The reasons may be entirely political or geopolitical in nature, the road ahead for Chinese automakers in India looks difficult. 

Chinese automaker BYD and its Indian partner Olectra Greentech (formerly known as Goldstone Infratech) is in news for its proposal to set up a manufacturing plant for electric cars in India. Certain ministry officials involved in vetting the proposal have raised security concerns, claimed an industry source.  

The truth is hard to ascertain. It is also tough to ascertain the news in various media platforms regarding BYD conveying to Olectra that it would like to drop the proposal to invest in India. The proposal to invest is claimed to be worth USD 1 billion. 

Since the clash between the Indian armed forces and Chinese armed forces at Galwan valley in 2020, the Indian Government has tightened scrutiny of Chinese investments in the country.  The ones to get affected by this move have not just been the Chinese automakers but also producers of cell phones and other goods. 

Key players in the Chinese EV market (also the world’s largest) such as BYD, SAIC and Geely have exerted their interest in exploring the Indian automobile market. While MG Motor India is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SAIC Motor, the Indian partners of BYD and Geely – Olectra Greentech and Adishwar Auto Ride respectively – are not legacy automotive players to be precise. 

Against the emerging thought process that India produces among the world’s best automobiles, such joint ventures arrangements are likely to be met with greater scrutiny, the China sentiment included. With much work going on in India on the alternative fuel technologies front, including electric, it is clear that any foreign technology or effort will only be accepted after being truly ‘Indian-ised’ or localised.   

The low entry barrier supporting the entry of start ups such as Ather Energy and Ola Electric in the EV space in India, legacy players such as Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors have not stayed behind in their efforts to make exciting EVs that can address the real-time needs of Indian buyers as well as those in other markets.   

What needs careful consideration is that they are competing with global players such as Honda and Toyota, which makes the Indian automotive market a tough place to be in.   

While players like MG have an Indian management even though it is a wholly owned subsidiary of SAIC Motor (China), the fact is, the going has gotten tough for it too. The situation as a whole for Chinese companies or those that have Chinese partners seems to have turned difficult.  

At one end there's rising competition coupled with China sentiment and at the other, there's the need to invest and grow. 

With India said to be on the path to become the world’s biggest micro electromobility market, a significant shift at various levels is apparent.   

As the biggest employer in the country and the biggest tax player too, the Indian auto sector, the government is keen, turns into a leading manufacturing hub of the world. 

Courting EV players such as Tesla, the government seems clear about how it wants the foreign companies to behave when they come to do business in India. It has made itself clear that it is okay with Chinese players coming to India but they should conduct their operations lawfully and in compliance with laws of the country, mention sources. This points at the government being keen on Indian partners having a larger control of the joint venture, they add. 

The answer to this thinking may be found in how China treats foreign players organisations wanting to do business there. It makes it necessary for the organisations to have a Chinese partner. Besides that, the foreign organisations are known to face face a number of regulatory and cultural challenges. 

The authorities in China are said to favour its own over foreign players. This is despite the commitment by them to invest huge sums and ensure complete transparency in their dealings.   

India as a democratic country has its own regulatory and cultural challenges. As the world’s largest two-wheeler market, fourth largest light vehicle market and fifth largest commercial vehicle market, India is likely to come across as a more balanced market with the participation of leading American, European and Japanese brands. 

Some may have left because of reasons that are complex and also because of a marketplace that is tough to understand as well as crack. The homegrown automakers such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Ashok Leyland and Tata Motors have been giving tough condition to the foreign players in India by smartly moving up the ladder. They are also expanding their reach to some of the most competitive markets across the globe. 

They have been acquiring companies but aren't exactly acquisition hungry. It is not by fluke that Tata Motors, which owns Jaguar Land Rover and the Korean Daewoo commercial vehicle business, has come to command 86 percent of the EV market in India. The automaker has been investing in technology and transparently engaging with its suppliers and other stakeholders to build a market reach.   

Mahindra & Mahindra has been making big investments in setting up as well as upgrading its R&D facilities in India. It is making big investments in upgrading its design and development facilities in the country; in testing and validation facilities as well. A sneak peek in the MRV will reveal the extend of efforts being taken. 

Underling the Indian Government’s seriousness to turn the Indian auto industry into a leading global manufacturing hub is the stress on local technology development, local content and local manufacture. The efforts to make chips is indicative of the same.  

While the BYD, Olectra or BYD-Olectra badged electric buses operated by city and state transport undertakings (state government organisations largely) may be a common sight on Indian roads, it is also evident that the foot print of electric buses made by homegrown manufacturers such as Ashok Leyland and Tata Motors is also fast expanding.  

It was roughly two years ago that BYD announced its plans to enter the Indian electric car market, albeit at the premium end with the e6 MPV and latter with the stylish Atto 3 SUV. The company, claim sources, has already invested over USD 200 million in India. Busy expanding its dealership network across the country, it has sold over 2,000 e-cars in India in the last one and a half years, they add. 

But then, BYD is not the first Chinese auto maker whose proposal to invest in India seems to have run into rough weather. A few months back, MG Motor India was into news regarding it’s parent company wanting to dilute its stake in it. The reason being given for this, was the delay in the clearing the proposal to hike investment in Indian by its parent – SAIC Motor.   

Even though it may appear as an iconic British brand or be projected as one, MG or Morris Garages is owned by a Chinese organisation. The products it offers in India are said to be of Chinese origin even though they are assembled at a factory in Halol, Gujarat. 

With the proposal to invest by SAIC Motors being subjected to greater scrutiny, it is not surprising that MG Motor India is said to scout for a strategic investor to raise funds and fuel growth. Facing raid from the tax authority in November 2022, the company has been making efforts to cultivate a strong local supply chain for its products. It is also supporting the start up culture in India by showing interest for cooperation. 

Despite the strong China sentiment, it cannot be refuted that businesses in India continue to source from there. A large amount of raw materials for the pharma industry are said to be sourced from there by the Indian pharma companies. Likewise, Indian auto companies are also known to source a good deal of parts – including batteries and electronic parts/modules – from China. 

It is necessary that the government and people of India demand that whoever would like to business here should thoroughly engage with the local necessities, regulations and culture in spirit and on paper.    

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Chinese automotive major Geely Auto has officially launched its i-HEV Intelligent Hybrid technology, which enters mass production immediately with the system slated for deployment across several models this year, including the Preface, Monjaro, Starray, and the fifth-generation Emgrand.

The technology utilises an artificial intelligence system and a dedicated hybrid powertrain to address historical gaps in fuel efficiency and smart feature integration.

The i-HEV system is built upon the i-CMA architecture, a hybrid-optimised version of the CMA platform that centralises the control of driving, cockpit and chassis functions.

A primary feature is the AI Cloud Power management system, which monitors exterior data such as temperature, humidity and altitude to optimise petrol-electric energy distribution. The company reports that this self-optimising strategy improves energy efficiency by more than 10 percent, while the engine achieves a thermal efficiency of 48.41 percent.

By decoupling the internal combustion engine (ICE) from the electric motor, the i-HEV adopts a motor-led layout designed to provide an electric-drive experience without external charging. The electric motor delivers up to 230kW, allowing the vehicle to operate on electricity for approximately 80 percent of the time. Performance data indicates a claimed zero to 30 kmph acceleration time of 1.84 seconds and a top speed of 66 kmph in electric mode.

The i-CMA architecture incorporates physical separation between oil and electric systems to enhance safety. Battery protection is managed through the Geely Battery Safety System, which includes a liquid-cooled battery with an IP68 resistance rating. The system is capable of real-time prediction for over 50 fault types.

Jerry Gan, CEO, Geely Auto Group, said, “Energy diversification is a strategic foresight for Geely Auto. A company’s true strategic focus is ensuring every path leads to the future, which tests the technological depth and powerful energy resilience of our entire system. The new i-HEV perfectly embodies this resilience, serving as a powerful testament to how artificial intelligence can elevate hybrid efficiency and performance to new industry standards.”

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Tsuyo Manufacturing (Tsuyo), an electric vehicle (EV) powertrain manufacturer, has been named as one of 15 Indian startups selected to represent the country in the deeptech category as part of the CII CIES Startup Delegation to Japan 2026.

The selection allows Tsuyo to engage with Japanese corporations during a period of increased EV expansion in Japan, aiming to establish long-term collaborations in engineering and supply chain integration.

The company specialises in electric powertrain solutions for three-wheelers, light commercial vehicles and heavy commercial applications, with a portfolio ranging from 0.5 kW to 400 kW.

Till date, Tsuyo has sold more than 200,000 motors and maintains partnerships with over 50 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The firm operates two manufacturing facilities in Greater Noida and focuses on research and development in collaboration with institutions such as the IITs and NITs.

In addition to its international engagement, Tsuyo recently received Single Window Clearance from the Government of Karnataka for a 20-acre manufacturing and validation campus in the Dharwad–Hubli region. This facility is intended to serve as a hub for the design, testing and large-scale production of powertrain components, reducing the domestic industry’s reliance on imported technology.

Vijay Kumar, Founder and CEO, Tsuyo Manufacturing, said, “Being selected for the CII CIES delegation is a proud moment - not just for Tsuyo, but for the evolution of India’s deeptech ecosystem. At Tsuyo, we see ourselves as a new age EV deep tech startup focused on co-creation, where innovation is built collaboratively across borders. India has the potential to engineer and scale world-class EV powertrain technologies, designed for real-world conditions and global applicability. Japan represents a strong strategic partner with its legacy of engineering excellence and disciplined manufacturing culture. Through this engagement, we aim to explore joint development opportunities, enable deeper supply chain integration, and contribute to the broader ‘Build India’ vision by strengthening local capabilities with global collaboration. Our approach to co-creation goes beyond technology - it extends to building robust supply chains, advancing futuristic mobility solutions, and aligning with the high standards of Japanese engineering. This is how we believe India will transition from being a growing EV market to a globally competitive EV technology hub.”

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Ola Electric has introduced the S1 X+ 5.2 kWh electric scooter, featuring the company’s indigenously developed 4680 Bharat Cell. The company claims that the launch marks the first time this cell technology has been integrated into a mass-market product. The e-scooter is available at an introductory price of INR 129,999 until 15 April.

The S1 X+ 5.2 kWh utilises an 11 kW mid-drive motor and an integrated motor control unit, providing a claimed top speed of 125 kmph and an IDC range of 320 km. It features a brake-by-wire system and front disc brakes. The use of the Bharat Cell reflects the company's strategy of vertical integration, which encompasses cell development, battery pack engineering and vehicle manufacturing.

Currently, Ola Electric’s portfolio includes the Gen 3 S1 scooter series and the Roadster motorcycle range. The S1 Gen 3 line-up consists of the S1 Pro+ and S1 Pro in various battery configurations, while the mass-market segment includes the S1 X+ and S1 X variants. The Roadster series is offered in X+ and X configurations with battery capacities ranging from 2.5 kWh to 9.1 kWh.

“With S1 X+ 5.2 kWh, we are taking our 4680 Bharat Cell to the mass market at scale. The same technology platform we built for our most advanced products is now powering a scooter designed for much wider EV adoption. This is exactly what vertical integration enables - the ability to innovate deeply, scale quickly, and bring our best technology to more and more customers, faster. S1 X+ 5.2 kWh is where performance, range and scale come together, and is another important step towards making EVs accessible to every Indian,” the company said in a statement.

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Bosch and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have announced an expansion of their strategic collaboration to include Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). This move builds upon their established partnership in cockpit solutions and aims to address the automotive industry's requirement for scalable technology in automated and connected vehicles.

Bosch stated it has now delivered more than 10 million vehicle computers globally using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms.

The extended agreement includes new production programmes for ADAS that utilise Bosch’s vehicle computer architecture powered by the Snapdragon Ride platform. A central component of this collaboration is the development of platforms that combine cockpit and ADAS functions on a single system-on-chip (SoC).

This integration is designed to align with the strategic shift towards software-defined vehicles, allowing automakers to reduce architectural complexity, power consumption, and manufacturing costs.

The Bosch ADAS integration platform is designed as a modular computer capable of fusing data from multiple sensors to create a 360-degree environment model. This system supports a range of functions from entry-level assistance, such as lane keeping and distance regulation, to higher-level automated driving. The joint engineering efforts have already secured several design wins in the East Asian market, with the first vehicles featuring these consolidated platforms expected to enter the market in 2028.

By migrating from numerous individual control units to a small number of high-performance computers, the partnership provides a path toward centralised vehicle architectures.

These solutions are engineered to meet safety standards up to ASIL-D while enabling consumer features such as hands-free driving and intelligent automated parking across various vehicle segments.

Christoph Hartung, Member of the Bosch Mobility business sector board, said, “By combining leading-edge compute technology with our system integration expertise – hardware, software, and safety – we enable automakers to meet the rising demand for personalised, safe and comfortable driving experiences. The growing success of our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies underlines a central value Bosch brings to the industry: we provide the robust, high-performance computing platforms that form the backbone of today’s software-defined vehicle.”

Nakul Duggal, EVP and Group GM, Automotive, Industrial and Embedded IoT, and Robotics, Qualcomm Technologies, said, “Our collaboration with Bosch spans the full spectrum of vehicle compute – from high‑performance cockpit systems to scalable automated driving solutions and emerging centralised vehicle architectures – all powered by Snapdragon Digital Chassis automotive platforms. ADAS is where performance and safety must scale in the real world. By expanding our work with Bosch into production-ready ADAS platforms, we’re helping automakers bring advanced driver assistance across vehicle lines more efficiently, with a clear path to centralised compute.”

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