Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle maker, is gearing up to mark its entry into the electric vehicle segment with the soon-to-be-introduced e Vitara has announced an EV ecosystem with a comprehensive end-to-end digital platform for charging needs, including home and public charging, with an integrated payment journey.

The company has signed collaboration agreements with 13 Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and aggregators to provide seamless charging experiences on a single platform.

Maruti Suzuki has established a network of over 2,000 exclusive charging points across its nationwide dealer network, spanning more than 1,100 cities. Customers’ charging needs are further supported by the extensive partner-operated all-India charging network.

Aligned with its global vision, Maruti Suzuki will work with its partners to enable more than 100,000 Public Charging Points by 2030.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “At Maruti Suzuki, we strive to extend a delightful ownership experience to our customers to build lasting trust. Today, we are taking a historic step, as we enter the domain of electric mobility with full readiness to address the EV charging concerns and boost customer confidence. We have established a robust network of over 2,000 Maruti Suzuki exclusive charging points across our sales and service network, spanning more than 1,100 cities. Further, we have collaborated with 13 Charge Point Operators to offer access to a vast charging infrastructure across the country. Aligned with Suzuki’s global vision, we plan to introduce multiple EVs and to support this, our aim is to enable a network of over 1 lakh charging points across India by 2030, along with our Dealer and CPO partners.”

'E for Me' Digital Platform

The Maruti Suzuki ‘e for me’ EV charging mobile app enables end-to-end usage of EV charging points from partner-operated charging points and Maruti Suzuki’s own network on a single platform.

The app offers a uniform customer journey for EV charging and payment through UPI or exclusive ‘Maruti Suzuki Money’, powered by Razorpay.

The platform's functions include:

• Locate, Pay & Use EV charging points available on the app.
• Use Public and Smart Home Charger from the same app.
• One card for ‘Tap N Charge’ functionality at Maruti Suzuki dealer outlets and home charger.
• Mirror e for me app on the infotainment system for seamless in-car EV charging experience.
• Remotely start/stop and manage the power output of the smart home charger.

Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Today is the dawn of a new era for electric mobility in India. It gives me immense pleasure to say that Maruti Suzuki is EV ready and will be ‘By Your Side’ with our comprehensive new platform that addresses key concerns around EV charging infrastructure. Leveraging India’s largest dealer network and our charging partners’ network, we are ensuring there are EV charging points at an average distance of 5-10 kilometres at key locations in the top 100 cities of India. DC fast chargers are also located at regular intervals along key highways to enable nationwide driving freedom for our prospective EV customers. To further enhance peace of mind, we have deployed a 1.5 lakh-strong specially-trained EV workforce to cater to every need of our customers. We have also activated 1500+ EV-ready service workshops across 1100 cities for meeting after-sales requirements to support EV ownership in every part of the country.”

To showcase the network readiness, four e VITARAs were flagged off from Gurugram in all four directions – Srinagar (North), Kanyakumari (South), Bhuj (West) and Dibrugarh (East) – as a part of the ‘e drive’.

The e Vitara Born EV, which is ‘Made-in-India and exported around the world,’ has been rigorously tested over 10 million test kilometres. Tested from ‘Sand to Snow’ over a temperature spectrum of 60deg Celsius to -30deg Celsius, the e Vitara has delivered a driving range of 543 km.

Banerjee added: “Words aside, we are showcasing the prowess of this platform by flagging off a radical ‘e drive’ that will demonstrate the real-world efficacy of Maruti Suzuki’s comprehensive EV charging network. With the ‘e drive’, we aim to boost user confidence and execute faster EV adoption, working alongside the nation’s sustainability goals for net zero.”

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Japanese automakers Nissan Motor Co and Honda Motor Co have entered into a joint development agreement to standardise electronic control units (ECUs) alongside the in-vehicle operating system, middleware and vehicle control software for next-generation software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

The electrical and electronic architecture incorporating the standardised components is scheduled for deployment in next-generation SDVs produced by both companies from fiscal year 2029 onward. The initiative forms part of a strategic partnership between the two automakers targeting carbon neutrality and traffic safety goals.

As per the agreement, Nissan and Honda will establish common technical specifications for multiple core ECUs within the vehicle architecture. The joint development program encompasses the in-vehicle operating system layer along with key elements of the middleware and vehicle control software.

The collaboration is designed to combine engineering resources to increase development speed and achieve investment efficiencies. The partners to reduce individual research and development costs while generating economies of scale across their vehicle lineups by standardising foundational software and hardware layers.

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LG Innotek has expanded its partnership with Zoox to supply camera modules for the serial production of its purpose-built robotaxis. The agreement marks an extension of the multi-year relationship between the two companies as Zoox scales up its autonomous vehicle manufacturing.

It was last year, Zoox opened a serial production facility in Hayward, California, to manufacture its robotaxis and launched a ride-hailing service in Las Vegas.

As per the agreement, LG Innotek will supply high-resolution automotive cameras as part of the robotaxi's sensor suite, which provides 360-degree coverage through overlapping fields of view.

The camera modules feature five fields of view depending on their mounting positions across the vehicle. Built with optical design technology adapted from mobile camera modules, the units are waterproofed to operate under varied environmental conditions. The components are currently being fitted to Zoox robotaxis as part of the vehicle's core perception hardware system.

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Gabriel India, the listed flagship company of Anand Group, has entered into a joint venture with South Korea-based HL Klemove to acquire a 30 percent minus one share stake in HL Klemove India for USD 98.44 million (INR 9.35 billion).

The joint venture will focus on the development, manufacturing and commercialisation of autonomous driving components, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and automotive electronics.

The product portfolio includes radar, front cameras, LiDAR, automated driving and parking control units with embedded ADAS software, brake electronic control units, steering electronic control units, chassis control units and torque sensors.

Jaisal Singh, Vice-Chairman, Anand Group, said, “As a key growth engine of the Anand Group, Gabriel India is focused on building scale, enhancing competitiveness, and broadening its presence across high-growth automotive segments. Our latest joint venture with HL Klemove represents a strategic step forward in this endeavour.”

Anjali Singh, Executive Chairperson of Anand Group and Gabriel India, said, “Bolstering our position across critical automotive systems while expanding our participation in future-oriented mobility and automotive technology segments, this new JV for autonomous driving and automotive electronics marks an important inflection point, enabling Gabriel India to further diversify its portfolio and strengthen its participation in emerging mobility segments.”

Mahendra K Goyal, Group CEO, Anand and Managing Director of Gabriel India, said, “Beyond unlocking new opportunities for growth, this collaboration will foster deeper OEM engagement, expand our participation in future mobility solutions and create enduring value for all stakeholders.”

The investment aligns with Gabriel India’s strategy to expand into automotive sectors, following previous joint ventures in sunroofs, lubricants, electric vehicle fluids and precision fasteners.

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CarYaar Auto Private Limited, a DPIIT-recognised technology startup, has announced the appointment of Sahaib Singh as its new Co-Founder and Head of Technology. The company, which operates within India’s fragmented car servicing ecosystem, is focused on integrating transparency and digital trust into the automotive aftermarket. Singh’s arrival marks a pivotal moment for the firm as it works to expand its technological infrastructure and formalize a sector traditionally characterised by informal practices.

Bringing over a decade of experience as a full-stack technologist across mobility, freight and artificial intelligence platforms, Singh will now spearhead the company’s technology strategy and product development. His leadership comes at a critical juncture as CarYaar advances its integrated digital platform, which aims to seamlessly connect car owners, workshops and other stakeholders within the automotive service network. The company is prioritising practical solutions over complex enterprise systems, developing a mobile-first, offline-capable and WhatsApp-native interface to ensure accessibility for multi-brand workshops and customers alike.

Under Singh’s technical direction, the platform is being tailored to serve three distinct user groups with specific operational tools. Workshops are equipped with digital job cards, photo-based inspections, parts tracking and billing systems, while service advisors and managers receive web-based applications for estimate creation and analytics. For car owners, the service enables booking, real-time job tracking and digital payments through WhatsApp, eliminating the need for a separate application. The overarching goal is to use technology not merely to digitise existing processes but to fundamentally enhance the relationship between vehicle owners and service providers.

CarYaar’s model emphasises transparency through features such as real-time photo documentation, pre-approved estimates and digital billing, offering customers clear visibility into their vehicle’s service journey. Currently operating with a network of certified empanelled workshops in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the startup is actively building a broader technology-enabled ecosystem that includes multi-brand services, roadside assistance and spares management. This strategic expansion reinforces the company’s commitment to developing simple, accessible and genuinely useful technology for the Indian workshop environment.

Joel Daniel D’Souza, Co-Founder & Director, CarYaar Auto Private Limited, said, “Sahaib brings a strong combination of technology depth and experience across mobility and emerging technology platforms. As we scale CarYaar, technology will be central to how we connect customers and workshops, create transparency and bring greater efficiency to the entire ecosystem. His leadership will be critical as we move from building the foundation to scaling the platform.”

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