Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company, hosted ‘Zinnovation 2026’ in partnership with V-Spark DeepTech Ventures. The company aims to achieve INR 20 billion in value delivery through AI-driven industrial transformation. The initiative focuses on accelerating the deployment of technology across mining, smelting and manufacturing operations.

The projected value is expected to be derived from several operational areas, including productivity improvement, cost optimisation, asset reliability and energy efficiency. The transformation also targets enhanced safety, improved mineral recoveries and accelerated decision-making across the company's mines and smelters.

V-Spark intends to extend these AI use cases to the broader manufacturing sector, which currently contributes 17 percent to India’s GDP but maintains lower levels of digital integration compared to other sectors.

During the event, Hindustan Zinc and V-Spark signed several agreements to move technologies from proof-of-concept to industrial scale –

• Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with XCMG, Sandvik, STL Digital and AVEVA.
• V-Spark entered agreements with emerging firms, including Beta Tanks Robotics, Symboticware AI, Kernely, Uncharted Technologies, Infinite Uptime, Intellisense.io and Flutura.
• Hindustan Zinc is currently working with over 50 deep-tech startups on more than 100 projects through the V-Spark platform.

Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc, said, “The future of manufacturing will be defined by our ability to scale with intelligence. At Hindustan Zinc, we are embedding technology directly into the core of our operations to prove that an industry traditionally defined by grit can be led by data”.

Akarsh Hebbar, Chairman, V-Spark DeepTech Ventures, added, “Zinnovation reflects our commitment to moving innovation from pilots to performance, proving that a 3x to 4x return is a highly achievable reality for deep tech AI enterprises. This is how we create globally benchmarked, future-ready operations across industries.”

The forum highlighted specific industrial applications of AI, such as predictive maintenance, digital twins, autonomous systems and computer vision. Hindustan Zinc also demonstrated its existing digital capabilities, including tele-remote operations and a winder simulator for mining. The venture-client approach utilised by the company is designed to rapidly validate and scale technologies with measurable business impact.

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Chennai-headquartered two-wheeler and three-wheeler major TVS Motor Company has reached a new production milestone with the rollout of the one-millionth TVS iQube electric scooter from its manufacturing facility in Hosur.

This achievement, reached six years after the model's 2020 launch, highlights the adoption of electric two-wheelers in the Indian market.

The company said that the iQube community has achieved significant metrics since the model’s introduction, including covering 14.94 billion kilometres, 522,969 tonnes of CO2 saved, which translates to nearly plantation of 20.9 million trees.

The iQube portfolio has expanded since 2020 to include various battery capacities, range options and connectivity features. TVS Motor Co has supported this growth through a service and sales network consisting of more than 3,300 touchpoints across 3,000 cities.

Sudarshan Venu, Chairman, TVS Motor Company, said, “The rollout of one million TVS iQubes reflects the scale at which electric mobility is becoming part of everyday life in India. The milestone is built on years of investment in engineering, innovation and manufacturing capabilities that have enabled us to build world-class electric mobility solutions designed and manufactured in India for the world.”

The company credits this milestone to its focus on in-house R&D and manufacturing, noting that the iQube serves as a central element of its strategy to support India's transition to sustainable, self-reliant mobility.

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Solaris, a leading European bus manufacturer, has opened a production hall in Sroda Wielkopolska, which further supplements the company’s manufacturing operations, including a welding plant established in the area in 1998.

The 7,000-square-metre facility is dedicated to the assembly of city buses. Previously, this stage occurred only in Bolechowo, but production will now take place at both sites. This development increases production capacity by 500 vehicles per year, bringing the firm closer to a target of 2,000 vehicles annually. The project has created 300 jobs, with additional roles generated in the supply chain.

In 2025, Solaris delivered 1,631 vehicles, of which 86 percent were battery-electric, hydrogen or trolleybus models.

The company is supplying the buses to its customers in the United States and Canada and plans to further expand its intercity bus range in Europe.

Agata Standa, CEO, Solaris, said, “We are investing in expanding our production capacity and product portfolio to meet the growing demand for sustainable transport in Europe and in new markets.”

Solaris has secured 47 hectares of land in Sroda Wielkopolska for a second facility dedicated to intercity buses, which is scheduled to reach operational status in 2029.

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Chinese new energy vehicle company NIO has announced that on 22 June 2026, the World Economic Forum (WEF) officially designated NIO Factory Two (NIO F2) as a member of its Global Lighthouse Network (GLN). This recognition highlights NIO’s success in deploying Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies at scale.

The WEF selection process, conducted in partnership with McKinsey & Company, evaluated NIO F2 on its ability to integrate advanced digital and AI-driven systems. NIO was specifically recognised for:

• Integrated Ecosystem: Developing a real-time, closed-loop system that connects in-vehicle AI, battery swap networks and a digital twin platform.
• Operational Efficiency: The factory manages over 3.6 million vehicle configurations, which has successfully accelerated speed-to-market by 44 percent.
• R&D Automation: The implementation of advanced systems has allowed for the automation of 90 percent of R&D workflows.
• AI-Driven Decision Making: Approximately 80 percent of manufacturing scenarios at the facility are now supported by AI-driven decision-making, leveraging a mix of industrial AI algorithms and in-house developed foundation models.

NIO F2 is a fully digitalised smart factory located in the Xinqiao Industrial Park. Prior to this international recognition, the site earned several domestic accolades, including the National Green Factory awarded by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the Super Automotive Factory designated by the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC).

Beyond its technical achievements, the factory maintains an open-engagement policy. Since 2018, NIO’s assembly plants have hosted nearly 300,000 global visitors, aiming to showcase the advancements in China’s intelligent manufacturing ecosystem.

NIO intends to use the GLN standards as a benchmark for its future manufacturing systems, continuing the integration of AI to set new standards in intelligent EV production.

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EKA Mobility, a leading Indian electric commercial vehicle manufacturer, has announced the rollout of its 1,000th small commercial vehicle (SCV) from its manufacturing facility in Chakan, Pune.

Backed by global and domestic investors – including VDL Groep (Netherlands), Mitsui & Co. (Japan), NIIF India-Japan Fund, and Enam Holdings – the company operates as a Champion OEM under the Government of India's Auto PLI Scheme.

To mark the milestone, EKA Mobility organised two high-profile vehicle handovers highlighting local community integration and international diplomatic ties:

• Local Delivery: The 1,000th vehicle, an EKA 6S, was officially presented to the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Trust, one of Pune’s prominent charitable institutions. The EKA 6S is India's first steering-wheel passenger electric three-wheeler featuring a driver plus six-seater capacity configuration. The trust will deploy the EV within its community service and humanitarian operations.
• International Diplomatic Delivery: The company handed over an EKA 3S electric three-wheeler to Marisa Gerards, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to India. The handover highlights EKA's bilateral connection with the Netherlands, which is home to its strategic engineering and industrial partner, VDL Groep.

The Chakan plant serves as EKA Mobility's primary industrial hub for SCV and truck production. It currently has an installed production capacity of 24,000 commercial vehicles per year. The site employs more than 1,000 people and features an on-site research and development centre staffed by over 400 engineers and designers.

Under its EvolutioNARI initiative, EKA Mobility has established an all-women-led assembly line specifically dedicated to its SCV production, focusing on diversity within the automotive manufacturing sector.

Furthermore, EKA Mobility is currently the only domestic OEM offering a full-stack commercial EV portfolio spanning three-wheelers, SCVs, buses and trucks. The company's assembly footprint is scaling across three distinct locations – Chakan, Pune, plant has an annual capacity to manufacture 24,000 SCVs and trucks. Koregaon, Pune, can manufacture 15,000 e-buses and upcoming Pithampur plant in Madhya Pradesh, which will have a combined manufacturing capacity of 4,000 buses.

Dr. Sudhir Mehta, Founder & Chairman, EKA Mobility, said, “The 1,000th SCV rolling off our Chakan facility is not merely a production number; it is proof of what Indian engineering, innovation, and determination can achieve. It reflects years of perseverance and a shared belief that India can emerge as a global leader in sustainable mobility through world-class products designed and manufactured at home. As we celebrate this achievement on World Environment Day, we are reminded that our purpose extends beyond manufacturing vehicles. We are building solutions that help businesses operate more sustainably, reduce environmental impact, improve everyday mobility, and contribute to a cleaner future for generations to come.”

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