Known for its engines, engine components and generators, Cooper Corporation has commissioned a modern tractor plant in Satara, Maharashtra. The plant will produce the Cooper Tractor NDC Series, which is designed to revolutionise farming with its superior performance, fuel efficiency and innovative engineering. 
A part of the company’s mission to innovate and provide superior machinery for the agriculture sector, the new plant attracted an investment of approximately INR 500-600 million. The initial capacity of the plant is to produce 2,000 tractors per month in low, mid and high horsepower segments. 
To be sold initially in Maharashtra, the Cooper Tractor NDC Series tractor – made at the Satara plant – is designed for tough terrains and heavy-duty operations. It comes with an array of innovative features, such as high fuel efficiency, ergonomic design and lower maintenance costs. 
Developed in collaboration with renowned global engineering firms such as Magna Steyr for design, Ricardo UK for engine development, Carraro for transmission and Mita for hydraulics, the Cooper Tractor promises superior performance and savings in fuel, service and operational costs and is tailored for Indian farming needs. 
Speaking about the development, Farrokh N Cooper, Chairman and Managing Director, Cooper Corporation Pvt. Ltd., expressed, “Today marks a historic milestone for Cooper Corporation as we step into the agricultural sector with the launch of our first-ever tractor. The Cooper Tractor NDC Series is a result of years of research, innovation and dedication to delivering a product that truly serves the needs of Indian farmers. Built with global expertise and local insights, this tractor is designed to enhance productivity, reduce operational costs and withstand the toughest farming conditions. As a company deeply rooted in Satara, we are proud to contribute to the growth of Indian agriculture and the prosperity of our farmers.”
The tractor – featuring dual-clutch transmission, power steering and a low turning radius of 3 m – is powered by a superior fuel-efficient four-valve engine with a bed plate design, HLA, Bosch Fuel System, ceramic-coated rings, piston cooling Jet and long-life compacted graphite cylinder head, 
Highlighting the tractor’s superior performance is its ability to deep plough, to low RPM drop during fieldwork and a quick forward and reverse shuttle lever. 

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German commercial vehicle major MAN Truck & Bus has reached an agreement with employee representatives and the IG Metall union on its MAN2030+ programme. The initiative is designed to reduce costs by approximately EUR 900 million by 2028 while funding investments of almost EUR 1 billion in the company’s German locations by 2030.

The programme includes the development of vehicle generations based on the TRATON Modular System (TMS). Production and R&D investments will be made in Germany and Eastern Europe, where the group plans to establish a battery factory to support the transition to electric heavy-goods vehicles and buses.

The agreement secures the jobs of employees at MAN Truck & Bus in Germany until at least 2035, with a potential extension to 2040 based on sales and earnings performance. All German production sites will be retained. The company plans to adjust its workforce by 2,300 jobs over the next decade through natural fluctuation and demographic trends, avoiding redundancies or severance schemes.

Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO, MAN, said, “Following intensive negotiations, we have now reached agreement with our employee representatives on the implementation of key cornerstones of the MAN2030+ program. The plan secures MAN’s competitiveness and guarantees our customers a broad product portfolio as a full liner, which forms the basis for the company’s future success. This will enable us to secure the jobs of our current employees also in the future. With our continued high level of investment in Germany, we are fulfilling our industrial policy responsibilities. We will now consistently implement the long-term MAN2030+ program in order to counteract intensifying competition, changing market conditions and major regulatory risks at an early stage."

The EUR 900 million cost reduction will be achieved through savings in material and overhead costs, as well as sales performance improvements. The company has ruled out wage cuts and committed to continuing profit-sharing payments and above-tariff benefits.

Karina Schnur, Chairwoman of the General Works Council, MAN Truck & Bus, said, “The discussions were not easy, but they were always respectful and constructive, and from the perspective of co-determination and IG Metall, they have now resulted in the best possible compromise for our employees and the company. The agreement sends a very strong signal regarding the security, stability, and future prospects of our employees. With this agreement, we are securing the jobs of our colleagues at MAN until at least the end of 2035. And we are doing so without interfering with collectively agreed benefits. In addition, we were able to agree on profit sharing for employees and the payment of benefits above the collective agreement level – which means that MAN will remain an attractive company for future generations. Furthermore, we are securing the long-term preservation of our German locations. At the same time, we are creating the freedom to continue investing significantly in our German locations and the future of MAN.”

The programme also prioritises vocational training, with MAN committing to hire trainees amounting to at least 2 percent of the permanent workforce annually. By the mid-2030s, the company expects to employ approximately 13,000 staff across its German operations.

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In a strategic commitment to cultivating advanced technical expertise in South India, Eicher (VE Commercial Vehicles Limited) has established a long-term Regional Competency Development Centre at VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering & Technology (VNR VJIET) in Hyderabad. This significant investment underscores Eicher's dedication to fostering industry-ready talent and enhancing the practical skills of its own workforce and network. The centre, inaugurated for an initial 10-year term, represents a core component of Eicher's vision for collaborative innovation and sustainable skill development within the automotive sector.

The newly inaugurated facility is equipped with a comprehensive range of operational vehicles, including diesel and electric models, alongside specialised diagnostic equipment and cut models of vital automotive systems. This infrastructure is designed to provide immersive, hands-on learning for Eicher employees and dealer partners from the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh regions. Furthermore, it creates a vital bridge to academia, offering students and faculty from key engineering disciplines direct exposure to current industry technologies and real-world automotive systems within their academic environment.

This initiative is fundamentally driven by Eicher’s objective to support sustained knowledge advancement and create a robust pipeline of skilled professionals. By enabling structured training on modern vehicle technologies, the partnership actively contributes to shaping the future of the automotive industry. It reflects Eicher's proactive approach to integrating industry practice with engineering education, thereby strengthening the ecosystem that supplies the next generation of engineers and technicians.

D Suresh Babu Garu, President, Vignana Jyothi, said, “Being selected by a global automotive leader such as Volvo–Eicher to host a Regional Competency Development Centre is a strong validation of VNR VJIET’s focus on industry-aligned education. This collaboration strengthens our commitment to providing students with the best facilities, real-world exposure and future-ready skills that meet national and global standards.”

Sumit Diwan, National Head – Customer Care, VE Commercial Vehicles Limited, said, “This Centre reflects our long-term approach to capability building and talent development. By investing in advanced infrastructure at VNR VJIET and training students alongside our workforce, we are creating a strong pipeline of skilled engineers equipped for evolving automotive and electric mobility technologies. We plan on hiring students from Automobile Engineering (AE) department and encourage greater participation of female students in the recruitment process.”

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BillionElectric Mobility (BillionE) has raised USD 25 million in a growth capital round consisting of equity and debt. The funding was provided by a consortium of family offices, ultra-high-net-worth individuals and financial institutions, including the State Bank of India (SBI).

The capital is intended to transition the company from deployments to commercial operations in electric freight. A portion of the funds will support the rollout of 500 electric trucks during the FY2026-27.

BillionE Mobility currently maintains a pipeline of over 1,500 electric trucks planned for the next three years to meet demand from industrial customers.

The fleet will serve logistics for sectors including cement, automotive, metals, and e-commerce. These industries are targeted due to predictable routes and high utilisation levels, which facilitate the transition to electric vehicles.

BillionE Mobility is executing a strategy across freight corridors. These routes are being electrified by CHARGE ZONE, an affiliated company providing the charging network for the fleet. The integration aims to deliver operational efficiencies and reductions in emissions across industrial clusters.

Sanjeev Kulkarni, CEO and Co-Founder, BillionE Mobility, said, “This fundraise comes at a defining moment for electric commercial mobility in India. We are moving beyond pilots to scaled, real-world deployments where execution, reliability, and economics matter most. The capital will allow us to accelerate fleet expansion, strengthen operational readiness, and deepen partnerships with customers committed to decarbonising their logistics. Our vision is to make electric trucking a mainstream, dependable, and commercially viable choice for India’s freight ecosystem.”

Kartikey Hariyani, Founder and Chief Platform Architect of BillionE Platform, added, “I am personally indebted and grateful to our existing and new shareholders backing our vision of an Energy Transition platform enabled by electric mobility in commercial segments. Currently we are on a growth path of 120 percent on YoY basis and would like to maintain this momentum in coming months and years. Fortunately, EV trucking has achieved the total cost of ownership (TCO) at par with diesel on specific routes and use cases, especially 19T and 55T category, and this is indeed a huge boost.”

The company intends to use the investment to capture a share of the commercial vehicle market while lowering carbon intensity in freight logistics.

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Sonalika Tractors is celebrating its 30th anniversary, marking its transition from a local business in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, to a USD 1.1 billion global entity. The company is currently ranked as the third-largest tractor manufacturer in India and the fifth-largest globally.

Founded in 1996 by LD Mittal and his sons, Dr A. S. Mittal and Dr Deepak Mittal, the company began by manufacturing agricultural threshers before entering the tractor market. Sonalika adopted a strategy of customising machinery for specific soil and regional conditions rather than following industry standardisation. Since 2011, the company has utilised vertical integration, manufacturing its own engines, transmissions and sheet metal aggregates in-house.

Technical milestones of the brand include:

• Production Capacity: The Hoshiarpur facility was expanded in 2017 to become a fully integrated plant capable of producing one tractor every two minutes.
• Product Range: The company develops over 2,000 models ranging from 20 HP to 120 HP.
• Export Leadership: Sonalika has been India's leading tractor export brand for seven consecutive years, holding a 30 percent market share in exports. Every third tractor exported from India is manufactured at its Hoshiarpur facility.
• Global Presence: The brand operates in over 150 countries and owns six assembly plants internationally.

In 2022, Sonalika became the first Indian tractor manufacturer to publish vehicle prices on its website, followed by the publication of service costs in 2025.

Going forward, the company intends to increase its production capacity to 300,000 tractors per year. Future plans include the integration of digital platforms and connected diagnostics to manage farmer engagement and vehicle maintenance.

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