Tata Motors Expands Dharwad Plant With New Paint Shop, BIW And E‑Axle Lines

Inaugurates New Paint Shop and Advanced Manufacturing Lines

Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, has taken another significant step in advancing the future-readiness of its Dharwad plant with the inauguration of a new-generation paint shop and the commissioning of new Body-in-White (BIW) and E-Axle assembly lines. These additions go beyond expanding capacity, it enhances the plant’s manufacturing flexibility and strengthening its ability to produce vehicles across conventional and zero-emission powertrains.

The new facilities were inaugurated by Mr. Girish Wagh, MD & CEO, Tata Motors Ltd. in the presence of Mr. Vishal Badshah, Vice President & Head – Operations and Mr. DP Nambiar, Chief Human Resources Officer.

With women comprising more than 30% of its young, skilled shopfloor workforce, the plant also inaugurated an on-site crèche for employees’ children, reinforcing Tata Motors’ focus on creating an inclusive workplace that enables and supports a diverse workforce.

The Dharwad plant is the first such manufacturing facility in India to achieve ISO 30415 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) validation. The plant operates on 100% renewable electricity and is certified Water Positive and Zero Waste to Landfill, underscoring its focus on sustainable, inclusive and globally competitive manufacturing.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vishal Badshah, Vice President & Head – Operations, Tata Motors Ltd., said, “Dharwad has evolved into one of our most versatile manufacturing facilities, producing conventional and zero-emission vehicles on the same campus. The new capabilities inaugurated today further strengthen the plant with cleaner, more efficient and digitally enabled manufacturing, while enhancing the flexibility to respond to evolving product and customer requirements. This progress is underpinned by our young, skilled and diverse workforce. We thank the Government of Karnataka for its continued support and remain committed to contributing to the state’s industrial growth through sustainable and advanced manufacturing.”

Speaking on the new manufacturing capabilities, Mr. Vijay Battu, Senior General Manager and Plant Head – Dharwad, Tata Motors Ltd, said, “The commissioning of the new paint shop, BIW and E-Axle assembly lines marks significant technical and operational advancement for the Dharwad plant. With its modular design and scalable infrastructure, the new paint shop gives us greater agility to adapt to evolving manufacturing requirements and respond rapidly to changing business and customer needs. These capabilities also enable us to further elevate the benchmarks for quality, efficiency and sustainability.”

Since rolling out its first commercial vehicle in 2012, the Dharwad plant has evolved from a single-product facility into a versatile, multi-product manufacturing hub spread across an integrated campus of approximately 650 acres. It manufactures Small Commercial Vehicles (SCVs); Intermediate, Light and Medium Commercial Vehicles (ILMCVs); Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCVs); and commercial passenger vehicles across multiple powertrains. The facility also supports a network of MSMEs and suppliers across North Karnataka.

About Tata Motors Ltd (Formerly TML Commercial Vehicles Ltd):

Part of the USD 180 billion Tata Group, Tata Motors Ltd., (BSE: Scrip code 544569; NSE: Scrip code TMCV) is India’s largest and a globally renowned manufacturer of utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks, and buses. With over eight decades of leadership in commercial mobility, the company is known for its innovation, reliability, and performance. Its advanced powertrains, connected technologies, and intelligent fleet solutions support a wide range of applications—from last-mile delivery to public transport while seamlessly driving the wheels of the nation’s economy. Guided by its brand promise Better Always, Tata Motors delivers future-ready solutions that enhance customer experience and drive sustainable growth. The company operates in India and South Korea, with a global presence across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and SAARC countries.

As per the Composite Scheme of Arrangement sanctioned by the Hon’ble National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai Bench—amongst Tata Motors Limited, TML Commercial Vehicles Limited (the Company) and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited—the Company’s name was changed to Tata Motors Limited from TML Commercial Vehicles Limited (effective 29 October 2025), and its equity shares are listed on the BSE Ltd and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited.

Neoterra Launches Made‑In‑India Solar Smart ACs, Cutting Cooling Costs By Up To 80% For Small Businesses

Make cooling work with the energy that is already abundant during the hottest part of the day—the sun

NeoTerra, a Climate Tech Company has introduced Neoterra Smart AC’s powered by Solar, 1.5-ton, 3-star split air conditioners designed to work with solar power while retaining the everyday convenience consumers expect from a modern AC. The system combines solar compatibility, App based Wi-Fi controls, 5-in-1 convertible cooling, PM1 air filtration and smart monitoring, with the ability to operate on solar or grid power. Neoterra technology can deliver up to 80% electricity energy savings, depending on usage and system configuration.

Neoterra Smart AC’s are currently offered at an introductory price of ₹42,299 + GST, with EMI options starting as low as ₹1,000/month, according to the company website. Neoterra also offers consultation, site assessment and sizing, professional installation and ongoing post-installation support.

The Solar powered Smart Air Conditioner is Made in India for India’s small-business owners and self-employed professionals. Ideal for workshops, clinics, salons, studios, offices, retail stores and home-run businesses, air-conditioning is becoming an increasingly significant operating expense—especially through India’s hotter summer months (nearly 8 months).

Neoterra is taking a different approach: make cooling work with the energy that is already abundant during the hottest part of the day—the sun.

For small businesses, the proposition is straightforward: cool the workplace without allowing electricity costs to keep climbing.

“Small business owners and self-employed professionals cannot simply pass every increase in electricity costs on to their customers. We wanted to rethink the AC around their reality—where cooling is essential, but the running cost matters just as much as the purchase price.” says Bipin Narang, Founder, Neoterra

The Neoterra Smart Solar AC is designed to connect directly with solar power without requiring a separate inverter for the AC itself. Its 5-in-1 Convertible technology allows users to adjust cooling capacity across five levels, helping businesses match cooling output to occupancy and heat conditions rather than running at full capacity all the time. App based Wi-Fi connectivity also enables connected control and monitoring through the mobile app.

“Climate action has to move beyond awareness and become part of everyday life. If millions of Indian homes and small businesses can use sunshine to meet a meaningful part of their cooling needs, we can make adaptation to rising temperatures both affordable and commercially sensible” adds Bipin Narang, Founder, Neoterra

The climate proposition is equally practical. Cooling demand rises precisely when solar generation is strongest, creating a natural opportunity to shift a significant part of AC electricity consumption away from conventional grid power. Neoterra positions its product as an everyday climate solution—helping consumers reduce dependence on conventional electricity while making clean-energy cooling more accessible.

About NeoTerra:-

NeoTerra is an Indian climate tech company that develops intelligent, direct solar-powered smart air-conditioning systems for homes and businesses.

Website:- https://neoterra.in/

Hyderabad’s Aarav Garg Leads Manufacturing Push at $100M AI Wearable Startup Persona

Aarav Garg – Founding Team, Persona AI Wearables

The 20-year-old founding team member and Chief Hardware Officer is overseeing the development and manufacturing of Persona Band, a screenless AI wearable scheduled to begin shipping in December 2026.

Persona, a startup developing a screenless, voice-enabled wristband designed to bring personal AI into everyday life, is preparing to take its wearable from engineering to production ahead of planned December shipments. At the centre of that effort is Hyderabad’s Aarav Garg, the 20-year-old founding team member and Chief Hardware Officer overseeing the device’s product development and manufacturing as the company works to bring conversational AI to the wrist.

Garg leads Persona’s hardware engineering, product development and manufacturing programme, working with manufacturing partners in China to take Persona Band from design and engineering towards production. The company is preparing to begin shipments in December 2026.

We are currently testing sample production runs to assess build quality and refine the overall product experience. Our goal is to deliver a premium experience across both hardware and software—from the materials and finish to unboxing, setup and everyday use.

“We’ve radically simplified the design so that switching straps—and even putting the Band on or taking it off—feels effortless. But making those interactions so simple has required a distinctive design and engineering approach, which has introduced manufacturing challenges that conventional strap designs don’t face. Taking that from prototype to production has been a mountain of learning: understanding how each material, mechanism and assembly process behaves, then working through the challenges one by one,” said Garg, founding team member and Chief Hardware Officer at Persona.

Aarav Garg-Founding Team, Persona AI Wearables

Persona Band is designed to bring a voice-enabled personal assistant into everyday activities without requiring users to interact with a screen. Weighing 27 grams, the device incorporates two microphones, a speaker and a 12-LED ring that communicates its operating status. Persona says the band is designed to deliver up to five days of battery life and support more than 120 languages.

The engineering challenge is to bring these components together in a compact device while balancing battery performance, voice interaction, reliability and comfort.

“One of our toughest constraints has been fitting a speaker, a dual-microphone array and a battery designed to last three to five days into one of the smallest wearable form factors. That combination has pushed us to rethink almost every aspect of the internal design and develop custom components, including a battery tailored to the space available.

“We initially planned to leave the speaker out of V1 because of the space and power constraints. But we realised that the experience would feel incomplete if users could speak to the Band and then had to turn to their phone for a response. Adding a speaker closes that interaction loop on the device itself and reduces dependence on the phone. We decided that experience was worth the additional engineering and manufacturing complexity, even though it made the product considerably harder to build,” said Garg.

Aarav Garg with Laurent Le Pen, a French Tech entrepreneur, world renowned Original Design Manufacturer

The device is intended to work alongside Persona’s AI assistant, which can help users manage appointments, emails, notes and travel through natural conversation. The assistant is currently available in a free beta through iMessage, while the wearable is being prepared for launch.

Moving from a working prototype to a product ready for customers introduces a different set of requirements, including manufacturing consistency, quality control, supplier coordination and production costs.

Garg works directly with Persona’s manufacturing partners in China as the company prepares the band for production.

“We’re currently carrying out sample production runs. The design has been validated, and our focus now is on testing those units rigorously to identify and resolve any remaining failure points before the first mass-production run.

“One of the biggest challenges has been waterproofing such a compact device while maintaining consistent build quality. Our testing includes submerging units in a water tank to check for water ingress and pressing the button 10,000 times to assess its durability. These checks are part of making sure the design holds up in practice and that the units we manufacture consistently meet our quality standards before we approve mass production,” said Garg.

“Over the next 12 months, we’ll iterate quickly on the Band and keep improving both the technology and the product. We’re also building an intelligence layer that can power the products we develop next. The Band is only the beginning: we already have additional hardware form factors planned internally, and we intend to keep expanding what we build around that intelligence,” said Garg.

Garg’s experience in hardware development predates Persona. He began building robots as a child, later studied at Purdue University and subsequently co-founded Omi, another AI wearable startup. He is now applying that experience to Persona, where his responsibilities span hardware development and the manufacturing process.

Persona is developing its wearable as part of a broader effort to make personal AI available through a dedicated device rather than relying solely on a smartphone interface.

The company’s next milestone is the planned December 2026 shipment of Persona Band. Preorders are available at US$179.

Persona has raised US$10 million in a funding round led by Vine Ventures, with participation from Cory Levy and Collective Global, at a reported valuation of US$100 million. The company plans to use the funding to support its product and business development as it prepares for launch.

Tata Power to Power India’s AI Boom with 2.8 GW Data Centre Push

Tata Power has announced a diversified 2.8 GW+ data centre opportunity pipeline across 18 leading global and domestic operators, positioning itself as a key partner in India’s AI and digital infrastructure expansion. This includes renewable energy, transmission, and distribution projects, with major investments in Mumbai’s grid to support hyperscale growth.

Tata Power has developed a robust and diversified data centre pipeline, including ~430 MW of upcoming distribution load, 1,236 MW of transmission-linked projects, and 1,150 MW of renewable capacity under active engagement. With 29 ongoing workstreams across 18 major global and domestic operators, the company is emerging as a critical enabler of India’s largest hyperscalers and AI-ready digital infrastructure.

Key Highlights

• 2.8 GW+ pipeline: Spread across 29 active workstreams with 18 blue-chip operators.
• 430 MW upcoming load under distribution.
• 1,236 MW transmission-linked opportunities.
• 1,150 MW green energy capacity under engagement.
• Integrated solutions: Powered land, renewable energy, storage, cooling systems, and utility infrastructure.
• Mumbai Grid Upgradation: ₹15,000 crore investment to enhance 110 kV & 220 kV networks, build new receiving stations, and develop a 400 kV transmission ring.

Strategic Context

Factor	Details
AI-driven demand	India’s AI-led data centres projected to add 26.3 GW electricity demand by FY2031-32.
Hyperscale focus	Direct support for hyperscalers and cloud operators with integrated infrastructure.
Energy diversification	Strong emphasis on renewables + transmission upgrades for sustainability and reliability.
Competitive positioning	Aligns Tata Power with Reliance, Adani, and global players investing in India’s AI-ready infrastructure.

Risks & Challenges

• Execution risk: Pipeline is opportunity-based, not confirmed contracts.
• Infrastructure strain: Hyperscale growth could stress Mumbai’s transmission capacity.
• Regulatory hurdles: Large-scale renewable and transmission projects require multi-state clearances.
• Cooling demand: AI-ready centres will increase cooling and water consumption.

Implications for India’s AI & Digital Growth

• Energy backbone: Stable baseload + renewable mix for AI workloads.
• Global competitiveness: Positions India as a trusted hub for hyperscale data centres.
• Sustainability: Supports India’s net-zero 2070 goals while enabling exponential AI-driven demand.

First‑Ever Advanced AI and HPC to Operate Directly on the Lunar Surface with HPE’s Spaceborne Computer‑4

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is preparing to take artificial intelligence beyond Earth’s orbit and straight to the Moon. In late 2026, the company’s Spaceborne Computer-4 (SBC4) will be deployed on the lunar surface, marking the first time advanced AI and high‑performance computing will operate directly on the Moon. This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program and represents a significant leap in how computing infrastructure will support future space exploration.

The SBC4 will travel aboard Astrolab’s Flex Lunar Innovation Platform (FLIP) rover, which itself will be delivered to the Moon’s south pole by Voyager Technologies’ Griffin‑1 lander, launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The chosen landing site near the Nobile crater is strategically important, as it is believed to contain water ice deposits that could be vital for Sustaining long‑term lunar missions.

Unlike its predecessors that operated aboard the International Space Station, SBC4 is designed to withstand the Moon’s extreme conditions. It is a compact, fanless system equipped with a low‑power CPU and GPU, paired with dual mirrored Kioxia solid‑state drives for redundancy. This ruggedized design is critical, as the lunar environment exposes hardware to intense radiation, drastic temperature swings, and prolonged periods of darkness.

What makes this mission groundbreaking is the type of workloads SBC4 will run. It will process large language models (LLMs) for retrieval‑augmented generation, enabling astronauts and rovers to search and interpret technical documents without relying on Earth‑based servers. It will also handle vision inference for navigation, LiDAR mapping for terrain analysis, and autonomous decision‑making tasks. By running these AI workloads locally, the rover can operate with greater independence, reducing communication delays with Earth and paving the way for more autonomous lunar exploration.

The strategic importance of this mission cannot be overstated. It is the first step toward establishing computing infrastructure on the Moon, a foundation for future lunar bases and commercial activity. By demonstrating that high‑performance computing can survive and function in such a hostile environment, HPE and its partners are laying the groundwork for a sustainable lunar economy.

This effort also highlights the growing role of private companies in space exploration, with HPE, Astrolab, Deloitte, and NASA collaborating to push the boundaries of what is possible.

A near real-time, predictive cyber-analytics and anomaly detection will be provided by Deloitte's new system, to detect cyber intrusions called Silent Shield™.

Challenges remain. HPE has deliberately kept details of the silicon architecture under wraps, citing mission risks. Thermal management is another hurdle, as the rover’s radiators can only dissipate limited heat. Radiation exposure is harsher than in Earth orbit, meaning the resilience of AI systems will be tested like never before. Yet, if successful, SBC4 will prove that advanced computing can thrive in deep‑space environments, enabling faster scientific discoveries and more autonomous missions.

For India, which has already made strides with its Chandrayaan missions, this development underscores the global race to build lunar infrastructure. It signals a future where AI‑driven computing at the point of discovery will be central to space exploration, offering opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and leadership in the emerging lunar economy.