The phase I and II of the plant, set up investing INR 400 crore, will boost its capabilities to serve customers across sectors including flexible packaging, automotive, agriculture and construction equipment, general industry and metals. The plant which will cater to the local and export markets employs 300 people. The phase III and IV will be launched later at an estimated cost of INR 400 crore.

“India is one of the most important emerging markets with tremendous growth opportunities for our adhesives business,” Jan-Dirk Auris, Member of the Management Board and Executive Vice President, Adhesive Technologies business unit, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, said. “We have application experts across manufacturing industries worldwide and work closely with our customers and partners. Our trusted brands and leading solutions based on our unmatched portfolio of 40 technologies create sustainable value for our customers. With the launch of this state-of-the-art, multi-technology manufacturing facility, we have created capacities to meet the demand for our high impact solutions in this dynamic market. This investment will enable us to further drive profitable growth,” he added.

Momentum in megatrends in the automotive sector will fuel demand for the company’s adhesive products, which help reduce vehicle’s weight. “Electric and connected vehicles need more adhesives than IC engine vehicles. We will continue to bring out products and solutions based on consumer demand and suitable for the new mobility, connectivity and sustainability,” Auris said.

The new plant is part of Henkel’s big bet on the emerging markets. Half of its total sales of USD 20 billion is from them. “India is the largest among the top 3 emerging markets. We believe tremendous demand will come from India for adhesives in the next decade. Henkel’s products are ‘invisible but essential’ and work as enablers for its consumers to improve efficiency and quality. Being a highly impactful solutions supplier, we also need to manage the risks,” he said.

Smart Factory

The Kurkumbh site is equipped with technologies to ensure traceability and transparency by ensuring built-in quality. End-to-end digitalisation of the plant operations has enabled digitised workflows; thus, making manufacturing more efficient. It deploys closed material handling systems and high level of process automation. For the first time, as a global pilot in Henkel, the site has implemented deep integration of process automation with Smart Factory (Industry 4.0).

 The site meets the highest standards of sustainability. It is among the very few chemical manufacturing sites to be awarded the LEED Gold Certificate by the US Green Building Council based on a holistic energy efficiency concept.  About 10 percent of its power consumption comes from captive solar energy and 16 percent of the annual water requirement is met by rainwater harvesting. Air and waste water discharges are monitored online.

Shilip Kumar, President, Henkel India, said, “We will continue to invest in local manufacturing as it gives our Adhesive Technologies business in India a strategic advantage. The Kurkumbh manufacturing site is a very important milestone of Henkel’s journey in India. This site will not only cater to the Indian market but also markets in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. As market leaders in this industry, our focus is to offer high impact solutions to our customers and convert latent market potential into profitable growth.”

Henkel Adhesive Technologies is a global leader in adhesives, sealants and functional coatings. The business unit serves around 130,000 customers in over 800 industrial areas with tailor-made products and technologies used in a wide array of consumer goods and industrial products. (MT)

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Chinese technology company Neusoft Corporation and Mappls MapmyIndia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to leverage their strengths in software and data resources to collaborate deeply.

The companies will engage in joint technological development, ecosystem collaboration and resource integration to provide navigation products and intelligent mobility solutions tailored to localised needs in emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and India.

The partnership is a response to the fact that while global auto brands are expanding into Southeast Asia and India, they face challenges in these regions due to complex road conditions, unique traffic rules, extensive addressing systems and high localisation adaptation costs. These issues limit the ability of automakers to deliver a complete intelligent user experience.

Under the collaboration, Neusoft will adopt its OneCoreGo Global Intelligent Mobility Solution 6.0 Plus as the core technology carrier, deeply integrating MapmyIndia's map data, real-time traffic information and multi-dimensional value-added services. MapmyIndia is noted as the largest local mapping company in India, holding more than 90 percent market share in in-vehicle navigation.

The integration is intended to strengthen a full capability loop of ‘navigation + payment + interaction + connectivity + operations’.

Through API integration and technological convergence, the two parties will jointly develop navigation products and mobility solutions highly adapted to Southeast Asia, India and similar regional markets. These solutions will deliver precise route planning and real-time traffic guidance, address local user needs and continuously enhance product experience and scenario-based services. This will help automotive partners rapidly launch intelligent vehicle models with competitiveness in local markets.

The partnership enables Neusoft to combine the global end-to-end strengths of its solution with localised ecosystem resources, paving the ‘last mile’ for automakers entering the Southeast Asian and Indian markets and delivering comprehensive intelligent mobility experiences.

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Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker Ultraviolette Automotive has secured USD 45 million from Zoho Corporation and Lingotto, one of Europe's investment management companies as part of its ongoing Series E investment round.

The investment from Zoho Corporation was led by Sridhar Vembu, Mani Vembu and Kumar Vembu.

This growth capital will accelerate the domestic and international scale-up of current products F77 and X-47, as well as future product platforms Shockwave and Tesseract.

Ultraviolette has built a design and technology-led enterprise with the F77 and the recently launched X-47.

The company has expanded to 30 cities across India in a short span of 12 months and is expanding to 100 cities by mid-2026. The F77 motorcycles were recently launched in the United Kingdom, bringing Ultraviolette's presence to 12 countries across Europe.

Narayan Subramaniam, Co-Founder & CEO, Ultraviolette Automotive, said, “We are glad to announce our Series E investment from Zoho and Lingotto. Lingotto's legacy of backing iconic performance and mobility brands, combined with Zoho's long-term commitment to fostering cutting-edge Indian innovation, aligns perfectly with Ultraviolette's mission to build category-defining electric mobility solutions for India and global markets.”

Niraj Rajmohan, CTO & Co-Founder, Ultraviolette, said, "With the ongoing Series E investments, we are doubling down on growth and expanding our production to meet increasing demand. Our focus is on advancing breakthrough battery technology, elevating performance capabilities and expanding production to support upcoming product platforms. This investment will accelerate our journey towards scaling into India and global markets."

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Agentic AI platform Disseqt AI has announced a partnership with Tata Technologies and Infosys. As per the agreement, Disseqt AI will assist both companies' IT and DevOps teams in developing and fast-tracking the production of tailored Agentic AI applications for automobile and FinTech companies globally.

The partnership aims to help auto and FinTech firms embrace customised Agentic AI faster and in a secure manner.

Disseqt AI, which has operations in Bengaluru, San Francisco and Dublin, provides an enterprise-grade platform for IT and DevOps teams. The company claims its platform cuts down Agentic AI testing and operations cost by 70 percent and improves productivity by up to 80 percent. The platform allows these teams to test, simulate and monitor their Agentic AI systems tailored across industries, ultimately enabling enterprises to operationalise tailored Agentic AI faster and at scale, without sacrificing ethics, governance and compliance.

Apoorva Kumar, Founder and CEO, Disseqt AI, said, “This is a landmark announcement for us as we further embed Disseqt into enterprise workflows for testing, simulation, monitoring and auditability purposes. We are already working closely with both Tata and Infosys on several projects and are proud to be part of their innovation initiatives”

Last month, Disseqt AI announced a strategic collaboration with HCLTech and Microsoft to guide financial services institutions with Agentic AI adoption.

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Battery and Energy Storage Europe has announced a programme focused on the EU Battery Passport, a regulatory milestone that becomes mandatory in February 2027. The Barcelona-based event will address the compliance gap for applications beyond the electric vehicle (EV) sector, which have dominated the conversation to date.

The event, taking place on 8th and 9th September 2026 at Fira de Barcelona's Gran Via venue, will focus on solutions and talks for applications that fall within the regulation's scope: stationary energy storage, industrial batteries, grid-scale systems, long-duration energy storage and emerging applications in aerospace, maritime and rail electrification.

With the February 2027 legal requirement date approaching, the programme will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, and policy experts to address the compliance challenges facing these diverse sectors.

The Battery Passport is a digital record documenting a battery's entire lifecycle, from raw material sourcing to production, performance and eventual recycling. From February 2027, it becomes mandatory for all rechargeable EV, industrial and LMT batteries over 2 kWh sold in the EU.

Linked via QR code, the passport will track each battery's complete lifecycle, including composition, carbon footprint and recycled content, fundamentally transforming supply chain transparency and sustainability practices across Europe.

The programme will explore implementation topics including digital infrastructure requirements, data management systems, supply chain integration, verification processes and recycling traceability.

Ken Davies, Conference Programme Director at Battery and Energy Storage Europe, said, "The Battery Passport represents one of the most significant regulatory shifts our industry has faced, yet many companies are still grappling with what implementation actually means for their operations. While the EV sector has dominated the conversation, there's a critical need to address how this regulation applies to stationary storage, industrial applications and the innovative battery technologies powering Europe's energy transition. With the clock ticking toward February 2027, Battery and Energy Storage Europe will shine a light on the practical implementation requirements for these often-overlooked sectors, connecting stakeholders with actionable solutions and bringing together the expertise, technology providers, and collaborative spirit needed to turn compliance into competitive advantage across the full spectrum of battery applications."

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