Witnessing manufacturing modernisation since Maruti Udyog began producing cars in collaboration with Suzuki of Japan at Gurgaon in 1984, the Indian auto industry landscape has drastically changed. Opening up to automation with the installation of some of the best robots available at Kuka, ABB and others, the auto industry has left no stone unturned. Such has been the fervor that Tal, a Tata Motors company, launched a robot called Brabo in 2018 to make manufacturing processes involving the application of sealants, picking and placing of parts, welding and vision inspection reliable and easy to perform. Made with an eye on manufacturing process the world over, the Brabo was tested in over 50 work streams and has so far found use in sectors like lighting, aerospace, software, electronics, plastics, education and logistics sectors apart from the auto industry. Coming from an auto maker that installed 300 Kuka robots to automate the assembly of Sumo and Safari at its Pune plant in 2009, the Brabo has seen many rounds of development and application-preparedness since its launch.                

Smart manufacturing trend

Highlighting the smart manufacturing trend, the TAL Brabo robot with payloads of two and 10 kilos has also found favour with companies in Europe and other places. Highlighting the prowess of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT), the robot is an example of the fast-changing manufacturing canvas. Producing about 1,286 engines per day, the Igatpuri plant of Mahindra & Mahindra became India's first carbon-neutral manufacturing facility by adopting smart manufacturing practices under Industry 4.0 in 2019. It invested in energy efficient technologies among others. It invested in recycling of water and other waste. It invested in solar panels to power some of its processes in the plant. An industry source expressed that the rapidly changing business environment the world over is providing impetus to smart manufacturing. It is driving efficiency enhancements and collaborations, he added. Emphasising on efficiency enhancements and collaborative efforts as key smart manufacturing drivers, an industry expert stated that technologies like AI, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), automation, big data and 5G are the biggest triggers. They are touching every aspect of manufacturing, from sourcing of raw materials to final inspection, he quipped.  

Industry 4.0

As companies like Lincode (it has collaborated with Switzerland-based Global Automotive Alliance), specialising in AI-powered visual inspection with multiple patent-pending defect detection capabilities, find more and more takers in India, the smart manufacturing shift is continuing to take place despite disruptions. It has, in fact, gained speed in India with the race to successfully accomplish BS VI transition in the last few years. A source in the auto industry mentioned that BS VI transition led to manufacturers upping their global ambitions. Vinay Raghunath, Partner and Leader, Automotive Sector, EY India, averred in a report that automotive shop floors are evolving and adopting digital technologies. This, he added, is happening amid challenges like slowdown in demand, non-availability of labour, concerns on health and safety management on the shop floor. Witnessing disruptions relating to ROI among other factors, as Raghunath has informed, the Indian auto industry has been an early adopter of digital manufacturing techniques.  

Working to dial higher efficiency, expertise and superior productivity, the Indian auto industry has been overhauling existing assembly lines, erecting new ones and extensively re-evaluating its manufacturing processes and practices in view of smart manufacturing, especially from an automotive value chain point of view. Taking to Industry 4.0, it is leveraging AI and IoT-based manufacturing technologies to automate further – to engage in machine-to-machine communication (M2M) such that there is self-monitoring as well as self-diagnosing. Taking to Industry 4.0 to tackle unanticipated disruptions like the Covid-19 pandemic, which has put well-oiled supply chains and production lines to the test and made it painfully clear that they in their current form are not as agile or resilient as expected, the auto industry is shifting to smart manufacturing in a big way. It is exploring and experimenting; it is finding new ways. It is doing so as it absorbs a significant change in technologies and products like electrification and EVs.

Operator 4.0 and hyper-intelligence

Investing heavily in data analytics infrastructure and capabilities, the auto industry is leveraging opportunities to digitally transform itself. It is defining the boundaries of physics for data-driven model. It is focusing on digital skills development. It is supporting the rise of Operator 4.0. Taking to collaborative robots that coexist with humans in a workplace, it is transforming its ways of manufacturing significantly. Drawing attention to the semi-conductor shortage and how the auto industry was affected despite using only 10 percent of the production, Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland, explained that the rapidly changing consumer psyche is dictating a move to a completely different technological aspect. Emphasising on material technology, he said smart manufacturing is about digitising and achieving cost competitiveness. It was some two to three years ago that the Chennai-based CV maker began implementing smart manufacturing technologies to mitigate challenges. It took to modernising and digitising existing workplaces to address quality issues that are difficult for human beings to detect and acquire made-to-order or mass customisation capabilities. It took to equipping itself with an ability to expand and contract in tandem with the market conditions even as it took to modularisation of product lines.  

Automating its cab panel pressing plant at Hosur in 2019, which increased the output by up to 66 percent, Ashok Leyland has been one of the many automotive OEMs globally that are investing in hyper-intelligent automation. A confluence of AI and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), hyper-intelligent automation is redefining not just Industry 4.0 but also Operator 4.0. It is facing challenges like the high initial acquisition cost in terms of tools, but that isn’t worrying players involved like Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Catalytic Inc and Infosys Limited among others. Estimated to grow at a CAGR of 18.9 percent as manufacturers strive to reduce energy consumption, up quality and reliability, and control costs through predictability and data-driven unique insights, hyper-intelligent automation is turning out to be yet another finer aspect of smart manufacturing. It is proving to be a big enabler for automating repetitive tasks – to enhance efficiencies, to take to cloud computing to ensure significantly more flexibility and to achieve scalability and the ability to collaborate and reduce costs.

Increasing visibility, predictability and enhancing control on operations and inventory, hyper-intelligent automation is aiding effective decision-making. Supported by development of new technologies such as 5G, which according to a domain expert, promises the need for speed and flexibility along with the capability to eliminate network instability or downtime, hyper-intelligent automation is helping automotive suppliers like Rane Madras Limited to make efficiency, reliability and cost control gains. In 2018, the company adopted automated solutions of Mistubishi Electric Corporation for its new plant in Gujarat. It led to a significant decrease in energy consumption. Aiding smart manufacturing, technologies like hyper-intelligent automation and 5G are helping the auto industry to achieve resilience and immunity against future uncertainties. They are helping to integrate Information Technology (IT) systems used for data-centric computing with Operational Technology (OT) systems – for data readiness and cyber security, and for the development of digital talent. Technologies like hyper-intelligent automation and 5G are helping to develop cross-functional profiles like engineering-manufacturing, manufacturing-maintenance and safety-security.

Tackling disruptions and smart working environment

Looking at productivity gains, emerging competition and risk aversity in the globalised world as per the EY report, the auto industry is taking to smart manufacturing to achieve significant technology transformations like electromobility as well. Apart from the creation of a smart working environment, it is also looking at the use of new materials, new process guidelines and practices. With health also becoming a disruptive factor in recent times, the auto industry is looking at automation in processes like inbound logistics, production planning, sourcing, press shop, body shop, paint shop, quality control and outbound logistics through data visualisation. With sensors and analytics shaping up, the smart working environment in a factory is coming to include AI-based alerts and fully automated work floors. This is increasingly getting compounded by data collection, historical data and high-quality extensive data mining. Helping to guarantee ROI, smart manufacturing is helping to lower the ‘takt’ time. It is also ironically undermining the involvement of humans on the shop floor.   

Reducing the cost of computation, storage and connectivity, smart manufacturing is coming of age with plummeting prices of sensors, 3D printers and robots. Empowering cloud-based manufacturing techniques and a gradual increase in the understanding of emerging technologies, smart manufacturing is providing an advantage in terms of the ability to respond to market changes quickly. Taking to develop a new light-duty truck platform with export ambitions and flexibility in terms of left-hand drive and right-hand drive orientation, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd took to automating its welding line with robots at its Pithampur plant. It also took to robotising its windshield pasting station among others. Experiencing quality, consistency, efficiency and cost gains, the CV maker is also known to have reduced the takt time and energy consumption. As global ambitions and modularity strike in view of the ability to explore new export markets with a cost competitive BS VI product, the auto industry in India is using embedded sensors, RFID and GPS etc. for smart tracking. It is using smart manufacturing technologies to monitor parameters like temperature, pressure, vibration, machine rpm and flow rate.

Smart flexibility

As part of a shift to smart manufacturing, automakers and suppliers are resorting to flexible manufacturing and AR-based solutions to upskill. They are, in view of the technologies like connected vehicles and EVs, stressing on re-aligning their traditional manufacturing setups with that of the future. Emphasising on quality, resource optimisation, streamlining of business processes and adoption of new emerging technologies, they are closely evaluating the advantages of solutions like digital twins and rapid prototyping using additive manufacturing offer. With ROI on their mind, they are embracing smart manufacturing to move up the value chain.

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Maruti Suzuki India has announced that its staff contributed 2,600 hours to the eParivartan initiative during FY2025–26.

The programme involved 1,100 employees who participated in 30 activities focused on health, community care, and education.

In the health sector, employees took part in four blood donation sessions at company sites. Staff also used kits to build wheelchairs for donation to care centres and provided food, medicines, and toiletries to residents of shelter homes. Companionship programmes were established to connect volunteers with elderly and underprivileged individuals.

Education efforts included hosting students from underprivileged backgrounds at the Manesar manufacturing plant to observe production processes. Volunteers also provided support to students with visual impairments by distributing Braille kits and held art sessions for children with disabilities. A 'Wish Tree' project resulted in the provision of stationery and bags to 300 students. Additionally, employees painted 1,400 square feet of wall space at schools in Manesar and Gurugram to update learning environments.

Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “At Maruti Suzuki, we believe progress is meaningful only when it is shared with the communities around us. We are happy to share that in FY 2025–26, over 1,100 Maruti Suzuki employees volunteered more than 2,600 hours, supporting more than 8,700 people in education, healthcare, or companionship. We don’t know how much difference we have made to the lives of these people, but we do know that the Maruti Suzuki volunteers have found it an immensely fulfilling, soul-warming, and life-changing experience.”

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JSW Motors, the new energy passenger vehicle division of the JSW Group, hosted its first Supplier Partner Conference & Tech Show at its manufacturing facility in Bidkin, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra.

Organised in collaboration with the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), the event brought together over 100 auto-component business houses. The conference serves as a strategic precursor to JSW Motors' upcoming entry into the Indian passenger vehicle market, focusing on building a localised, resilient and ‘glocal’ supply chain for its new energy vehicle (NEV) programs.

The conference highlighted JSW Motors' commitment to domestic value creation as it prepares for its first vehicle rollout later this year.

The Bidkin facility in the Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC) is positioned as the primary production hub for JSW’s independent EV and hybrid lineup, separate from its joint venture with MG Motor.

The Tech Show showcased innovations in automotive design and next-generation manufacturing, encouraging technical licensing agreements (TLAs) between local suppliers and global technology partners.

Ranjan Nayak, CEO, JSW Motors, said, “At JSW Motors, we believe that building world-class mobility solutions requires a strong and future-ready supplier ecosystem. The first ever Supplier Conference & Tech Show reflects our commitment to collaborative growth, technology excellence and supply chain resilience. JSW Motors is months away from its first launch. The conference we're holding today is a signal of how seriously we take localisation and how seriously we take the partners we're building with.”

Vikrampati Singhania, President, ACMA, said, “This initiative marks an important step towards building a future-ready and resilient mobility ecosystem in India. As the industry transitions towards new energy vehicles, the role of suppliers becomes increasingly strategic, requiring early alignment on product roadmap, technology direction and scale to enable timely investments and capability development. We are encouraged by JSW Motors’ strong commitment to collaboration and localisation, which will be critical in strengthening the domestic value chain and enhancing the global competitiveness of India’s auto component industry.”

The event aligns with JSW Motors' broader strategy to disrupt the Indian NEV segment with a mix of high-tech SUVs and premium models.

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Michael R Bloomberg has announced a new USD 350 million investment towards Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety, including the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure, aimed at saving one million lives over the next five years through improved road safety policies and cycling infrastructure.

The announcement, made at CityLab 2026 in Madrid, brings the total funding for the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) to USD 865 million since 2007. The initiative focuses on high-impact interventions to combat the more than one million annual road traffic deaths reported by the World Health Organization.

The new funding will scale proven interventions across 13 countries and over 30 cities, with a specific focus on high-risk regions in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

• Cycling Infrastructure (BICI): A global competition will select 25 cities for technical training, with 10 finalists receiving USD 400,000 each to implement safe cycling networks. The goal is to reach 15 million people with improved bike lanes.
• Policy & Enforcement: Continued support for national and city-level policies targeting speeding (a factor in 50 percent of fatalities) and new research into distracted driving.
• Vehicle Safety: Expanding safety standard improvements to more car models across emerging markets.
• Urban Transit: Promoting government investment in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), cited as the safest urban transport method.

In India, the initiative will specifically target Delhi, Karnataka State and Maharashtra State (with an emphasis on Mumbai and Pune). To accelerate progress, the program uses a ‘mentor city’ model where regional leaders like Bogota, Ho Chi Minh City and Addis Ababa provide peer-to-peer support to neighbouring municipalities.

Michael R. Bloomberg, said, “Road crashes don’t receive enough attention, even though they take a staggering toll on human life and health – and so many of the injuries and deaths are preventable. At Bloomberg Philanthropies, we’ve long recognized the urgency to improve road safety and the important role that improved cycling infrastructure can play. This major new investment will expand and accelerate the lifesaving progress we’ve made bringing proven interventions to streets around the world.”

The initiative which begin in 2007 has established a strong track record of measurable outcomes including nearly 900,000 lives saved through the passage of 190 policies.

Over 2,400 dangerous intersections redesigned and 200 miles of bike lanes built. Nearly 80,000 traffic police trained across 22 countries and anticipated reduction of 97,000 tons of CO2 emissions by 2040 through increased cycling.

The program will also produce the world’s first comprehensive guide for safe cycling infrastructure, establishing new international design standards to supplement the Global Street Design Guide.

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Caterham has developed a new Miami Special Edition, a track-only model set to debut during the upcoming race weekend in Miami. The lightweight, performance-focused vehicle will be presented to motorsport fans for the first time on 1st May on Race Street within the West Campus of the Miami International Autodrome.

The exterior of this limited-edition Seven features a bespoke Aqua custom paint finish, complemented by a distinctive decal pack in Vibrant Pink and White. The design is completed with the iconic Miami script and a silhouette of the circuit displayed on the rear of the car. Inside, the custom theme continues with the Miami script embroidered on the headrests, while a numbered plaque is mounted on the dashboard. Reflecting its hand-built origin, a second plaque in the engine bay carries the names and signatures of the two builders who assembled the car at Caterham’s UK factory.

Powered by a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre Ford Duratec engine producing 210 bhp at 7,600 rpm, the Miami Special Edition achieves a power-to-weight ratio of 375 bhp per tonne. Coupled with a five-speed manual gearbox, it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 136 mph (approximately 220 kmph). The Miami race weekend, known for its high energy, world-class entertainment and diverse audience of celebrities and industry leaders, provides a fitting backdrop. Caterham’s participation underscores its US market expansion, highlighted by the recent appointment of Miami’s Walt Grace Vintage as a dealer and a new partnership with Precision Drive Club, an invitation-only private driving and hospitality community based at the autodrome.

After the race weekend, enthusiasts will have the chance to own a piece of history, as 10 of the 12 examples produced will be available for purchase through Caterham’s U.S. dealer network. Pricing is available upon application.

Trevor Steel, Senior Vice President – Operations, Caterham Cars, said, “Miami has become a global hub for elite motorsport and luxury automotive culture, so to have this moment to unveil the Miami Special Edition is truly unique. This car represents the very best of lightweight British engineering, and seeing the car launched and on display at the race weekend will be a significant moment for our brand.”

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