In a bold stride towards redefining sustainable manufacturing, Mahindra unveiled its state-of-the-art electric vehicle (EV) and battery assembly facility at its Chakan plant, ushering in a new era of eco-friendly production for its Electric Origin SUVs.
Strategically located within the company’s sprawling 2.83 km² Chakan manufacturing hub, the facility, built in a record time of 11 months, embodies Mahindra’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and excellence in electric mobility.
The Chakan hub, one of India’s largest greenfield projects, operates as a water-positive facility powered entirely by renewable energy. The new EV manufacturing plant is no exception, representing the first Mahindra facility to achieve 100% renewable energy usage across its operations. This ensures that the sustainability of its vehicles extends to their production, offering consumers an eco-friendly choice from start to finish. The EV manufacturing hub is a fully integrated, highly automated manufacturing ecosystem that leverages over 1,000 robots and multiple automated transfer systems.
With an ambitious INR 4,500 crore investment allocated for EV development from its FY22–FY27 capital cycle, the Chakan facility is designed to handle the full spectrum of EV production, from advanced battery packs to complete vehicle assembly. The plant also integrates cutting-edge automation and gender-diverse operations, setting a benchmark for inclusivity and efficiency in Indian manufacturing.
A Fully Integrated EV Ecosystem
The EV production line is seamlessly integrated with the INGLO platform, Mahindra’s proprietary electric skateboard architecture. The facility covers every stage of the EV lifecycle—from the trim line and underbody assembly to final inspections, real-time testing, and customer acceptance checks. Equipped with ergonomic and automated systems, the plant ensures high efficiency while maintaining comfort for its workforce.
Mahindra’s state-of-the-art EV manufacturing facility at Chakan is a testament to innovation and sustainability, setting new benchmarks in electric vehicle production. Spanning about 88,000 m² dedicated to EV operations, the plant is designed to integrate advanced automation and precision engineering with eco-friendly practices. The facility boasts a fully automated press shop, an AI-driven body shop, and one of India’s most sophisticated robotic paint shops, ensuring superior quality and operational efficiency.
The body shop deploys over 500 robots and fully automated transfer systems, all monitored through an IoT-based 'Nerve Center' that provides real-time process insights and end-to-end traceability. Industry 4.0 technologies, including Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), ensure seamless material movement throughout the plant, highlighting safety, speed, and reliability in sustainable manufacturing.
The assembly plant stands as a beacon of cutting-edge technology and precision engineering. Among its standout features are automated laser panel scanning for accuracy, a fully automated body shop, and advanced pixel painting technology for seamless dual-tone roof finishes. The facility also employs specialised systems such as nine precision robots and 21 DC tools to tighten critical joints, a 3D vision system for ultra-precise component mounting, and 45 AI-driven vision cameras to ensure rigorous quality checks.
Further enhancing the assembly process is a specialised battery decking system, a contactless wheel alignment setup, and an automated ADAS calibration system, all designed to deliver improved performance and reliability. The plant also includes high-pressure water testing, specifically tailored for the infinity roof, to ensure robustness and durability in real-world conditions.
Gender diversity is a key highlight, with a significant number of women operators involved across the assembly lines. The facility’s gender-neutral design philosophy ensures that all employees can easily operate machinery, showcasing the OEM’s inclusive vision.
Battery Manufacturing: Innovation At Its Core
The heart of the new facility is its high-tech battery manufacturing line. The facility’s cutting-edge battery assembly plant operates as one of the world’s most compact and efficient lines, employing patented processes and lean module assembly techniques. Fully automated and powered by Industry 4.0 technologies, this plant is a hub of innovation, producing high-performance, long-lasting batteries with precision. The assembly process leverages a patented pallet design for optimal insulation and geometric accuracy, alongside hidden cell terminal welding for robust connectivity and durability.
Utilising advanced automation, the battery production process is entirely touch-free, ensuring precision, consistency, and safety. From plasma cleaning of cells to precision stacking, welding, and assembly, every step leverages state-of-the-art technologies such as high-precision robots and patented processes like ribboning technology (using long, narrow strips of materials to create batteries) for enhanced efficiency.
Incoming cells are handled robotically from supplier packaging through to the final assembly of battery packs, ensuring zero human contact and minimising contamination risks. This meticulous attention to detail is matched by rigorous testing protocols, where each battery pack undergoes multi-layered quality checks to meet global standards.
To guarantee reliability, the plant performs multi-layered end-of-line testing, simulating real-world conditions with features like IP67 ingress protection, real-time temperature monitoring, and automated anomaly isolation.
The company adopts a 'no-fault-forward' approach, ensuring that defective parts are identified and addressed early in the process, preventing them from undergoing further value addition. These advanced processes underscore the automaker’s focus on delivering battery solutions that embody durability, safety, and peace of mind, tailored to meet the demands of modern electric mobility. At the state-of-the-art battery assembly plant, 98% of operations are fully automated. The facility employs advanced 3D vision-enabled plate mounting for better accuracy during assembly.
The Chakan facility of the company has three paint shops and the EVs are painted where the OEM’s premium vehicles like XUV 700 is painted, ensuring consistent quality and excellence across the lineup.
Sustainability Beyond Vehicles
The Chakan facility sets an example for the company’s sustainability approach. By integrating renewable energy into every aspect of production, the plant achieves a net-positive environmental impact. Advanced energy management systems further enhance efficiency, while the water-positive operations set a precedent for eco-friendly manufacturing practices.
A Future-Ready Facility
Built in a record time of 11 months, the Chakan plant is a testament to the automaker’s engineering prowess and agility. With plans to produce 5,000 units of BE 6 and XUV 9e monthly in its initial phase, the facility is poised to cater to the growing demand for luxury EVs, both domestically and internationally.
Driving India’s EV Revolution
Mahindra’s Chakan facility represents a transformative step in the industry’s journey toward sustainable mobility. Combining cutting-edge technology, innovative manufacturing processes, and a deep focus on preserving the environment, the company is not just building vehicles—it’s driving a movement. With its Electric Origin SUVs and integrated EV ecosystem, the company is set to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, making green mobility a mainstream reality.
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