German commercial vehicle major Daimler Truck has announced the appointment of Raghavendra Vaidya as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Effective 1 June he will succeed Marcus Claesson to lead the company's IT, driving innovation and growth across the organisation.

At present, Vaidya serves as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Daimler Truck Innovation Center India (DTICI) and is responsible for all IT operations in the country. He joined Daimler in 2016 as Senior Vice-President-IT at Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI). In the past, he has held various leadership positions for several business divisions at General Electric. Interestingly, Vaidya will continue to be based out of Bengaluru but focus on the global scheme of things for Daimler Truck.

Andreas Gorbach, Member of the Board of Management for Truck Technology, said, “We are excited to welcome Raghavendra Vaidya to our Executive Team. In his previous role Raghavendra has built, strengthened and sharpened the Daimler Truck Innovation Center India (DTICI) in Bangalore into an integral part of Daimler Truck for central functions, engineering and IT. With a career spanning over 25 years in various IT positions he brings a wealth of experience and know-how, strategic vision and leadership to his new role to lead our company into a rapidly evolving data-driven future.”

"I would like to thank Marcus for his contribution establishing our new IT set-up following the spin-off from the former Daimler AG. Marcus has managed an Herculean task to set up a stand-alone IT including major transformational moves and led vehicle connectivity across all brands worldwide surpassing the milestone of more than 1 million connected vehicles. We wish Marcus all the best for his future, and we are convinced that Raghavendra will build on this strong foundation," added Gorbach.

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The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker Ather Energy to accelerate growth of India’s clean mobility and advanced manufacturing sectors. The collaboration is part of the Build in Bharat initiative led by the Startup Policy Forum (SPF), a coalition of over 50 innovation-focused startups.

As per the understanding, the partners will focus on strategic mentorship for deep-tech startups, infrastructure support for startups in the EV value chain, joint innovation programs such as the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge, co-hosted talent and skill development initiatives and participation in events like Startup Mahakumbh along with on-ground exposure visits.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Sanjiv Singh, Joint Secretary, DPIIT and Tarun Mehta, Co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy.

Sanjiv Singh, said, “The electric mobility sector in India is entering a transformative phase. Through this partnership with Ather Energy, we aim to catalyse the development of an enabling environment where startups can contribute meaningfully to EV manufacturing, battery innovation, and clean energy solutions.”

Tarun Mehta, said, “We are happy to collaborate with DPIIT to strengthen support systems for hardware and deep-tech startups. With policy support and stronger industry participation, this initiative can help founders tackle core technology challenges and scale high-quality products from India.”

Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President and CEO, Startup Policy Forum, added, “This partnership between DPIIT and Ather Energy brings to life the Startup Policy Forum’s Build in Bharat initiative. Unlocking the potential of India's manufacturing sector through collaboration is key to building a globally competitive innovation ecosystem.”

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Singapore-headquartered engineering solutions company Quest Global has signed a multi-year partnership with Andretti Formula E as the team’s official Engineering Technology Partner. This collaboration officially launched at the 2025 London E-Prix, will see the partners closely work towards elevating the performance of Andretti Formula E cars and drivers.

With more than 25 years of experience, Quest Global will utilise key learnings from its talented team of over 21,000 engineers spread across 17 countries.

Quest Global has partnered with Andretti Formula E, starting with support for their remote operations room in Banbury, UK. This facility is central to race strategy and performance analysis during E-Prix weekends. The collaboration aims to improve data analysis, decision-making and performance tracking for Andretti Formula E team, enhancing their competitive position in Formula E. The partnership will also include the development of Andretti's GEN4 car, scheduled to debut in Season 13, highlighting Quest Global's involvement in the future of electric motorsport.

Andrew Lewis, Global Business Head – Automotive & Rail, Quest Global, said, “This collaboration with Andretti Formula E is a thrilling opportunity for us to demonstrate how cutting-edge engineering solutions can drive innovation and performance. Together, we will push the boundaries of what’s possible, combining our technical strength with Andretti’s competitive spirit. From race weekends to the GEN4 car development, this partnership highlights the transformative potential of engineering to inspire progress far beyond the racetrack.”

Roger Griffiths, Team Principal of Andretti Formula E, said, “We are excited to welcome Quest Global as a key part of our team. Their experience and expertise in leveraging engineering to solve complex challenges make them a perfect fit for us as we aim to continuously raise the bar in a championship built on innovation and agility. With Quest Global by our side, we are looking forward to enhancing our engineering operations and performance on and off the track.”

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Helios Climate (HC), an investment platform, has partnered with the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) to invest in Bengaluru-headquartered battery swapping solutions provider for electric vehicles – Sun Mobility.

This investment contributes to the approximately USD 135 million raised by Sun Mobility over the past year and will support the launch towards establishing battery swapping network in Africa along with contributing to Sun Mobility's growth in India.

Established in 2017 by Sun Group and the Maini Group, Sun Mobility operates over 900 battery swapping stations, powering a fleet of over 50,000 vehicles. Its battery technology, developed and produced in India, works across two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers and heavy electric vehicles through various global OEM partners. Indian Oil Corporation, Vitol (parent of Vivo Energy) and Bosch are among Sun Mobility’s early investors.

Tavraj Banga, Partner & Co-Head, Helios Climate, said, “Sun Mobility is a global category leader with a differentiated and proven solution for the e-mobility space. Their platform’s interoperability spans multiple OEMs and vehicle types, allowing electrification at scale. Coupled with the economic and decarbonisation benefits, it is an ideal solution for emerging markets. We’re proud to support their entry into Africa and work alongside their key partners to deliver scalable, affordable and climate-resilient mobility solutions on the continent. We look forward to working alongside the company and its shareholders, including Vitol, Indian Oil and Bosch, to realise this potential.”

Chetan Maini, Co-Founder & Chairman, SUN Mobility, said, “We’ve built a modular, fast, and scalable battery swapping ecosystem that adapts to real-world mobility needs. With over 1.4 million monthly swaps in India and growing global interest, we’re excited to extend our proven model to emerging markets like Africa. The region’s rapid urbanisation, reliance on two and three-wheelers and need for robust HEV solutions position it perfectly to leapfrog into clean mobility.”

As per estimates, two-wheelers and three-wheelers contribute a significant portion of CO2 emissions in Africa, with the market forecasted to exceed 1.9 million vehicles annually by 2030. This presents a significant growth opportunity for clean, cost-effective electrification. This investment will support the growth of the e-mobility supply chain in Africa and South-East Asia (batteries and quick interchange stations).

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Musashi India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Musashi Seimitsu Industries, Japan, has announced its plans to setup a new R&D and prototyping facility – Musashi Technology Excellence Centre (MTEC) at the Atria University Campus in Bengaluru. The company a leading supplier for precision automotive systems in India is commemorating 23 years of operations in the country.

Interestingly, the company’s new R&D facility for new energy storage systems and e-mobility will focus on testing and validation of new technologies developed by Musashi Global, in collaboration with its international partners and vendors. It aims to invest around INR 100 million towards the new facility in the first year. The R&D facility will not only focus on developing advanced energy storage solutions for the Indian market, but also serve as a rapid prototyping and localisation hub for the Japanese company.

Naoya Nishimura, CEO, Musashi India and Africa Region, said, “Musashi India’s journey began in 2002 with a single customer, and we have since grown steadily, expanding our presence and partnerships with the top automotive OEMs in the country. Our progress has been driven by the strong foundation laid by our predecessors. As we look ahead, it is time to evolve into a truly Indian operation, grounded in our core values of customer-first and ownership. Musashi India is proudly Indian, and its future depends on the leadership and initiative of each member of our team. The establishment of MTEC is a step towards building the number one operation in India, and I believe we will achieve it together.”

Masaru Maeda, Chief E-Mobility Officer, Musashi Seimitsu Industries, added, “The launch of the Musashi Technology Excellence Centre marks a pivotal moment in our global e-mobility journey. India is a key market for next-generation energy solutions, and with MTEC, we are strengthening our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and localized product development. We look forward to accelerating new breakthroughs that serve both Indian and global needs.”

The phased development of the centre will leverage Musashi’s longstanding automotive manufacturing experience in India, Musashi Energy Solutions’ hybrid supercapacitor production capabilities and strategic guidance from Musashi Seimitsu Industries in Japan.

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