Raptee, a startup specializing in premium electric motorcycles, has opened its first factory in Chennai. Spread over three acres, the factory will be home to Raptee’s Research and Development team. 

The company plans to invest INR 850 million in the plant, which will have the capacity to produce 100,000 units annually for the next two years. Around 470 people will be employed for manufacturing and design innovation. The factory will have advanced facilities for testing and development, while a dedicated assembly line will be set up for battery packs. 

Raptee aims to make a significant impact in the electric vehicle market with its upcoming motorcycles, emphasizing innovation and sustainability. Early this year, Raptee received a grant of INR 32.7 million from the Automotive Research Association of India, a leading R&D organization set up by the automotive industry and Govt of India.

Speaking about the new plant, Dinesh Arjun, Co-founder and CEO of Raptee, says, “This is a huge leap forward for us. We are at an inflexion point where we move from a small R&D outfit to becoming a full-blown OEM, and we’ve identified the perfect property to maintain the balance for the years to come. We’ve been very particular about having the R&D and Manufacturing teams on the same campus to improve collaborations in this extremely crucial period for the company, and that meant the entire property will need to be inside the City. This facility ticks all those boxes and will help service our customers better.”

 Jayapradeep Vasudevan (JP), Chief Business Officer, Raptee, says, “This move is a big motivation for the entire team at Raptee as the new facility houses a dedicated block for the Admin and R&D, which provides a much better-working ambience for our team to enjoy and contribute to the growth journey of Raptee. This facility is big enough to cater to the growing size of our team for the next two years. From a manufacturing capacity standpoint, it also gives us enough flexibility to meet the customer demand from the time of launch. The fact that the families of our team attended the inauguration reiterates the commitment of our team and their families’ support towards the success of Raptee. At this moment, as a team, we are really happy and proud that we are progressing towards delivering a world-class EV motorcycle and customer experience to become a Premium EV brand.”

The centrally located property was inaugurated by Shaji Koshy, Former Sr Vice president at Royal Enfield and an advisor to Raptee. Commenting on the factory opening,  Koshy, says, “I am extremely happy that such young minds from Chennai have been able to develop a remarkable product, and I really want to support this team who has the potential to create a big impact in the EV landscape in India and Globally. It’s an honour and happy moment for me to be inaugurating the new facility for Raptee, which is now moving from its small R&D centre to a full-fledged OEM facility, and I wish they run out of capacity very soon in this facility.”

Mumbai-headquartered automotive major Tata Motors has attained a new milestone of filing 250 patents and 148 design applications in FY2025, which is also its highest ever in a year.  

The automaker has filed the patents across a multitude of disciplines such as connectivity, electrification, sustainability and safety (CESS), as well as alternative energy mix such as hydrogen-based vehicles and fuel cells.

Furthermore, vehicle systems, including battery, powertrain, body and trim, suspension, brakes, HVAC and emission control, were also part of the patents filed by the automaker.

Interestingly, in FY2025, Tata Motors filed 81 copyright applications and secured 68 patent grants during the year, which translates to 918 patents granted to date.

What’s more, Tata Motors also received five accolades and honours in FY2025, being recognised for its excellence in intellectual property rights (IPR).

Rajendra Petkar, President and Chief Technology Officer, Tata Motors, said, “Our innovation strategy is focused on delivering sustained value to customers while staying ahead of the industry shifts. This milestone reflects our continued pursuit of automotive excellence and reinforces our long-term vision of manufacturing greener, safer and more efficient vehicles. With a growing portfolio of pioneering technologies, we remain committed to supporting nation-building through cutting-edge solutions. Looking ahead, our efforts remain rooted in shaping the future of mobility, serving the evolving aspirations of our customers and communities alike.”

Japanese auto major Nissan has announced that it will launch its next-generation ProPILOT technology from the fiscal year 2027. The system, featuring Nissan Ground Truth Perception technology with next-generation LiDAR and Wayve AI driver software, will enable its vehicles to have advanced autonomous driving with collision avoidance capabilities.

Built on Wayve’s embodied AI foundation model, the technology is claimed to be designed to handle highly complex real-world driving conditions in a human-like manner.

Wayve is a global AI company has trained its foundation model on vast amounts of real-world experience using custom GenAI technology that enables point-to-point driving across urban and highway environments.

South Korean auto major Kia has officially launched its generative AI-powered voice recognition system, AI Assistant, across Europe, following successful rollouts in Korea and the United States in 2024.

The company said that the AI Assistant is designed to revolutionise the in-car experience by enabling natural, conversational interactions, helping drivers and passengers easily access vehicle features and get personalised assistance on the go.

Accessible via a steering wheel button or by saying ‘Hey Kia,’ the AI Assistant can perform a wide range of tasks, which the company claimed goes far beyond traditional voice recognition. Users can ask for restaurant recommendations, travel tips, or even child-friendly scientific explanations, such as why the sky is blue.

One of the system’s standout features is its ability to understand user intent and context, providing smart, accurate responses. The AI Assistant also helps drivers navigate in-car features and driving aids, like recommending the Highway Driving Assistant during heavy traffic.

Kia’s AI Assistant now comes standard on European EV3 models built from March 2025, with previous models receiving the update via Over-the-Air (OTA) technology. More Kia models equipped with the connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) system will receive the AI Assistant as the rollout expands.

With ongoing OTA updates, the AI Assistant will continuously improve, making every drive smoother, smarter and more intuitive.

Airbornics Defence & Space (ADSL), the defence arm of the Punjab-based JCBL Group, has signed a strategic partnership with Slovakia to co-develop and manufacture next-generation technologies for light tanks, future ready combat vehicles (FRCVS) and future infantry combat vehicles (FICVs).

This also marks the first-ever defence MoU between India and Slovakia, which was formalised during an official state visit of the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, to Slovakia.

Rishi Aggarwal, Managing Director, JCBL Group, said, “This partnership signifies more than just a business agreement. It represents a convergence of trust, technology, and transformation. It aligns with our core belief in the make-in-India vision and strengthens India’s position as a global hub for defence innovation.”

As part of the understanding, ADSL will focus on indigenous development and manufacturing of critical combat systems for light tanks, including turrets, active protection systems (APS), remote-controlled weapon systems (RCWS) and human-machine interface (HMI) modules.

The understanding is based on the commitment for technology transfer, operational excellence and co-development of advanced combat platforms tailored for complex terrains and high-altitude environments.