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Union road, transport and highway minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said that if India can use recently discovered reserve of lithium in Jammu and Kashmir, it will become number one automobile manufacturing country in the world. Addressing an event organised by industry body CII, Gadkari said there is a need to encourage public transport, and electric buses are the future. "Every year, we import 1,200 tonnes of lithium. "Now, in Jammu and Kashmir, we got lithium. (If) we can use this lithium ion, we will be the number one automobile manufacturing country in the world," he said. India has beaten Japan to become the third largest vehicle market in 2022 after China and the USA. According to Gadkari, presently India's automobile industry is worth Rs 7.5 lakh crore, and the sector's contribution to the overall GST revenue is maximum. The estimated 5.9-million tonne reserve of lithium, a crucial mineral for the manufacturing of electric vehicles and solar panels, had been discovered in
Italian automaker Automobili Lamborghini sees an opportunity to enhance growth in the Indian market through its hybridisation programme and move towards full electric mobility, according to company Chairman and CEO Stephan Winkelmann. With the changing geopolitical situation altering global supply chains, the supersports car maker is widening its sourcing base which could be beneficial for the Indian components suppliers. "I think that the Indian market is able to digest our first step into electrification and hybridisation because a lot of our drives are also very well equipped with self-charging while driving the car. So, this is a positive thing because they are plug-in hybrids, but they are also easy to recharge while driving," Winkelmann said in an interaction. Further, he said, "This is going to foster our image of performance cars but also that we are serious in our terms of sustainability and we are very credible in the things we are doing. So we see that there is also a ...
Automaker Kia India on Wednesday said its sales grew 48 per cent at 28,634 units in January. The company's sales stood at 19,319 units in the year-ago period. The growth was driven by Seltos and Sonet models, as their sales stood at 10,470 and 9,261 units, respectively, during the reported month, followed by Carens with 7,900 units and Carnival with 1,003 units sold domestically, Kia India said in a statement. The company also said it recorded the highest-ever monthly sales of Carens. "We have witnessed an encouraging start to CY2023 with sales of 28,634 units in January. It reflects a strong demand for our products. We also plan to introduce PBVs (purpose-built vehicles) this year for special services in India," said Hardeep Singh Brar - National Head for Sales and Marketing at Kia India.
Japanese auto major Suzuki Motor Corporation on Monday said its subsidiary Maruti Suzuki India has crossed 2.5 crore domestic sales milestone earlier this month. Maruti Suzuki India achieved the sales mark on January 9, 2023. Suzuki signed a joint venture agreement with Maruti Udyog, the predecessor of Maruti Suzuki in 1982 and rolled out its first car -- Maruti 800 -- in December 1983. Currently, 17 models are produced and sold in India, and Maruti Suzuki is strengthening its portfolio in the recently growing SUV models while also making efforts in popularising hybrid and CNG models, Suzuki Motor Corporation said in a statement. The cumulative sales of hybrid and CNG models is around 21 lakh units, it added. "Maruti Suzuki will continue to provide products marked with safety, high reliability, and eco-friendliness, and contribute to sustainable development of the automobile industry," the Japanese auto maker noted. Maruti Suzuki India achieved one crore sales mark in February 20
The TSF Group, a part of the erstwhile TVS Group, inaugurated the manufacturing facility of Leggaro Composites aimed at stepping up presence in the country, a top official said on Wednesday. The manufacturing unit was part of the strategic partnership between TSF Group and MIND S.r.l signed in November 2020 in Bologna, Italy. "The TSF Group has decades of experience in providing high-quality, design-led manufacturing to customers across the globe. Establishing Leggaro's manufacturing facility in Chennai is a milestone, which will allow us to scale up our presence," Leggaro Composites Management member Sriram Viji said. The plants in Bologna, Italy and Chennai would have a built-up area of 10,000 square metres with specialisation in delivering components in composites using advanced technologies of transformation of carbon fibre. "MIND, the Italian base of Leggaro, has developed its experience in carbon composites over several years and established itself as a supplier to many luxur