The ACMA Mobility Foundation has hosted the inaugural Cluster Conference 2026 in Pune under the theme “Building World-Class Automotive Supply Chain – The ACMA Way.” The event also marked 25 years of the ACMA Cluster Movement, an initiative that has played a key role in enhancing operational excellence, encouraging industry collaboration and strengthening the global competitiveness of India’s automotive component sector.
The conference brought together policymakers, OEMs, automotive component manufacturers and industry leaders to discuss strategies for building resilient, globally competitive supply chains through collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.
Hosting the inaugural conference in Pune, often referred to as India’s “Detroit of the East,” highlighted the city’s significance as a major automotive manufacturing hub. With more than 4,000 automotive and ancillary units, Pune has established itself as a centre for engineering excellence, advanced manufacturing and collaborative capability development. The city continues to play a pivotal role in India’s automotive evolution through advancements in electric vehicle technologies, world-class research and development, testing infrastructure, and the adoption of Industry 4.0 manufacturing practices, further strengthening the country’s position in the global automotive supply chain.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Vikrampati Singhania, President, ACMA, Managing Director, J.K. Fenner (India) Ltd., said, “Twenty-five years ago, ACMA made a simple yet transformative choice. Instead of asking companies to become better than one another, we invited them to become better with one another. That belief gave birth to the ACMA Cluster Movement, which has since evolved into a culture of collaboration, benchmarking and continuous improvement.”
Highlighting the industry’s progress, he noted that the Indian auto component industry crossed ₹7.6 lakh crore in turnover in FY2025–26, with exports reaching $24 billion, more than doubling in size over the past five years. He added that while these achievements reflect growing global confidence in Indian manufacturing, sustaining leadership will require continued investments in engineering, manufacturing excellence, quality, innovation and people. “Scale may win markets, but capability wins confidence. The next chapter will not be written by the biggest companies, but by the strongest ecosystems.”
Welcoming delegates, Mr. Sriram Viji, President-Designate, ACMA, and Managing Director, Brakes India Pvt Ltd., stated, “As India strengthens its position in global manufacturing, building world-class supply chains will require closer collaboration between industry, government and technology institutions. The ACMA Cluster Movement continues to play a vital role in helping manufacturers, particularly MSMEs, improve competitiveness through quality, digitalisation and continuous capability development.”
The conference featured a keynote address by Vinamra Mishra, Joint Secretary (Administration & Technology), Ministry of MSME, Government of India, and a panel discussion with senior procurement and strategy leaders from Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, VE Commercial Vehicles, JSW Motors, TVS Motor Company and Cummins India on the future of globally competitive automotive supply chains.
Elaborating on the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen manufacturing MSMEs, Vinamra Mishra, Joint Secretary (Administration & Technology), Ministry of MSME, Government of India, added, “The Ministry of MSME is strengthening the ZED and Lean programmes by introducing enhanced incentives for technology upgradation, quality certification, market access, public procurement, and international outreach, enabling manufacturing MSMEs to become more competitive and future ready. A resilient MSME ecosystem, anchored by a strong automotive industry, will play a pivotal role in realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat and positioning India as a global manufacturing powerhouse.”
As part of the silver jubilee celebrations, ACMA unveiled a commemorative film on the 25-year journey of the Cluster Movement, released a special edition of IMPACT, and recognised outstanding Cluster Star Performer Companies for excellence in manufacturing and continuous improvement.
Concluding the conference, Mr. Vinnie Mehta, Director General, ACMA, commented, “FY26 reaffirmed the resilience of India’s auto component industry, driven by strong domestic demand, continued investments in technology and the confidence of global customers. As global supply chains evolve, India is strengthening its position as a trusted manufacturing partner. The ACMA Cluster Movement continues to demonstrate that collaboration and continuous capability building are key to enhancing competitiveness and building world-class automotive supply chains.”
Over the past 25 years, the ACMA Cluster Movement has supported thousands of manufacturing professionals and more than 2,500 manufacturing plants in adopting global best practices, reinforcing ACMA’s commitment to building a future-ready, globally competitive automotive supply chain.
