Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF), the subsidiary of the Piaggio Group headquartered in Boston focused on robotics and mobility of the future, has kicked off some pilot programmes to test further applications of its revolutionary robot carrier gita, together with partners active in various business sectors, including travel, hospitality, real estate, retail, local food delivery.

Gita is the first innovative project of Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF), the Boston-based robotics and future mobility company of the Piaggio Group. It is a unique follow-me robot carrier, with a payload of 20 kg, designed to follow the user indoors and outdoors, at a top speed of 10 km/hour and with a 4-hour battery life.

Having launched gita to the US consumer market, Piaggio Fast Forward now looks at new opportunities to integrate robotics into business-to-business sectors, always with the goal to improve the way workers and customers move in different environments, outdoor and indoor.

“These pilot programmes are a testament to the excitement and energy that a product like gita brings to folks. The gita robot is a new  tool for a new today and sits at the intersection of new urbanism, helper robots and the human mobility revolution” - commented Michele Colaninno, PFF’s Founder and Chairman of the Board – “Today robots are more acceptable and desirable than ever before for both personal use as a consumer and increasingly, at scale as an assistive device in retail, residential and commercial environments. This corresponds precisely with our ideas at PFF: robotic intelligence and human beings must cooperate and develop a mutually beneficial relationship in order to create a better world for tomorrow."

The first pilot programmes to be launched include relevant partners such as Cincinnati International Airport (CVG). With a traffic of seven million passengers per year, is a relevant hub in Kentucky, renowned for paving the way for the latest in airport. Gita will be used to clear the path for contactless, digital, concierge services for travelers and to assist elsewhere in processes like luggage and cargo transport.

Delivery Co-op, company focused on food deliveries at neighborhood level, based in Lexington, Kentucky. Gita will be used for safe, contactless neighborhood deliveries; Doğan Trend Automotive, part of Doğan Group, holding based in Istanbul controlling a number of companies operating in different sectors such as, energy, industry, fuel, finance, internet & entertainment, automotive, tourism and real estate, playing a pioneering role in Turkish market. Gita will be tested in a retail mall and a waterfront marina location, where consumers can elect to have Gita shepherd commonly needed items like and shopping bags for them.

 “Thanks to gita, people can walk further, faster and more frequently, doing it with more pleasure. We are ready to experiment the use of gita in retail, residential and commercial environments with the aim to simplify and enhance human performance” - said Greg Lynn, Chief Executive Officer at Piaggio Fast Forward.

Gita robots are produced in the new Piaggio Fast Forward facility in the Charlestown district of Boston. Marketing began in November last year through online channels, with a first phase focused on the US market, where the circulation of robots on city streets is already regulated. (MT)

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Ola Cell Technologies (OCT), a subsidiary of Ola Electric, has become the first Indian company to receive Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification for its indigenously developed 46100 Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) cylindrical cell. The certification was granted under the IS 16046 (Part 2):2018 / IEC 62133-2:2017 standards.

In addition to BIS approval, the cell has qualified under IS 16893 (Parts 2 and 3) and UN 38.3 standards, following comprehensive electrical, mechanical and safety testing at an NABL-accredited laboratory.

The 46100 LFP cylindrical cell has a claimed energy density of over 170 Wh/kg, targeting over 4,000 charge-discharge cycles. It is optimised for applications where safety, lifecycle and cost-efficiency are critical.

The cell complements Ola Electric’s existing NMC 4680 Bharat Cell portfolio. By developing both chemistries on a common 46-series architecture, the company intends to increase domestic value addition and reduce reliance on imported battery technology.

‘The successful certification and qualification of this cell reflects the strength of our R&D, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities, while reinforcing our commitment to developing world-class battery technologies in India. As we continue to expand our in-house cell portfolio, we are creating the technological foundation required to accelerate EV adoption, support future energy storage solutions, and strengthen India’s energy independence,’ the company said in a statement.

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Hindustan Zinc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Advantek Associates and Aero Eagle Automobiles to explore the use of green hydrogen and clean energy solutions.

The company aims to evaluate hydrogen applications across its operations, including underground mining, heavy earth-moving machinery and surface vehicles.

This partnership is part of the company’s strategy to achieve Net Zero by 2050. It marks an effort to integrate hydrogen fuel into mining, an industry that remains difficult to decarbonise.

Arun Misra, CEO, Hindustan Zinc, said, “At Hindustan Zinc, we are focused on pioneering solutions that can redefine the future of sustainable mining. Hydrogen has the potential to support cleaner mobility, reduce emissions from heavy-duty equipment and create new pathways for decarbonising hard-to-abate industrial operations. This collaboration is a forward-looking step in evaluating hydrogen-based technologies, including their potential application in underground mining, as we continue to build a future-ready metals business aligned with global sustainability benchmarks.”

The collaboration will follow a phased approach, beginning with feasibility studies covering green hydrogen generation, storage and dispensing infrastructure. Assessment of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (H2-ICE) and fuel cell technologies. Potential use in underground mining equipment, heavy earth-moving machinery and power generators.

This initiative aligns with Hindustan Zinc’s ESG roadmap and its commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company has already increased its renewable energy usage to nearly 18 percent of its power mix. Hindustan Zinc was ranked as a sustainable metals and mining company in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2025.

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KPIT Technologies has inaugurated a new technology centre in Hanoi, Vietnam, marking an expansion of its operations in Southeast Asia. The company has also established strategic partnerships with the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) and VinUniversity.

The new facility will serve as a hub for engineering and innovation, supporting mobility programmes across the Asia-Pacific region. KPIT currently employs local engineers in Vietnam and plans to add over 100 positions in the near future.

The partnerships with HUST and VinUniversity aim to foster industry-academia collaboration, develop talent in the mobility sector, and create employment opportunities for students and professionals.

Sachin Tikekar, President & Joint MD, KPIT Technologies, said, “Vietnam is an important long-term market and talent hub for KPIT in Southeast Asia. We see strong potential in its talent, energy, and pace of innovation, with both homegrown and global vehicle makers continuing to invest in the country. With our new technology centre and partnerships with leading universities, we are committed to building local talent, creating high-quality jobs, and establishing a meaningful long-term presence in the region.”

KPIT aims to support the mobility industry’s focus on manufacturing efficiency, vehicle development speed, and consumer experience. The company currently operates in markets including Germany, Japan, the USA, China and India.

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AutoVRse, a Bengaluru-based enterprise VR platform, has secured USD 2.4 million in a funding round co-led by Singularity AMC’s Large Value Fund III and Early Opportunities Fund, with continued participation from Lumikai. The investment arrives as automotive manufacturers face pressure from the EV transition, complex assembly, supply chain disruptions, labour shortage, and production line defects. Many of the world’s largest auto makers have already turned to AutoVRse’s technology.

The company provides VR simulation and smart-glasses-enabled field guidance for manufacturing, heavy industry and energy. It serves over 500,000 users across 50 enterprise clients in North America, Europe the GCC, and India, including Bosch, TVS Motors, Ashok Leyland, Tata Autocomp, Panasonic, KPIT and Godrej.

Three forces are driving Indian automotive interest in AI-driven training. The EV shift has made legacy internal combustion engine training obsolete, forcing manufacturers to rebuild training libraries. A shortage of skilled labour has made faster onboarding a necessity. AI-powered smart glasses now enable real-time guidance for line workers. Use cases include assembly training for new vehicle launches, EV battery safety, quality inspection and technician training for ADAS-equipped vehicles.

With the new capital, AutoVRse plans to expand its smart-glasses-based guidance product, which it believes will become standard on assembly lines within two years. It also aims to scale its North American presence, where deployments are running at several Fortune 500 firms, while strengthening its dominance in India and the GCC.

Ashwin Jaishanker, Co-Founder and CEO, AutoVRse, said, “AutoVRse moves safety and training culture from documentation to evidence. Our training products meet workers where they are – e-learning modules, dynamic SOPs, VR simulations – so they're certified before they ever go on-site. Our AI products replace tedious safety busywork like form-filling and performative inspections with real intelligence: helping workers make better decisions in dangerous situations or catch unsafe conditions before they arise. We're grateful to Singularity AMC for backing this vision, and to Lumikai, who've believed in this bet for years.”

Vikram Jaish, Head – HSE, WCL Pipes Anjar, Welspun Corp, said, “Pipe coating operations involve multiple high-risk touchpoints where early hazard recognition is critical. With AutoVRse’s VR training, our teams can experience and identify these hazards in a realistic, controlled environment before stepping onto the shop floor. This has significantly improved awareness, preparedness and safe decision-making compared to traditional training methods.”

Yash Kela, Founder & Chief Investment Officer, Singularity AMC, said, “Most people think of AI in the context of consumer apps. AutoVRse is creating real impact with AI on the assembly line, and that is what our investment thesis is built on. The company operates at the intersection of AI and India's manufacturing revolution. We believe this is how the world will train and operate its industrial workforce over the next 10 years. AutoVRse sits at the edge of a massive, largely untapped market, and we believe the growth from here will be extraordinary.”

Aditya Deshpande, Principal, Lumikai, said, “We're thrilled to deepen our partnership with AutoVRse as they build out cutting-edge AI and VR infrastructure for Fortune 500 enterprises. With VRseBuilder, AutoVRse has demonstrated how immersion, participation and personalisation are finding consequential real-world applications across industrial training in warehouses, labs, plants and field operations of high-precision industries such as pharma, life sciences, manufacturing and petrochemicals, globally. We're excited to back Ashwin, Adarsh and the team as they make immersive AI the operating layer for global industry.”

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