Brands
EKA Mobility partners with Mitsui and VDL Groep to form a top global OEM in India
Mumbai: EKA Mobility, a leading electric vehicles & technology company based in India, is thrilled to announce a partnership with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Japan) and VDL Groep (Netherlands). This strategic cooperation marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Indian automotive industry, propelling India toward becoming a global hub for sustainable transportation. The alliance is set to establish most cutting-edge global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the region.
This is one of the largest and most significant partnerships in the new mobility segment in India bringing together the strengths and expertise of three leading automotive conglomerates in Asia & Europe to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative electric mobility solutions globally. Under the cooperation, EKA Mobility, known for its cutting-edge electric vehicles and comprehensive EV ecosystem, will receive significant and strategic investments from Mitsui, a global trading and investment company with a rich history of contributing to industrial innovation, and technological support & equity partnership from VDL Groep, a leading Dutch technology and manufacturing company. The combined expertise and resources of the three entities will usher in a new era of sustainable transportation and manufacturing excellence.
Key Highlights of the cooperation:
1. Strategic Investment: Mitsui & Co., Ltd. will make significant financial investments in EKA Mobility, enabling the company to scale up its manufacturing operations and expand its product portfolio. Mitsui will also provide support to EKA for exports to select emerging markets as well as establishment of systems & process.
2. Technological Leadership: As part of this partnership, VDL Bus & Coach, a subsidiary of VDL Groep and Europe’s frontrunner in electric buses & coaches will support EKA Mobility by transfer of technology to produce electric buses in India for the Indian market.
3. Strengthening ‘Make in India’: The alliance is firmly aligned with the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, aimed at promoting local manufacturing and job creation.
4. Sustainability: The cooperation emphasizes a commitment to sustainability and environment conscious mobility solutions, furthering the reduction of carbon footprints.
EKA Mobility founder & chairman Dr. Sudhir Mehta expressed his views about the cooperation, stating, “This partnership with Mitsui and VDL Groep represents a significant step toward making India a global hub for electric vehicle manufacturing. We are proud to join forces with such distinguished partners who share our vision of sustainable, profitable & efficient transportation.”
Mitsui & Co India GM of mobility business division Nobuyoshi Umezawa, “Through the cooperation of EKA, VDL, and Mitsui, we aim to contribute to “Make in India” by leveraging EKA’s excellent engineering and local network, and VDL’s cutting-edge technological capabilities. Furthermore, we would like to utilize our Mitsui’s global network to promote exporting EKA’s competitive products to overseas markets and contribute to creating eco-friendly societies”.
VDL Bus & Coach CEO Rolf-Jan Zweep, “We are delighted to partner with EKA Mobility and Mitsui. Although the basis of our high-quality development and manufacturing competences lie in north-western Europe, we see many opportunities in India, which is obviously a promising growth market. With this cooperation, we foresee especially many synergy benefits in the areas of procurement and development”.
EKA Mobility is one of the commercial vehicle manufacturers approved under the Champion OEM Scheme & EV component manufacturing scheme of the Government of India’s Auto PLI policy. EKA is the only Indian company offering end-to-end design, manufacturing & technology of new energy vehicles from scratch in India. The company has set up a state-of-the-art research, development, engineering & innovation center in Pune, Maharashtra, and has significantly grown its order book, with more than 500 electric buses and 5000 plus electric light commercial vehicle orders in the pipeline. All these vehicles will be completely designed & manufactured in India, at EKA’s proposed state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. In last two years, the company has introduced an electric city bus, staff carrier & school bus, nine-meter hydrogen fuel-cell electric bus, and is now all set to enter the last mile delivery with its range of e-LCVs designed & customized to suit Indian customers and businesses.
Brands
Godrej clarifies ‘GI’ identifier after logo similarity debate
Says GI is not a logo, will not replace Godrej signature across products.
MUMBAI: In a branding storm where shapes did the talking, Godrej is now spelling things out. Godrej Industries Group (GIG) has issued a clarification on its newly introduced ‘GI’ identifier, addressing questions around its purpose and design following a wave of online criticism. At the centre of the debate were two concerns: whether the new mark replaces the long-standing Godrej logo, and whether its geometric design mirrors other corporate identities.
The company has drawn a clear line. The Godrej signature logo, it said, remains unchanged and continues to be the sole logo across all consumer-facing products and services. The ‘GI’ mark, by contrast, is not a logo but a corporate group identifier intended for use alongside the Godrej signature or company name, and aimed at stakeholders such as investors, media and talent rather than consumers.
The need for such a distinction stems from the 2024 restructuring of the broader Godrej Group into two separate business entities. With both continuing to operate under the same Godrej name and signature, the identifier is positioned as a way to differentiate the Godrej Industries Group at a corporate level.
The rollout, however, triggered a broader conversation on design originality. Critics pointed to similarities between the GI mark’s geometric composition and logos used by companies globally, raising questions about distinctiveness.
Responding to this, GIG said its intellectual property and legal review found that such overlaps are common in minimalist, geometry-led design systems. Basic forms such as circles and rectangles appear across dozens of brand identities worldwide, the company noted.
It added that the identifier emerged from an extensive design process and was chosen for its simplicity, allowing it to sit alongside the Godrej signature without competing visually. While acknowledging that elemental shapes may appear less distinctive in isolation, the group emphasised that the mark is part of a broader identity system that includes a custom typeface, sonic branding and other proprietary elements.
Following legal and ethical assessments, the company said it found no impediment to using the identifier, reiterating that the GI mark is a corporate tool not a consumer-facing symbol.
In short, the logo isn’t changing but the conversation around it certainly has.
