Kinetic Engineering Ltd. (KEL), a key player in India’s automotive components industry, unveiled a major strategic initiative involving a convertible warrant issue worth INR 1.7 billion. The warrants, with an 18-month conversion period, include an initial investment of INR 550 million by March 2025 from the promoters. This represents 25 percent of the warrant subscription amount for future investments, pending approval from SEBI and shareholders. Additional commitments include INR 171 million from external investors with notable contributors such as Transaction Square LLP and Sai Geeta Penumetsa.

The phased investment plan allocates INR 600 million by March 2025, followed by INR 440 million by March 2026 and INR 730 million by March 2027. This capital infusion supports KEL’s goal of achieving a revenue target of INR 10 billion by 2029, a dramatic increase from its current revenue of INR 1.5 billion. The strategy also aims to raise the promoters’ stake in the company from 59 percent to 70 percent by 2027.

Since 2017, KEL’s promoters have steadily increased their stake from 49 percent to 59 percent with the current initiative boosting holdings by an additional 11 percent. Approximately 93.5 lakh new shares will be issued to promoters, bringing their total to 2.26 crore shares and increasing the company’s outstanding shares to 3.26 crore by July 2027. The investment is led by founder and chairman Arun Firodia, supported by family trusts—the Arun Firodia Trust and Jayashree Firodia Trust.

The infusion of capital and warrant issuance highlights the promoters’ confidence in KEL’s long-term strategy, enabling the company to enhance working capital, improve manufacturing capabilities, and accelerate innovation in high-growth areas such as electric vehicle (EV) components.

Driving Growth Through EV and Innovation
KEL’s aggressive growth strategy focuses on an expanded export business, a diversified portfolio and cost-reduction initiatives. The company is sharpening its focus on EVs through its subsidiary, Kinetic Watts & Volts, incorporated in September 2022. The subsidiary is developing advanced drivetrain solutions, gear systems, and other innovative products set to be unveiled soon.

To deepen its footprint in the EV sector, KEL is bolstering its developmental capabilities and exploring collaborations with OEMs. Its long-term strategy emphasises sustainable growth, enhanced domestic and international market presence, and maintaining leadership in the automotive components sector.

The promoters’ commitment to increased investment and stake expansion underscores their confidence in KEL’s future, positioning the company to capitalise on opportunities in the evolving mobility landscape. With a focus on innovation, value creation, and strategic execution, KEL is poised for transformational growth in a competitive market.

Commenting on the development, Firodia said, “Kinetic Engineering Limited has over 50 years of experience in manufacturing. It has successfully transformed into an auto components business and enjoys strong relationships with the world’s largest OEMs. Leveraging these long-standing partnerships, we expect to finalise significant business deals shortly. Additionally, we are heavily focused on the EV segment, with plans for our subsidiary, Kinetic Watts & Volts, nearing finalisation. These initiatives will drive an 8x to 10x revenue growth, and we are pleased to make this investment to meet the required capital expenditure, working capital, and growth initiatives. This infusion of capital from the promoters reinforces our growth blueprint, enabling us to take bold strides toward achieving our INR 1,000 crore revenue milestone. We are committed to using this investment to fuel innovation, improve operational efficiencies, and meet the evolving demands of the automotive and EV industries.”

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Tier 1 supplier Lumax Auto Technologies has announced its financial results for Q1 FY2026, showcasing significant growth in revenue and profit. The company reported consolidated revenue of INR 10.26 billion for Q1 FY26, up 36 percent from INR 7.56 billion last year.

This growth was supported by strong performance across its various business segments. The standalone OEM business saw a 5 percent increase in revenue, while the aftermarket segment experienced a 16 percent surge compared to the previous year. The company's subsidiaries (excluding the recently acquired Greenfuel) also contributed significantly, with a 36 percent YoY growth. Including Greenfuel, the growth for the subsidiaries was even more impressive at 59 percent for the quarter.

Lumax Auto Technologies' profitability also saw a healthy increase, with consolidated profit after tax (PAT) jumping 30 percent to INR 540 million in Q1 FY26, up from INR 420 million in the same period last year.

Anmol Jain, Managing Director, Lumax Auto Technologies, said, "We have kicked off the FY2026 with a steady performance both in revenue and profitability which is in line with our internal operating budgets. There have been certain price corrections from customers which has not been realised because of which the margins have seen a slight dip from Q1 of FY25. These corrections have been subsequently received in the current month. In Q2, we should be able to see this gain based upon the spill over from Q1 & in H1, the EBITDA margins will be in alignment with the strategic direction for the current year which is between 14 percent to 15 percent."

The company also highlighted key strategic initiatives during the quarter, including the full acquisition of IAC India, which strengthens its position in the EV interior space. Additionally, the Board of Directors approved the establishment of a branch office in China to explore new business opportunities and the setting up of a new Technology Centre in Bengaluru.

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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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