Rajnish Diwan Appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Of FLASH

Rajnish Diwan Appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Of FLASH

FLASH Electronics, an electronic component manufacturer, has announced the appointment of Rajnish Diwan as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). 

Rajnish Diwan is a Mechanical Engineer and Management expert from IIM Calcutta who has diversified techno-commercial experience in India’s automotive industry at reputed OEM and Tier I companies. He will help the brand to accelerate its growth trajectory, foster innovation, and reinforce its position as a preferred automotive component manufacturer in the industry.

Diwan previously worked as an integral part of Denso Corporation, Japan. He was one of the first members to establish and expand Denso’s business in India. He gathered experience managing and consulting with complex and diverse boards during his time at Denso in India. He has also worked with brands like Eicher earlier in his automotive career. He has a total of 38 years of work experience in the industry and is skilled in building strategy, business restructuring, and performance transformation from his previous work experience. He also has constantly shown strong dedication in order to push operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and organizational growth.

The newly appointed CEO’s responsibilities include: strategic direction of Flash operations in India for the new automotive business trends, i.e., connected, autonomous, shared, and electrified mobility solutions. To expand into the newer business sectors, he will also develop & cultivate strategic alliances.

In addition, he will assume responsibility for overseeing the company's comprehensive operations, leading innovation efforts, and cultivating vital partnerships with clients, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Leading a team of skilled experts, his collaborative approach will be focused on fortifying the company's market presence and augmenting its range of products. Furthermore, he will supervise the company's commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Rajnish Diwan quoted, "I am eagerly looking to take forward FLASH’s core values, develop new age businesses, build competitiveness, and contribute towards the company’s growth along with business sustainability. Customers, employees, and supply chain partners are at the heart of everything we do at FLASH, and we will enhance our efforts to enrich the lives of our people and give back to society and communities around us."

Sanjeev Vasdev, Managing Director, FLASH, stated, "We warmly welcome Mr. Rajnish Diwan to the team and are confident that he will lead the business to greater success given his broad expertise in the sector. The automotive industry is in a disruptive phase that necessitates changes in product and process technologies. FLASH is at an exciting juncture in its trajectory, and with Mr. Diwan, we look forward to shaping the future of the auto component manufacturing industry."

Cars24 - DPIIT

Cars24 has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to support India's startup ecosystem through initiatives focused on artificial intelligence, mobility, and road safety.

As per the agreement, Cars24 will establish structured programmes for early-stage founders, granting access to its infrastructure, mentor network, funding sources, market connections and technical resources. In turn, the DPIIT will facilitate national outreach and ecosystem integration via the Startup India platform, supporting knowledge exchange, co-branding and policy engagement.

The partnership encompasses five specific areas of operation: mentorship for early-stage founders via the Cars24 Founders' Fellowship, training through Mobility and Autotech Skilling Programmes, technical support and AI integration via Cars24 Labs, investor connections through Fuel by Cars24 and the organisation of an annual Innovation Challenge and Road Safety Hackathon alongside the DPIIT.

Vikram Chopra, Builder, Cars24, said, “Cars24 is proof that Indian founders can start with a difficult, everyday problem and build something on a national scale. We want to pass that possibility on. Through this partnership with DPIIT, we are backing the next generation of builders with more than advice. We want to give them access, capital, talent and a real platform to test ideas that can make India move smarter and safer.”

A senior DPIIT official commented, “Industry participation is central to strengthening India’s startup ecosystem. Collaborations of this kind, where an established market leader opens up its scale, mentorship and resources to early-stage founders, are exactly the bridge between ambition and execution that young startups need. We welcome Cars24’s commitment to mentoring, skilling and supporting product startups across the country.”

The non-binding MoU establishes a framework for ongoing collaboration between both entities to foster technology adoption and entrepreneurship within the Indian mobility sector.

BMW Group Selects NXP Ultra-Wideband Technology For Fleet Deployment

BMW - NXP

NXP Semiconductors has announced that the BMW Group will deploy its Trimension NCJ29D6 Ultra-Wideband (UWB) family across its vehicle fleet, beginning with selected 2026 production programmes.

The hardware component integrates fine-ranging capabilities with short-range radar functionality on a single chip. This allows vehicle manufacturers to utilise a single system for multiple applications, including hands-free vehicle entry and occupant presence detection.

The integration supports BMW’s Digital Key Plus feature, which enables vehicle owners to substitute key fobs with smartphones or smartwatches. The system manages locking and unlocking functions as the user approaches or moves away from the vehicle. Additionally, the technology includes in-cabin radar monitoring designed to identify motion patterns consistent with occupants or animals left inside a parked vehicle, sending notification alerts to users to align with European and Chinese NCAP assessment protocols.

Markus Staeblein, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Secure Car Access at NXP Semiconductors, said, “NXP’s proven Trimension UWB platform maximises value for OEMs, using a single system to deliver multiple new and differentiating features for drivers. Digital key and presence detection are just the beginning. OEMs will be able to deliver additional UWB-based features, such as kick sensing, intrusion alert or automatic charging, as they establish the secure hardware platform in their vehicles.”

Envalior

Envalior India, an engineering materials company formed through the merger of DSM Engineering Materials and LANXESS High Performance Materials, will inaugurate the Envalior Centre of Excellence in Electric Vehicle Technology on 5 August 2026 as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program.

The CoE located at Marathwada Mitra Mandal's Polytechnic in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, will be implemented by the BroadArks Foundation to provide vocational training in electric vehicle systems.

It plans to train 250 individuals annually through two courses: a Level 4 Certificate in EV Service, Safety & Maintenance and a Level 5 Advanced Certificate in EV Diagnostics & Systems.

The curricula align with the National Skills Qualifications Framework and carry certification support from the Confederation of Indian Industry. The programs target students from Industrial Training Institutes and polytechnics studying mechanical, electrical, electronics, mechatronics and computer science disciplines.

Training instruction covers classroom coursework and laboratory modules focused on vehicle architecture, battery management systems, charging infrastructure, thermal management, power electronics, diagnostics and workshop safety protocols. Practical assessments and industry projects form part of the curriculum structure.

Nileshkumar Kukalyekar, Business Director – South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Envalior, said, "The launch of the Envalior Centre of Excellence reflects our commitment to supporting India's transition towards electric mobility by investing in the people who will power it. Through this Centre, we aim to provide students with industry-aligned, hands-on training that prepares them for the evolving demands of the EV sector while contributing to a stronger and future-ready workforce."

In addition to student instruction, the facility is designed to support laboratory infrastructure and instructor development programs for technical education in the region.

Junghyun Kwon

South Korean auto major Hyundai Motor Group has appointed Junghyun Kwon as Executive Vice-President and Head of the Autonomous Driving Development Center.

Kwon will oversee software engineering, deep learning integration, perception systems and commercialisation pathways for the group's autonomous mobility programs, reporting directly to Minwoo Park, President and Head of the Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) Division.

He joins the group following technical management roles in software development and artificial intelligence across international technology firms. Kwon previously managed autonomous driving software development and deployment at NVIDIA before directing intelligent robotics development at Samsung Electronics. His technical background covers machine learning models, computer vision systems and vehicle perception frameworks.

The executive appointment forms part of a broader recruitment sequence targeting software-defined vehicle architectures and autonomous driving systems.

Earlier in July, Hyundai Motor Group appointed Dongwuk Kim as Senior Vice-President and Head of the SDV Platform Development Center, following his work on wireless communication systems for mobile devices, robotics and vehicles at Apple and Tesla. The group also added Jeremy Ma as Senior Vice-President and Head of AVP Silicon Valley, drawing on his experience in robotics and autonomous systems at Apple, Toyota Research Institute and NVIDIA.