus on manufacturing converters, drives and auxiliary converters for medium high-speed and regional trains, metros and light rail vehicles.

Tata AutoComp, which already has capabilities in the systems and components for electric vehicles, will benefit from product diversification and further strengthen its offerings for the Railway and Metro segment.

Arvind Goel, Vice-Chairman, Tata AutoComp, said “Tata AutoComp has consistently led the way in delivering advanced technological solutions to its customers. Our collaboration with Skoda Group is set to enhance our footprint in the Indian Railway and Metro sector by enabling the introduction of state-of-the-art electrical propulsion systems and components. We value this partnership with Skoda Group, a globally recognized provider of high-quality railway technologies.”

Manoj Kolhatkar, MD & CEO, Tata AutoComp, added, “We are delighted to collaborate with Skoda Group, a global player in the public transport industry. This partnership improves our market presence in the Railway domain and will contribute to safe and efficient solutions for Indian Railway and Metro segments.”

Petr Novotny, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Skoda Group, said, “This joint venture represents our commitment to innovation and international collaboration. Together with Tata AutoComp, we are bringing advanced technology and expertise to India, a testament to years of development and proven solutions in operation not only in the Czech Republic, but also in other European countries. I am confident that this partnership will enable both companies to lead and stay in the forefront of the growing demand for modern rail solutions.”

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The Indian automotive component industry clocked USD 80.2 billion in turnover in FY2025, which translates to 9.6 percent growth over USD 74.1 billion in FY2024 revealed by data from the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA).

Interestingly, the domestic component industry was able to further widen its trade surplus to USD 453 million, as against USD 300 million last year, with exports growing at 8 percent, while imports grew by 7.3 percent. The industry believes that despite global challenges, the Indian automotive industry continues to stand tall and is further expected to continue its growth momentum across segments.

As per the data, the industry grew at a CAGR of 14 percent from FY2020 to FY2025, which translates to almost doubling the size in the past five-year period.

Vinnie Mehta, Director General, ACMA said, “The Indian auto component industry continues to exhibit remarkable resilience and growth. With OEM sales, exports and the aftermarket segments all growing positively.”

The Indian automotive industry primarily driven by passenger vehicle segment enabled the component industry to gain volumes, which now account for almost 43 percent of the total component sales to OEMs, followed by commercial vehicle at 25 percent and two-wheelers at 20 percent, among others.

Shradha Suri Marwah, President, ACMA & CMD, Subros, said, “The Indian auto component sector continues to be a cornerstone of the country’s manufacturing prowess. FY2025 was yet another milestone year where the industry’s growth was underpinned by strong domestic demand, rising exports, and increasing value addition. As India transitions towards new-age mobility, our industry is making the necessary strides in investments, technology and localisation to serve both domestic and global markets effectively.”

“The fiscal year witnessed broad-based growth and recovery across segments. While two-wheelers demonstrated robust growth, the passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle segments experienced steady, albeit moderate, momentum. On the exports front, ongoing geopolitical challenges have led to supply-chain challenges. Nevertheless, the industry continues to show remarkable resilience and remains in robust health. Investments in higher value-addition, technology upgradation and localisation are being accelerated to align with evolving customer expectations and global supply chain dynamics. However, the limited availability of rare-earth magnets remains a concern, underscoring the need for a national strategy on critical materials to secure the future of EV and mobility manufacturing in India,” added Marwah.

Exports & Imports

Coming to the exports, the auto component industry clocked USD 22.9 billion worth of exports, up 8 percent YoY, while imports came at USD 22.4 billion, up 7 percent YoY.

Engine components and Drive Transmission and Steering, remain the dominant segment, accounting for more than half of exports. While, Steering and Engine, remained the two dominant segments in imports, accounting for 57 percent of the total imports.

North America (USD 7.3 billion), followed by Europe (USD 6.74 billion) and Asia (USD 5.92 billion) were the top three export markets, which saw growth of 8.4 percent, -2.1 percent and 15.1 percent YoY respectively.

Coming to imports, Asia primarily driven by China (USD 14.91 billion), Europe (USD 5.77 billion) and North America (USD 1.65 billion) were the top three markets, which grew by 8.6 percent, 6.8 percent and 1.3 percent YoY respectively.

Aftermarket

The report found that the expansion of the automotive aftermarket was primarily driven by rising vehicle usage for both personal and commercial vehicles, with the growth being fuelled rural development in entry-level segments, shifting preference for larger vehicles and the increasing shift towards formal repair and maintenance market.

Tailwinds and Headwinds

The apex component body believes that India continues to be a key growth market globally, especially for the automotive industry with largely stable domestic demand, exports, infrastructure development, investments & capacity expansion, government push towards clean mobility and new entrants in the mobility space.

On the other hand, rising geopolitical challenges, increasing freight costs, available of rare earth magnets, raw materials price volatility and high GST on auto components could be a dampener.

Representational image courtesy:  Mike van Schoonderwalt/Pexels

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Kinetic Communications (KCL), a subsidiary of Kinetic Group, has opened an automated controller manufacturing line at its Pune facility.

The line was inaugurated by Padmashri Dr. Arun Firodia, Chairman, Kinetic Group, Deepak Shikarpur, Director, Kinetic Communication and Ajinkya Firodia, Vice-Chairman, Kinetic Group.

The set-up integrates Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and automated assembly controlled by Human Machine Interface (HMI) and Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) systems.

It will manufacture Motor Controller Units (MCUs), which manage electric vehicle battery and motor functions, including acceleration, braking and energy efficiency. It also produces Power and Driver Board Assemblies and Complete Controller Box Assemblies, capable of placing up to 40,000 components per hour.

The line has a current capacity of 300 units per shift, totaling 180,000 units annually across two shifts.

Ajinkya Firodia, said, "The new fully automated controller line marks a significant stride toward Industry 4.0-driven smart manufacturing. It’s a high-throughput, precision-engineered facility that brings intelligence, speed and scalability to our operations. Every stage is data-driven and benchmarked to global quality standards. This is more than a technological leap – it’s a statement of our commitment to innovation and operational excellence.”

Deepak Shikarpur, Director, Kinetic Communications, added, "This facility is a true reflection of Make in India at its most advanced. With its automation, precision and capability to manufacture smart, feature-rich motor controller units, it positions India on the global map for next-generation EV electronics manufacturing.”

The KCL plant uses 3D Solder Paste Inspection (SPI), Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) and In-Circuit Testing (ICT). Through-hole components are soldered using lead-free dualwave technology. Poka Yoke mechanisms and connected HMI/PLC systems reduce human error and ensure traceability. End-of-Line (EOL) testing and Pre-Dispatch Inspection (PDI) are also conducted.

Incoming Quality Control (IQC) aligns with JESD22 reliability standards, with all components undergoing performance testing and suppliers required to meet RoHS and REACH compliance. KCL aims for Zero PPM defects, increased productivity and enhanced quality.

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Jaipur-based automobile spare parts aggregator start-up Garaaz has raised INR 45.5 million in a seed round led by GVFL.

The start-up aims to deploy the funds to expand its operations in other states, strengthen local distribution, partnerships, on-ground teams, invest in technological innovation (R&D) and hire key talent across technology, sales, marketing and operations.

Incepted in 2019, the startup was founded by Shaleen Agarwal with an aim to bring together multi-brand garages that can seamlessly discover, compare and purchase spare parts from a catalogue of over 8 million units spanning 25 leading car brands. The start-up enables parts discovery, inventory lookup, orders & schemes, account management, orders & CBO, sales & schemes, branch management, workshop management to distributors, OEMs and resellers as well as manufacturers.

Mihir Joshi, Managing Director, GVFL, said, “India has come a long way in terms of online markets. Today, we can buy EV motorcycles on e-commerce platforms. However, the spare parts ecosystem for the auto industry is highly fragmented, with thousands of small distributors, middlemen and local suppliers leading to inefficiencies and a lack of standardisation, making it highly unreliable. Garaaz is addressing the issue by connecting key stakeholders – brands, distributors/retailers, and workshops – while fostering trust and transparency in a traditionally unorganized and complex market.”

Shaleen Agarwal, CEO & Founder, Garaaz, said, “At Garaaz, we’re not just delivering spare parts – we’re powering the heart of India’s workshop economy. Every order, every delivery, every connection is backed by a tech backbone that scales trust, transparency and efficiency across the aftermarket. Our mission is simple: make spare parts accessible, intelligent and instant – with technology so seamless, it feels invisible.”

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