Kogo, MapmyIndia Unveil Voice Assistant For Automotive Industry
- By MT Bureau
- January 25, 2025
Bengaluru-based Kogo partnered with MapmyIndia to launch a universal voice assistant for the automotive industry at the Bharat Auto Expo 2025. This breakthrough leverages Kogo’s Agentic Mesh and MapmyIndia’s deep learning geo-intelligence stack, providing an on-premises, edge-computing platform that ensures data privacy and safety for end customers.
The platform not only transforms in-car interactions but also opens new avenues for app businesses and services to develop their own AI agents and offer them via the Kogo AI Agent Store, reaching millions of car and motorcycle owners across India.
Unlike existing voice assistants that are limited to basic in-car commands, the Kogo-MapmyIndia universal assistant delivers natural language conversations, the ability to surf the internet and real-world impact by operating apps and services beyond the vehicle.
“This is a game changer in the automotive industry, elevating user engagement, safety and service delivery to unprecedented levels. By combining Kogo’s agentic AI technology with MapmyIndia’s geo-intelligence, we’re not just innovating – we’re setting a new benchmark for the entire industry,” Kogo Chief Executive Officer Raj K Gopalakrishnan.
The platform enables app developers and service providers to create and distribute their own agents through the Kogo AI Agent Store. These agents can cater to a wide array of needs, from personal assistance to business automation, creating a vibrant ecosystem for innovation.
“We designed the platform to work entirely on-premises and at the edge, ensuring that end customers’ data remains secure and private. Our vision is to empower every vehicle owner with an AI assistant that is not only powerful but also respects their privacy,” averred Kogo Co-Founder Praveer Kochhar.
With the ability to integrate seamlessly into the existing infrastructure of automotive manufacturers, this platform promises to redefine how vehicles interact with their owners. From voice-controlled operations to advanced task automation, the Universal Assistant is poised to lead the way in automotive AI innovation.
Visteon Invests $10 Million To Manufacture Camera & Display Backlight Unit At Chennai Facility
- By MT Bureau
- June 02, 2025
American technology company Visteon has launched in-house manufacturing of its next-generation high-resolution Analog and Digital Camera System and Display Backlight Unit (BLU) at its Chennai facility in India. The company said it has initially invested USD 10 million towards developing the manufacturing capabilities.
The new production lines will build analog and digital cameras with 1.3 MP-8MP HD resolution, which it claims offers significantly sharper visuals than traditional automotive cameras. It will support the demanding requirement from modern high-definition in-car displays and are optimised for seamless integration with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), helping drivers park, manoeuvre and navigate with greater safety and precision.
Sachin Lawande, President and CEO, Visteon, said, “India plays a critical role in our vertical integration strategy. Localising production of camera systems and backlight units strengthens our ability to scale, innovate, and deliver next-generation cockpit technologies more efficiently to global markets.”
Visteon stated that this expansion compliments its existing display manufacturing in India, creating a more cohesive, vertically integrated production ecosystem for next-generation cockpit solutions.
Varroc Reports INR 1.69 Billion PAT For FY2025
- By MT Bureau
- May 29, 2025
Pune-headquartered tier 1 supplier Varroc Engineering has announced its financial results for FY2025, with revenue of INR 81 billion, up 8 percent YoY.
The company reported profit after tax of INR 1.69 billion, which was down 46 percent YoY, as compared to INR 3.15 billion for same period last year. This the company attributed due to an exceptional item worth INR 1.47 billion on the back of restructuring of subsidiaries and exit from its joint venture in China.
For Q4 FY2025, the company reported revenue of INR 20.99 billion, up 11 percent YoY, profit after tax of INR 1.03 billion.
Tarang Jain, CMD, Varroc, said, "India has now become the 4th largest economy, and the GDP had a steady growth of 6.2 percent in Q3 FY2025. Softening of Inflation in the last few quarters and interest rates reduction globally encouraged our Central Bank to reduce Repo rate by 50 basis points. Weak growth in consumption, on top of global and regional conflicts and uncertain tariff regime, may impact discretionary spending which can have impact on automotive Industry. However, we remain confident about the medium-to-the-long-term growth prospects of automotive industry.”
He revealed that in FY2025, the company filed 25 patents of which more than 10 patents were already granted to Varroc, bringing the total filings to more than 120 for the company.
“We continue to strengthen our balance sheet and return ratios. The net debt of the company in FY2025 was reduced by INR 2,348 million and as a result the net debt to equity was reduced to below 0.5x at the end FY2025 from 0.64X at the end of FY2024. The absolute net debt figure was INR 7,480 million. ROCE (before tax) for FY2025 was 20.8 percent and free cash flow generation was also healthy at INR 3,116 million or 3.8 percent of revenue before growth CAPEX in land,” he added.
IN FY2025, the company also won new business wins estimated to add INR 11,734 million in revenue, with electric vehicle constituting more than 55 percent of it.
“It is more heartening to see business wins in our overseas operations also, which will improve profitability from FY 27 onwards. Our continuing focus on revenue growth, improvement in gross margin, control on fixed cost and optimization of capex and working capital will enable us to generate healthy free cash flows in the future also,” concluded Jain.
Samvardhana Motherson Reports INR 38 Billion Net Profit For FY2025
- By MT Bureau
- May 29, 2025
Samvardhana Motherson International (SAMIL) has announced its financial results for FY2025, demonstrating significant growth across key metrics.
The company reported consolidated revenue of INR 1,136 billion, up 15 percent YoY. Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 17 percent to INR 108.77 billion, while Profit After Tax (PAT) saw a substantial 40 percent jump, reaching INR 38.03 billion.
Vivek Chaand Sehgal, Chairman, Motherson, said, "Our performance underscores the resilience and adaptability of our business. With a booked business value exceeding USD 88 billion, encompassing both automotive and non-automotive sectors, we have established a robust foundation for future growth."
He further congratulated the Motherson team for an ‘exceptional performance’ over the past five years, achieving record sales and integrating 23 acquisitions despite global volatility, all while maintaining a strong focus on free cash flow and reducing the leverage ratio to its lowest point in five years.
The company also highlighted its strategic advancements, including outpacing the industry by approximately 15 percent through content growth and mergers and acquisitions. Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) improved to 17.2 percent at a consolidated level, even amidst expansions. Net Debt to EBITDA stands at a comfortable 0.9x. Capital expenditure for the year was INR 44.33 billion, calibrated to market dynamics.
Furthermore, 14 greenfield projects are underway, with nine expected to commence operations in FY2026.
Philipp von Hirschheydt To Take Additional Role Of CFO At Aumovio
- By MT Bureau
- May 29, 2025
Aumovio, the automotive business of Continental Group, will see Philipp von Hirschheydt, presently CEO, take on the additional duties of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This comes on the heels of Karin Dohm’s decision not to take on the intended role of CFO due to personal reasons.
It was on 23 April 2025, German technology company Continental Group revealed the new identity for its Automotive Business – Aumovio at the Auto Shanghai Show 2025.
Stefan E Buchner, Designated Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Auomovio, said, "We deeply regret her decision, but at the same time, have the greatest understanding and respect for her choice. Together with our strong team, we will consistently continue on the path we have begun and lead Aumovio into the future with responsibility and foresight."
The announcement is said to have no impact on the planned spin-off, with Aumovio on track to be listed on stock exchange in September 2025. The company stated that during the transition the existing Finance and Controlling team will take on additional responsibilities to ensure a seamless spin-off.
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