How did the partnership with Saietta form? Could you elaborate on the role of Padmini in the partnership?

Kabir Bhandari: We were introduced to Saietta around three years ago, and with the evolution of electric vehicles, we see clear synergies between the two companies. The unique Saietta axial flux motor is perfect for Indian two- and three-wheeler applications. It is power-dense, more efficient than the radial flux motors resulting in a longer range with the same battery capacity, completely sealed and develops power and torque at low RPMs, enhancing efficiency and life.

We are excited to bring AFT to India, and we will deploy our expertise in tailoring the motor precisely to the customer’s needs. They are designed specifically for the Indian environment and usage, where the roads are often underwater, potholed and dusty, and the majority of the population uses two-wheelers.

What capabilities will Padmini VNA offer in the partnership?

Kabir Bhandari: Padmini brings competent engineering, the ability to take the motor and build the system around it with the battery module, BMS, motor controller etc. to the table as needed by the customer.

What is the initial volume, and what about the procurement of components to AFT?

Kabir Bhandari: Initial volumes will depend on the uptake of electrification. But we are confident that the country will adopt this technology faster than predicted. The aim is to produce the motor totally in India.

Last year, the company formed a JV with Vitesco Technologies and is now partnering with Saietta. What will be the focus for the next collaborations?

Kabir Bhandari: We are always open and constantly evaluating new ideas. Still, we want to consolidate and strengthen the collaborations we have launched for the next few years and get them to scale profitably.

How will the electrification of vehicles evolve, according to you? How will you cater to the same?

Kabir Bhandari: This question is very difficult to answer as there is a range of projections across the table. As a company, we have ridden many waves of technical change, from horns to emissions, and have negotiated the move from BS to BSVI over the years. This has made us develop our own technology and invest heavily in people and facilities to design, develop and validate. We hold many international patents and will continue to invest heavily in the future. Electrification is a megatrend that cannot be ignored, and therefore we are investing in it.

Could you highlight the current activities around PV Clean Mobility Technologies, the JV between Padmini VNA and Vitesco Technologies?

Kabir Bhandari: Our current focus in the JV is developing high-efficiency fuel pumps for cars and two-wheelers and low-cost actuators for engine applications. Along with our partners, we are also exploring to start working on electrification innovation which will fuel the future growth in coming years for India.

Any plans to extend the partnership with Saietta?

Kabir Bhandari: We believe in long-term relationships, whether it is with the team members of Padmini VNA, the suppliers we work with, the customers we serve, or our partners. We bring the same approach to our partnership with Saietta.

The company is also developing solutions for hybrid vehicles. How do you see the hybrid vehicle market growth?

Kabir Bhandari: Again, there are many expert papers written on this. Hybrids are an excellent compromise between electrification and IC engines, especially for urban mobility with their frequent stop-start nature. It gives large benefits without having to invest heavily in the infrastructure for charging EVs. So, while EVs will be the preferred long-term solution, hybrids are an easy way of getting substantial emission-reduction benefits without big infrastructure changes, so it’s a good stepping point.

What are the challenges in the business?

Kabir Bhandari: To stay technologically relevant and be a supplier that our customers can trust for innovation. (MT)

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Cognizant hosted Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team driver Lance Stroll and driver ambassador Pedro de la Rosa at its GAR campus in Hyderabad. The visit was part of 'Celebrating Cognizant', a series of sporting and cultural activities for company associates.

Lance and Pedro met with Cognizant’s leadership team and hundreds of associates, discussing how Cognizant’s digital expertise supports the team, especially ahead of the 2026 regulations.

Lance Stroll, said, "It was a pleasure to visit the Cognizant offices in Hyderabad and meet so many of the team. Hearing first-hand about Cognizant’s technology and services was valuable and we felt incredibly welcomed by everyone we met.”

Rajesh Varrier, President – Global Operations and Chairman & Managing Director, Cognizant India, said, “Today’s celebration with Lance is a proud moment for our associates and a powerful reminder of how far we have come in shaping the future of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team through innovation. I am inspired by what we have achieved together and optimistic about the promise this partnership holds for the future.”

A fireside chat with Lance, Pedro, and Rajesh underscored the role of technology in F1 and the Cognizant partnership. The drivers engaged with associates in a Q&A session.

In addition to the visit, Cognizant hosted a virtual hackathon for nine teams from three organisations supported by its Outreach programme. Participants developed low-code or code-based solutions to make the team’s Ai.lonso avatar into an engaging digital companion for fans. The top two teams won cash prizes and met Lance and Pedro.

Cognizant began its partnership with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team in 2021. The technology company acts as the team’s digital transformation partner, improving IT infrastructure and daily operations.

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Ola Electric, one of India’s largest electric vehicle manufacturers, has announced that it became the first two-wheeler EV maker to get government certification for its in-house developed rare-earth-free ferrite motor.

The company claims that the ferrite motor eliminates its need to import rare-earth motors with permanent magnets.

The certification has been granted by Global Automotive Research Centre, Tamil Nadu, after undergoing rigorous performance verification and mandatory motor power tests as per AIS 041 that is notified by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), Government of India.

As per the company, the in-house developed ferrite motor’s performance matched that of the motors with rare-earth permanent magnet motors in terms of net power for 7kW and 11 kW variants.

Ola Electric claimed that the ferrite motor delivers efficiency, performance and durability on par with rare-earth permanent magnet motors, while dramatically lowering costs and de-risking supply chain fluctuations. The company first introduced its ferrite motor at its annual ‘Sankalp 2025’ event in August this year.

With this, Ola Electric is set to integrate the ferrite motor across its product lineup, further enhancing performance, affordability and sustainability.

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BASF and its partners are set to present two technologies at K 2025 that allow for the recycling of polyamides from end-of-life vehicles. While metal recovery from decommissioned vehicles has been standard for decades, about 200 kilograms of plastic per vehicle are often incinerated. The new technologies aim to change this, especially with upcoming requirements from the End-of-Life Vehicle Regulation (ELVR). Pilot projects show how automotive waste can be used as material and returned to a closed cycle for the car industry.

BASF developed a chemical recycling process that recycles used and contaminated plastic parts – including used oil pans from ZF Group vehicles. The core of the process is depolymerisation, where the long polyamide chains break down into their original monomers. The caprolactam monomer obtained from PA6 is then purified. This removes impurities that would have remained with mechanical recycling and potentially reduced the material's quality and safety.

The material is then repolymerised into high-quality polyamide, which is processed into a compound suitable for demanding car industry components, closing the automotive-to-automotive loop.

"What used to be considered non-recyclable is now the starting point for high-quality new products," said Martin Scheuble, Team Leader Circularity Engineering Plastics at BASF.

ZF Group processed the recycled material into a chassis component for Mercedes-Benz. Tests show that depolymerisation allows for polyamide compounds that can be used without compromising performance or other chemical and physical properties.

"This project highlights the potential of recycled plastic - even for technically demanding applications - and underlines ZF's innovative strength in establishing sustainable material cycles," said Dr. Michael Lohrmann, Director Materials Technology at ZF.

Solvent-based recycling of shredder residue

A second pilot project focuses on recycling automotive shredder residue (ASR) – a mixture of materials left after the removal of mostly metals and glass. Close cooperation with a recycling company, using new sorting and processing technology, has allowed the polyamides to be extracted from this mixture in a largely pure form.

This polyamide fraction was the starting material for a solvent-based recycling process. In this process, the polymer chain is selectively dissolved with a solvent, purified and then reprocessed into PA6 compounds.

Poppelmann manufactured and tested a chain guide rail in series production at Mercedes-Benz using this technology.

"The project impressively demonstrates that solvent-based recycling is a practical alternative for plastics that are difficult to recycle mechanically. It makes an important contribution to the holistic circular economy - from the car back into the car," emphasised Steffen Meyer, Team Leader Production Technology at Poppelmann.

Life cycle analyses (LCA) confirm that both the solvent-based and depolymerisation technologies offer substantial CO2 emission savings compared to both conventional polyamide production and traditional plastic recycling methods like thermal recovery.

BASF offers a range of recycling solutions, stating that targets are achieved only if technologies are used in a complementary manner, depending on the type and availability of waste.

Jana Kragenbring-Noor, Head of Sustainability & Environmental Protection at Mercedes-Benz, explained, "Mercedes-Benz is committed to the use of secondary raw materials in its vehicles today and in the future as part of resource conservation and circularity. To continuously increase the availability of such sought-after secondary materials, the expansion of existing and new recycling technologies is essential."

"We are continuously improving the efficiency of physical methods such as mechanical and solvent-based recycling. In addition, we are convinced that complementary technologies such as chemical recycling, which includes depolymerization, pyrolysis and gasification, are necessary to further promote the circular economy and reduce the plastic waste that still ends up in landfills or is incinerated today, as well as the potential to obtain high-quality recycled plastics," explained, Dr. Martin Jung, President of BASF Performance Materials.

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Affordable Robotic and Automation (ARAPL), India’s first listed robotics company, has announced a significant global expansion milestone: its subsidiary, ARAPL RaaS (Humro), has secured its first international order for the newly developed Atlas AC2000 autonomous forklift – a mobile truck loading and unloading robot.

The order, the company shared, was placed by a large US-based logistics player following comprehensive and successful prototype trials over the last three months at the client’s facilities. The initial order comprises two Atlas AC2000 robots, valued at INR 36 million, and leased for a period of three years.

This initial win is strategically crucial, as it offers Humro a unique opportunity to scale deployment substantially. The client owns 15 warehouses across the US, with a potential to deploy around 15–16 mobile robots in each warehouse over the next two years.

Milind Padole, Founder & Managing Director, ARAPL, said, “Considering the scale and competition in the US market, we are thrilled to announce the success of our product with an established logistics player. This order, following stringent approvals and successful prototype performance, not only opens new doors for us but also is a step towards positioning Make In India mobile robots prominently in the global warehouse robotics sector – otherwise dominated by large US and Chinese players.”

The Atlas AC2000 forklift is a sophisticated machine equipped with LiDAR-based navigation, real-time obstacle detection and precision control algorithms, allowing for safe, 24x7 autonomous truck loading and unloading operations. Humro, which specialises in Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), leverages ARAPL’s proprietary i-ware controller and employs AI, navigation and swarm robotics to deliver its solutions.

To fuel its global vision and growth, ARAPL has proposed a USD 8–10 million investment into Humro, including USD 3 million personally committed by Padole, alongside preferential allotments and debt financing. Despite announcing a 10 percent price adjustment from December 2025 to reflect new US tariffs, Humro emphasised that its products will remain 15–20 percent more cost-effective than competitors.

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