Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies (ARACT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amara Raja Energy & Mobility (ARE&M), one of India’s leading battery manufacturers, has signed a technical licensing agreement with GIB EnergyX Slovakia, a subsidiary of Gotion High-Tech. As part of the agreement GIB EnergyX will license Gotion’s LFP technology for lithium-ion cells to ARACT.  

This agreement will enable Amara Raja to manufacture LFP cells in both cylindrical and prismatic form factors. The scope of licensing provides access to cell technology IP, support in establishing gigafactory facilities conforming to latest generation process technologies, integration with Gotion’s global supply chain network for critical battery materials, and customer technical support for solution deployment. 

The technology transfer and service support will fully complement Amara Raja’s efforts to operationalise its gigafactory manufacturing capacities and its advanced research and innovation centre, ‘ePositive Energy Labs’, that aims to lead India’s R&D capabilities in this field.  

Last year, Amara Raja announced an investment outlay of INR 95 billion to establish the Amara Raja Giga Corridor in the state of Telangana. The company aims to keep their products competitive and contemporary through access to continuous improvements in cell performance and process efficiencies through the partnership period.  

Amara Raja and Gotion are both shareholders and board members of InoBat, an emerging lithium battery technology company in Slovakia, tackling advanced applications such as electric aviation and developing a robust ‘Cradle to Cradle' ecosystem of battery value chain.  GIB, a joint venture between Gotion High-tech and InoBat, has recently signed an investment agreement with the Government of Slovakia for the development of the first LFP battery Gigafactory in the country.

At present, Gotion High-Tech has 8 global R&D centres, 8,000 patented technologies covering the battery industry value chain, 20 major manufacturing locations around the world, and a capacity layout expected to reach 300GWh by 2025.

Vikramadithya Gourineni, Executive Director, ARE&M said, “We are very excited to announce our deepening partnership with Gotion and InoBat. We have invested a lot of time and effort over the past few years to understand the global new energy landscape and made a calculated decision to be a part of the evolving lithium battery ecosystem through our investment in InoBat. Further collaborating with GIB through their ‘Global C2C Alliance’ brings us great confidence in reinforcing our technology and supply security. We are sure that this partnership will help us accelerate our efforts in establishing the Amara Raja Giga Corridor while Gotion's acumen lends significant customer credibility to our venture.”

Jayadev Galla, Chairman & MD, ARE&M added, “Last year's announcements on our investments in the new energy space are part of ushering in a new era we are calling Amara Raja 3.0. We firmly believe that India will be one of the fastest-growing EV markets, and that Gotion’s globally proven technology coupled with our three decades of expertise in the energy and mobility space will be a winning combination. During our history we have cultivated deep relationships with customers across all automotive and industrial battery applications who trust in Amara Raja to continually deliver best-in-class solutions for all their needs.  In Amara Raja 3.0, we will once again aid our customers as they navigate their own roles in the energy transition."

Steven Cai, Chairman, GIB EnergyX and Director, Gotion HighTech Co commented, “India is an exciting market with significant growth potential, and we deeply appreciate Amara Raja’s corporate values, success in Indian market with energy storage products and the strong customer relationships they have built over the years. Gotion has built strong competitive position with its product technology and Gigafactory manufacturing expertise over the years and continues to offer innovative solutions across the New Energy value chain. We are pleased with the partnership with Amara Raja to offer our LFP technology which should significantly benefit Indian customers in their energy transition journey.” 

The European Union voted in favour of imposing extra tariffs on China-made EVs by up to 45 percent on 4 October 2024. Threatening a broader trade conflict with a country that has already vowed to protect its companies and is considered as the factory of the world, the move has been criticised by the auto industry and various EU member states.

With growing demand for EU and China resolving their differences through dialogue, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade is known to express that it is opposed to be the move.

With the technical teams from China and the EU set to resume talks on 7 October 2024, the situation in EU as far as the auto OEMs like Volkswagen Group, Stellantis and BMW Group are concerned, there have been instances of profit warnings.  

Weak demand, rising costs, global competition, trade wars, geopolitical situations, subsidies and company-specific factors are among the reasons being underlined for the profit warnings by European automakers.

Receiving necessary support with 10 members backing the tariffs, 12 abstaining and five members – including Germany – voting against, the European Union, claim sources aware of the development, has been urged by the auto industry to negotiate with China for better terms and conditions rather than to reach the level were a trader war looks eminent.

Present in the China market for a decade or more, many European automakers seem to fear if the tariffs imposed on Chinese EVs will lead to negative consequences in that market for them.

Volkswagen is known to have said that the tariffs are ‘the wrong approach’. There is a need for the two sides to negotiate and find the middle way, mentioned an industry source in Germany in response to the tariffs by EU.

Image courtesy: EmDee (Wikipedia)

The Association of Indian Forging Industry (AIFI), the apex body representing the forging industry in the country has announced its new officer bearers for 2024-26. 

The committee has elected Yash Munot as the new President of AIFI, while S.  Ravishankar was elected as the Vice-President.

Munot, who succeeds Vikas Bajaj, had previously served as Vice-President of AIFI from 2020 to 2024, is now also the youngest to be appointed as the President in the organisation's history. 

He currently serves as the CEO at Varsha Forgings and the Managing Director at KCTR Varsha Automotive. Munot begun his journey in the forging industry in 2005 joining his family business - Varsha Forgings. He was also instrumental in organising major industry events like IFC 2011, Forgetech  India 2016, Asia Forge 2019 and ForgeTech India 2023. He has served as the Western Region Chairman from 2018 to 2020. 

“The forging sector in India is at a pivotal juncture, with tremendous opportunities for innovation and growth. Our focus will be on fostering collaboration within the industry, driving technological advancements and promoting sustainable practices. I am committed to working closely with all stakeholders to ensure that our industry not only thrives domestically but also strengthens and enhances its global footprint. Together, we will build on the strong foundation laid by my predecessors and strive for excellence in every aspect of our work," said Munot.

S Ravishankar added, “I will strive for advancing our industry’s progress and tackling the challenges presented by a rapidly changing global landscape. Our priorities will include boosting competitiveness, driving innovation and equipping our members for future opportunities. I look forward to embracing the exciting prospects ahead and contributing to AIFI’s continued success during this transformative era”

He (Ravishankar) currently serves as the MD at Super Auto Forge and has over 25 years of experience in the auto component manufacturing industry. He is a Manufacturing Engineer with Bachelors degree from Annamalai University and Masters degree from The Ohio State University.

It was in 1997, after working in Detroit for two years, Ravishankar returned to India and joined his family business at Super Auto Forge. He has been instrumental in developing the international business of SAF and led the initiative to establish marketing offices in Detroit in 2001, followed by Belgium in 2011. He has been the Chairman of Indo American Chamber of Commerce for the period 2008 – 2009 – Tamil Nadu Branch and currently serves on the Southern Regional Committee of ACMA since 2021.

Automechanika Frankfurt has cemented its position as the leading international trade fair for the automotive industry with the successful conclusion of Automechanika Frankfurt 2024. 

The slogan of this year’s Automechanika was ‘Driving Transformation’, with topics such as electrification, vehicle connectivity, driver assistance systems and digitalisation taking the centre stage. The fair was held from 10 to 14 September 2024 and saw 4,200 companies from 80 countries displaying their products and solutions for retail, workshops and industry. Spread over an area of 320,000 square metres and 26 hall levels, the event witnessed a total of 108,000 visitors from 172 countries.

Visitors had the chance to see cars with alternative drive systems up close, such as electric, hydrogen, and hybrid models, and even take a ride in the Future Mobility Park and the related expert forum Innovation4Mobility. For even more highlights, there were brand-new event types available, such as an exhilarating rally. Ninety-four percent of attendees, 70 percent of whom were foreign visitors, expressed satisfaction with the event, not just with the trade fair's offerings but also with their aims being met.

An emphasis on sustainable technologies, products and solutions was highlighted at Automechanika this year. Several talks on remanufacturing and circular economy tactics were held on the stage in the new Sustainability Court in Hall 5.0. This year also saw the opening of ‘Ambition’, a dedicated Gen Z section in Hall 3.1 with live acts, panel discussions and succinct, fascinating presentations to pique the interest of young people in the automotive professions. This action was taken as a result of the well-known lack of qualified workers in the automobile sector.

Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, commented, “Even in the midst of the digital transformation, the industry once again demonstrated its wealth of innovation, providing countless highlights over the course of the five-day event. Together with our exhibitors, we were able to find the right players to present the most important topics – including alternative drive systems, sustainability and the use of AI and robotics in the automotive aftermarket – on the stages and in the exhibition halls. We are also delighted by growing demand from both German and international visitors.”

Michael Johannes, Vice President Mobility & Logistics, Messe Frankfurt, said “Never before has Automechanika in Frankfurt had a supporting programme and range of events like this. Our roster of presentations and practical workshops covered a wide range of topics, including bodywork and paintwork, electric vehicles, commercial vehicles, caravan repair, 3D printing, detailing and much else besides. These were very well received by the professionals, and students and pupils took advantage of the opportunities on offer to find out for themselves what some of the automotive trades and professions are like. One of this year’s new additions was a programme and area devoted especially to Generation Z. We wanted to draw their attention to the professional opportunities that are available in the fascinating world of the automotive industry – and we were very successful.”

Castrol India, a leading lubricant manufacturer, has announced that it has achieved a significant sustainability milestone by increasing recycled content in its high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bottles to 50 percent. 

With this, the company aims to achieve 2,600 metric tonnes of annual recycled plastic usage in its packaging portfolio by 2024.

The step builds upon its previous actions to help make its packaging more sustainable, including the commercialisation of 100 percent recycled bottles for POWER1 range in 2022 and the incorporation of 30 percent recycled content across its entire bottle packaging in 2023.

This latest change aligns seamlessly with Castrol’s global PATH360 strategy, which aims to reduce its plastic footprint by half by 2030.

Sandeep Sangwan, MD, Castrol India said, “We are proud to announce this milestone in our journey towards more sustainable packaging. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who have overcome challenges to develop packaging solutions that meet our high standards for quality and aesthetics.”

In addition to packaging, Castrol India aims to have more sustainable manufacturing practices. The company’s production facilities utilise energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources to seek to reduce its operational greenhouse gas emissions.