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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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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Moove, a mobility fintech – revenue-based vehicle financing and financial services to mobility entrepreneurs globally, has raised USD 250 million in a Series C funding round, bringing its valuation to USD 2.1 billion. The round was led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s Growth Fund and Ion Pacific.

The funding round also included investments from BlueCrest Capital Management, Sona Asset Management and The Raptor Group, joining existing investors such as BlackRock, MUFG, Franklin Templeton, Uber, Left Lane, Silverbacks Holdings, Square Associates, The Latest Ventures, Endeavor Catalyst and the Ontario Power Generation Pension Plan.

The company plans to use the capital to expand its autonomous vehicle business, fund fleet ownership and construct ‘Nests’ depot infrastructure for charging, servicing and maintaining autonomous vehicles. The capital will also support new market launches globally. Moove projects its autonomous vehicle workforce will grow from approximately 150 employees to around 500 by the end of the year.

Since its launch in 2020, Moove has grown to employ 3,300 people across 29 cities in 13 countries, operating approximately 42,000 vehicles and reaching USD 420 million in annualised recurring revenue. The company has expanded through organic operations and acquisitions, including Kovi in Brazil and Tokyo Taxi in Japan. In the autonomous vehicle sector, Moove works as a third-party fleet operator in partnership with Waymo, running operations in Phoenix and Miami, with planned expansion to London.

Ladi Delano, Co-Founder, Co-CEO and Advisory Board Chairman, Moove, said, “Every major technology revolution becomes an infrastructure race. The internet required data centres. AI required compute. Autonomy requires fleets, charging, maintenance, data systems and 24/7 operations in every city - and that is what Moove is building. In our view, as autonomy scales, infrastructure ownership and operations will define the category leaders. We are building to be one of them. We started in Lagos with a simple insight: mobility demand is abundant, but supply cannot scale unless capital, technology and operations move together. Five years later, that insight has evolved into a global platform. Today, we are focused on building the platform that will redefine mobility and enable billions of autonomous journeys worldwide. From our anchor in the UAE, and backed by long-term strategic capital, Moove now has the platform to help take autonomy from breakthrough technology to everyday transportation. This is not a departure from our mission, it is the fullest expression of it.”

Ali Eid AlMheiri, Executive Director of Diversified Assets, UAE Investments Platform at Mubadala, said, “As autonomous mobility moves from innovation to scaled deployment, the infrastructure supporting it becomes increasingly important. Moove is building an integrated operating platform that combines fleet ownership, operational capability, and technology to support the next phase of growth in autonomous mobility. This is particularly important for the UAE. Mubadala is investing in enabling infrastructure and scalable platforms like Moove that support economic diversification and strengthen the UAE’s role as a hub for advanced technologies. Since Mubadala’s initial investment three years ago, Moove has been a great partner and we are glad to continue partnering with Moove in its next phase of growth.”

Betty Lee, Principal at Woven Capital, said, "Moove has demonstrated an exceptional ability to execute across markets, building a global platform across traditional and autonomous vehicle fleets. The next wave of mobility is an infrastructure problem as much as a software one, and Moove is building the foundational layer to solve it. Few companies at this stage have proven they can move with the speed and operational excellence that Moove has demonstrated across so many markets. We’re excited to be part of what they are building and help accelerate their path as they scale."

Michael Joseph, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Ion Pacific, said, “We’ve partnered with the Moove team for more than five years, and their execution has consistently impressed us. As autonomous mobility moves from possibility to reality, Moove is building a critical infrastructure layer for the sector - one that is complex, adaptive and essential to scaling AVs. We’re excited to be part of that journey.”

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