India’s passenger-vehicle market has witnessed astonishing growth in the past decade. Barring the current hiccups, on account of ongoing urbanisation, increasing expenditure from the middle-class and young generation, and the country’s economic growth and supportive regulations and policies, India is expected to emerge as the world’s third-largest passenger vehicle market in future. However, the growth story will bring severe challenges for the parking space segment, especially in metro cities for which parking space has been a perennial issue.

As per a survey, a person spends an average of 17 hours a year for searching parking slots in New York, and the situation is grimmer in India where on average a person spends around 80 hours per year on finding parking. However, the situation varies in different cities.

Amit Lakhotia, Founder and CEO, Parviom Technologies, which owns Park+, faced car parking-related issues like any other Indians residing in metro cities. “Every day, we face challenges in finding an available parking slot, be it in office parking, malls, hotels or any other busy places. This leads to frustration and loss of time and fuel as well,” says Lakhotia. Due to difficulty in finding spaces for parking, people park their vehicles in the non-parking area or on the roads that occupies half of the road and which again causes traffic congestion, accidents, environmental hazards and even criminal activities.

“Parking related day-to-day issues were on my mind for some time while I was working with Paytm,” recalls Lakhotia. Having faced such parking-related issues, Amit Lakhotia found a business opportunity and launched the App, Park+, in 2019, which provides a suite of solutions around parking and more. With the help of Park+ app, users can discover parking, book their slot as well as other services such as car wash and pay digitally. They also provide RFID based security solutions to apartments and corporate setups.

Early this year, Park+ has raised $11 million in a financing round co-led by venture capital funds Sequoia India and Matrix Partners India. Prominent angel investors, including Deep Kalra, Rajesh Magow, Ashish Hemrajani, Kunal Shah, Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal also participated in the round. Park+ is also the first company to collaborate with Aarogya Setu app for crowd management in malls.

The Park+ business model starts with identifying hot spots and taking suppliers- parking operators -onboard in these areas. For a selected site, the company takes the responsibility to build and maintain the infrastructure needed for the business. Infrastructure includes different servers and hardware. Light hardware is used to monitor entry and exit, while complicated hardware is used for barriers, parking sensors and RFID based security solutions. “Deployment of infrastructure is based on the needs, but charges vary accordingly,” adds Lakhotia.

Park+ earns a commission from the parking operators of the parking space and a service charge from that availing of the service.

Lakhotia is confident that his app-based business will boom on the surging numbers of smartphone users and operators. Explaining further, he says, “Till 2015-16, the internet had not reached to the last mile space in any sector. Online search, ordering, payments, tracking and delivery were not as smooth as of today. However, Ola, Uber, Swiggy and other e-commerce portals brought a revolution in the online payment system and have made it very convenient for users and last-mile operators. Online businesses are also taking good efforts on their last mile employees for reading maps and handling deliveries. Till last a few years, parking operators did not have smartphones with internet connectivity, but now they have. Users and operators were ready, so we felt this is the right time to launch the business.”

India had the world’s second-largest internet population of around 483 million users in 2018, and, of these, 390 million users accessed the internet via their mobile phones. As per a report, India will have over 760 million smartphone users in 2021.

Mobile-phone based parking apps have already been running in the developed markets such as the USA and Europe, but challenges for Park+ will be unique and tough considering the rapidly concentrating population, unplanned structures, and scarcity and skyrocketing prices of lands in cities. Expansion of cities in the western world have been well planned, and vehicle parking has been an integral part of the design of the new cities and the development of old cities. With the growing urbanisation, India is likely to have over 500 million people living in cities by 2030.

Considering the challenges for finding and booking parking space in India, the sweet spot for the Park+ is to help users to find and book parking spaces more conveniently and parking operators to utilise parking spaces more optimally.

“Since there is a minimal scope to build new infrastructure to make parking sites, we focus on to make these parking spaces available more efficiently. For instance, on weekdays, parking space is fully occupied in corporate parks, but malls, hotels and shopping complexes are less crowded, so are their parking sites. This scenario is vice versa on weekends. If a corporate park is near to a mall, the former can use the parking site of the latter on weekdays; the same can be done vice versa on weekends. That is how parking space can be used effectively, and operators’ revenue can go up,” explains Lakhotia.

Though as now of Park+ is offering its services in major cities, it sees opportunities in Tier -2 as well. Residents in metro cities are still reluctant to buy a car owing parking and traffic issues and opt for the shared mobility but growing middle-class incomes pushing car sales in Tier-2 cities. “What parking-related issues we are facing in the Tier-1 cities, eventually we will face the same in Tier-2 in future. So, we also see big business opportunities in Tier-2 cities in the country,” predicts Lakhotia.

Park+ will also explore possibilities to tie up with city corporations which operate parking sites in the cities. “We are looking for such tie-ups. It is just a matter of time when we can have to tie up with municipal corporations.”

Apart from the core service, Park+ is also offering services for insurance, pollution control certificate, RTO service, and information on traffic rules and fuel prices. The company now plans to widen its service offering with vehicle services, maintenance, washing and others. “Some of these services will be provided by third parties, while some services we will provide to the customer directly,” adds Lakhotia.

The company will also explore the option to have tie-ups with OEs to provide the Park+ inbuilt services in their vehicles. “We will try to make available our services to OEs as the business scales up.”

Lakhotia has spent more than ten years building significant size internet businesses. He is ex-Paytm, Tokopedia and Makemytrip and played a critical role in scaling them to multi-billion dollar companies. His experience with the internet business is helping him to build his own business. “Paytm is a digital platform which is being used by masses in India. It is being used by auto drivers, tea sellers, literally by everyone. The distribution of Paytm is available everywhere for both users and merchants in both urban and rural areas. When we started the business, we never thought we would go that big. It does not matter how great your product is; it should work on all devices and networks. The product should win the trust of users since you are handling their money. Transparency is must in internet businesses,” says Lakhotia.

Today, the company has around two lakh subscribers, and Lakhotia expects the subscriber number will reach two million by 2021. The company adds 40,000 cars to the network every month, and 300,000 cars have their RFID tags. So far, the company has set up 800 sites in India. “Currently, we have around 18,000 real-time slots available, and overall, we have 60,000 slots.”

Talking on challenges, Lakhotia says Park+ is a pioneer in the business, and the challenges are new and unpredictable. “Since it is a real-time business, the challenge is how to deliver the services in the expected time. Also, this is a low-ticket business; we will have to make sure it will work smoothly.” (MT)

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Mumbai-headquartered automotive major Mahindra Group has announced the appointment of Shveta Arya as its new Group Chief Strategy Officer, effective 15 September 2026. Arya will also join the senior management team of Mahindra & Mahindra and serve on the Group Executive Board.

In her new role, Arya will oversee the Group Strategy Office across the organisation's portfolio of businesses to determine growth opportunities and value creation. She will report directly to Dr. Anish Shah, Group CEO & MD of Mahindra Group.

Dr. Anish Shah said, “We are pleased to welcome Shveta Arya as Group Chief Strategy Officer. Shveta brings over two decades of leadership experience across business and strategy, as well as management consulting across diverse sectors. Her experience in driving growth, shaping strategy and leading through change will be valuable as we work with our portfolio of businesses to drive growth and create long-term value across our portfolio of businesses. Her passion for constructive change and holistic progress also resonates strongly with Mahindra’s purpose. I wish her the very best in this key leadership role.”

She comes with over 23 years of experience across publicly listed multinational organisations and management consulting. Her background spans the automotive, travel, financial services and telecom sectors.

Most recently, Arya served as Managing Director of Cummins India, where she managed operations, growth strategy, talent and workplace culture. She was also the program sponsor for Cummins' initiative focused on women and girls in India. Prior to Cummins, she led Strategy and M&A at Thomas Cook India and held roles at Kearney and Infosys.

Arya holds a Master of Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and a Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology from Delhi University.

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Envalior India Pvt. Ltd. has launched a specialised training hub focused on electric vehicle technology at MM Polytechnic in Pune, marking a significant step in aligning vocational education with the demands of the burgeoning EV sector. The Envalior Centre of Excellence, a product of the company’s CSR initiatives in partnership with the BroadArks Foundation, is intended to serve as a practical workshop where students can transition from theoretical knowledge to applied technical competence.

The facility was formally inaugurated by Christopher Stillings, Vice President –R&D, in the presence of Krijn Dijkstra, Nileshkumar Kukalyekar, Uday Shetty, Susmita Mishra, Hema Rani, Sainath Vaidya and Aniket Nirwan of Envalior, MM Polytechnic leadership and other dignitaries. By embedding this centre within a technical campus, the programme seeks to immerse learners in the realities of EV maintenance and repair, covering not just mechanical functions but also the intricate electrical and software-driven systems that define modern vehicles.

With an annual capacity to reach roughly 250 learners, the centre will cater to students from ITI and polytechnic backgrounds across multiple engineering streams. The coursework is divided into two progressive phases, starting with a foundational module that introduces participants to basic EV architecture, battery safety and routine service procedures. An advanced tier follows, offering deeper instruction on battery management systems, thermal controls, high-voltage safety protocols, motor controllers and complex diagnostic methods.

Beyond traditional lectures, the training environment incorporates interactive lab sessions with real vehicle components, diagnostic tools and industry-relevant projects, ensuring that participants acquire both safety awareness and problem-solving agility. The overarching goal is to produce graduates who are not merely familiar with EV theory but are confident in executing hands-on repairs and system evaluations. Through this scalable framework, Envalior is actively working to narrow the skills gap in India’s automotive sector, creating a direct pipeline of capable talent for the evolving mobility landscape.

Nileshkumar Kukalyekar, Business Director – South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Envalior, said, “The transition to electric mobility is creating a fundamental shift in the skills expected from the automotive workforce. For us, this Centre of Excellence is about ensuring that technical education keeps pace with that change. By giving students the opportunity to work directly with EV systems, understand advanced diagnostics and build capabilities through structured, certified training, we are helping create a stronger bridge between what young technicians learn and what the industry will increasingly expect from them. We see this as an investment not only in individual careers but in the technical talent that will support India’s mobility transition in the years ahead.”

Christophe Stillings, Vice President – R&D, Envalior, said, "At Envalior, we believe the future of mobility depends on developing industry-ready talent today. Through the Centre of Excellence, students will gain hands-on exposure to EV technologies, helping bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world industry requirements. By bringing together academia and industry expertise, we aim to equip the next generation of engineers with the practical skills, confidence and innovation mindset needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving automotive landscape."

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Tier 1 automotive supplier Schaeffler India has appointed Amit Bhalerao as its Chief Operating Officer, effective 10 August 2026.

In his new role, Bhalerao will oversee the company's manufacturing operations across India. His responsibilities include directing manufacturing strategy, operational performance, digitalisation projects and capability development, as well as managing local production initiatives across the firm's plant network.

Bhalerao will join Schaeffler India's Executive Leadership Team, collaborating with divisional heads to manage the company's operational footprint.

Harsha Kadam, Managing Director and CEO, Schaeffler India, said, "India continues to be a strategic growth market for Schaeffler, and strengthening our manufacturing and operations capabilities is central to our journey as the leading Motion Technology Company. Amit brings extensive experience in leading complex manufacturing operations, driving operational excellence and building high-performing teams. His leadership will further enhance our manufacturing competitiveness, customer focus and innovation capabilities as we continue delivering greater value to our customers and stakeholders. We wish Amit the very best and many successes in his journey at Schaeffler in India."

Bhalerao comes with 23 years of management experience in manufacturing, operations, lean transformation, quality assurance and supply chain management. Before joining Schaeffler India, he held the positions of Managing Director and Vice-President of Operations at Kelvion India, where he managed operations, technology transfer and capacity expansion projects. He has also held leadership positions at Cummins, Eaton and Sterlite Technologies.

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Godrej Enterprises Group's Material Handling Equipment (MHE) business has initiated operations at a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing plant located in Khalapur, Maharashtra. This development represents a major step forward in bolstering domestic production capabilities and supporting the anticipated expansion of India's logistics, warehousing and supply chain sectors.

Situated within the expansive 360-acre Naoroji Godrej Industrial Park, the new plant is strategically designed to meet the escalating demands of diverse industries, including manufacturing, e-commerce, pharmaceuticals and automotive. The facility boasts an initial annual production capacity of 6,000 units, with the flexibility to scale up to 15,000 units to align with future market requirements.

The plant's advantageous location near critical transport arteries like Nhava Sheva Port and the forthcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport positions it effectively for both domestic distribution and international exports. Its production portfolio includes a comprehensive range of solutions, notably articulated trucks, a segment where Godrej maintains a unique position as the sole Indian producer. These products are currently exported to over 40 nations.

Engineered as a forward-looking manufacturing hub, the facility incorporates advanced Industry 4.0 technologies, including robotic welding and smart quality assurance systems. Operational sustainability is a core focus, achieved through energy-efficient processes and automated systems, a commitment recently recognised with an EcoVadis Gold Medal. This new facility underscores the group's dedication to innovation-led manufacturing and its role in advancing India's status as a global manufacturing centre.

Anil Lingayat, Business Head, Material Handling Equipment Business, Godrej Enterprises Group, said, "The commencement of operations at our Khalapur facility marks an important milestone in strengthening India's material handling manufacturing ecosystem. The facility combines advanced automation, digital manufacturing and indigenous engineering to deliver world-class solutions for a rapidly evolving logistics landscape. As India strengthens its manufacturing and logistics capabilities, efficient movement of goods will be critical to economic growth. Through this facility, we are not just expanding capacity but helping build stronger supply chains, supporting self-reliance and contributing to national priorities such as Make in India, PM Gati Shakti and Viksit Bharat."

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