Toyota Kirloskar Motor, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced that building on the success of its A Behavioural Change Demonstration (ABCD) initiative, it is now expanding the program to an additional 400 government schools in Raichur district for FY2024-25 and FY2025-26.

This program has already been successfully implemented in 100 schools over the past two years, positively impacting more than 26,000 students. The initiative will now benefit over 68,000 students in this next phase.

The program’s expansion officially commenced today with a one-day orientation session for the headmasters of the participating schools, held at the Krishi Vigyana Kendra (KVK) in Raichur. The orientation was inaugurated by Nitish K, IAS, Deputy Commissioner of Raichur, who was the Chief Guest at the occasion. This session was aimed at equipping the headmasters with tools and strategies to effectively deliver the program’s hygiene and sanitation curriculum.

As part of the program, TKM will actively promote essential hygiene practices among students through a series of training sessions that focus on handwashing, sanitation practices, water conservation, waste management, and personal hygiene.

Additionally, the program will provide sanitary pads to 24,000 adolescent girls till March 2026. This initiative aims to ensure effective menstrual hygiene management and support young women in their health and well-being, empowering them to take charge of their menstrual health and advocate for their needs. Through this project, essential sanitation supplies, including buckets, mugs, cleaning agents, handwashing soap, and mopping items will be provided to support hygiene maintenance.

Beyond hygiene education, the program aims to strengthen school cabinets and School Development and Monitoring Committees (SDMCs), empower students to advocate for better sanitation, and encourage families to build household toilets where needed. Community engagement will also play a pivotal role, with awareness campaigns, video demonstrations, and annual quiz and drawing competitions to reinforce the lessons learned in schools.

Nitish K said, “Education today is not just about academic excellence but about nurturing responsible, aware citizens who understand the importance of health and hygiene. The ABCD program by Toyota Kirloskar Motor is a shining example of how private enterprises can meaningfully contribute to community well-being. By teaching essential sanitation and hygiene practices to young minds, the program creates a foundation for healthier, more resilient communities. It’s heartening to see Toyota's commitment to expanding this initiative further into Raichur, reaching thousands of students and families. We look forward to the transformative outcomes this program will bring.”

Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs & Governance, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “At Toyota Kirloskar Motor, we believe that true progress is driven by collective responsibility, and our ABCD program stands as a testament to this. The success of our first phase has encouraged us to scale up our efforts and reach an additional 400 schools in Raichur. We remain deeply committed to supporting the Swachh Bharat mission by promoting hygiene education and sustainable practices. Through this expanded initiative, we aim to not only improve sanitation in schools but also foster a culture of awareness and positive change across the community.”

Launched in 2015, the ABCD program begin its focus in Karnataka, especially in the Ramanagara district. By 2019, the initiative had reached 1,004 schools, benefiting 58,000 students and positively impacting 430,000 community members. Following its revitalisation in August 2023, the program continues to align with the national ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ mission, contributing to India’s ongoing efforts to improve sanitation and hygiene.

Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co, which has been under pressure on the back of dwindling sales, is set to restructure its leadership team to create a lean, flat structure, which it believes will enable to respond flexibly and quickly to changes in the business environment.

From 1 January 2025, Stephen Ma, currently CFO, will take over the role of Chairperson of Management Committee for China. He will continue to report to Makoto Uchida, CEO, Nissan Motor Co.

Jeremie Papin will succeed Ma, from his current role as the Chairperson of the Management Committee for Americas.

Christian Meunier will join Nissan as chairperson of the Management Committee for Americas. He will report to Guillaume Cartier, chief performance officer (CPO).

Asako Hoshino, who currently serves as Chief Brand & Customer Officer (CBCO) and Chairperson of the Management Committee for Japan/ASEAN, is set to retire from her role overseeing Japan/ASEAN operations.

Shohei Yamazaki will take over as the Chairperson of the Management Committee for Japan/ASEAN from her current role as chairperson of the Management Committee for China.

Makoto Uchida, President and CEO, Nissan, said: “These leadership appointments will bring the necessary experience and urgency to the countermeasures we are taking to get the company back on track. With the support of our leadership team, we will carefully execute our turnaround actions to secure sustainable profits while focusing on future growth."

Maruti Suzuki India, one of the leading passenger vehicles manufacturers in the country, has inaugurated the 500th Nexa Service touchpoint in Mapusa Goa.

First introduced in July 2017, the Nexa Service workshop supports Maruti Suzuki India’s premium product offerings. The company currently sells the Invicto, Grand Vitara, Jimny, Fronx, XL6, Ciaz, Baleno and Ignis under the Nexa brand.

Hisashi Takechi, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “At Maruti Suzuki, we strongly believe in the ‘customers first’ philosophy and our aim is to consistently deliver convenience and superior car ownership experience to our customers. One way is by reaching closer to our customers so that they have assurance of finding a Maruti Suzuki service touchpoint nearby.”

 “Going forward as we plan to substantially increase our annual production and sales, we will simultaneously strengthen our Service network. Our plan is to expand our Service network, including ARENA and NEXA service touchpoints, from current about 5,240 to 8,000 by FY 2030-31,” added Takechi.

JSW MG Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicles manufacturers in the country, has revealed that its upcoming electric roadster the MG Cyberster will be India’s first-ever passenger vehicle to sport ‘electric scissor doors’.

The upcoming MG Cyberster will be unveiled next month and is a reimagination of the classic MG B Roadster from the 1960s.

The electric scissor doors featured on the MG Cyberster will operate just using a single-touch button across the interior console, key fob and each door in a rapid 5-second open and shut time. The company claims that the doors are engineered to ensure safety and are equipped with dual radar sensors on each door to ensure protection sideways and upwards while opening. It is also clubbed with an anti-pinch bounce back feature ensuring safety for the consumer while closing the door.

The MG Cyberster will be the first model to be sold by JSW MG Motor India, under the MG Select brand channel. The premium brand will first available through exclusive experience centres in 12 cities.

Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), one of the leading passenger vehicles manufacturers, has announced its ambition to set up 600 public electric vehicle fast charging stations in the next seven years.

This will be in addition to the 50 public fast charging stations that the company will establish by end-2024. The EV chargers can be accessed through Hyundai Motor India’s myHundai app, which also provides access to around 10,000 partner EV charging stations like ChargeZone, Statiq and Shell India among others in the country.

Jae Wan Ryu, Function Head – Corporate Planning, Hyundai Motor India, said, “The EV market is expected to grow robustly by 2030. Studies conducted by HMIL have highlighted that customers are apprehensive about driving their EVs for long-distance commutes on highways due to a lack of charging infrastructure. Keeping this in mind, HMIL has taken the initiative of installing fast EV chargers on key highways, in addition to major cities. With access to HMC's global EV and battery technology, HMIL is well-positioned to build a comprehensive EV ecosystem in India. We are actively investing in infrastructure to support the expected growth in demand for electric vehicles."

To date, HMIL's charging network has facilitated approximately 50,000 charging sessions, dispensing over 730,000 units of energy to more than 10,000 Hyundai and non-Hyundai EV customers.

The Korean automaker has also signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government to set up 100 EV charging stations across the state by 2027.

HMIL's EV charging stations will be strategically located in major cities such as Gurugram, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Chennai. Furthermore, the company will expand its charging network on major highways, including Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Jaipur, Hyderabad-Vijayawada, Mumbai-Pune, Mumbai-Surat, Bengaluru-Pune, and Pune-Kolhapur.