Uno Minda CTO on the integrated approach to shedding pounds for efficiency and electrification.
13 Jun 2025 | 2036 Views | By Shahkar Abidi and Kiran Murali
With the fast-evolving automotive landscape, lightweighting has emerged as a non-negotiable imperative, transitioning from a mere engineering goal to a holistic strategy underpinning efficiency, sustainability, and the electric vehicle revolution. Amit Jain, CTO of Uno Minda, a diversified automotive components manufacturer, during a fireside chat at the Vehicle Lightweighting Conference ...
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With the fast-evolving automotive landscape, lightweighting has emerged as a non-negotiable imperative, transitioning from a mere engineering goal to a holistic strategy underpinning efficiency, sustainability, and the electric vehicle revolution. Amit Jain, CTO of Uno Minda, a diversified automotive components manufacturer, during a fireside chat at the Vehicle Lightweighting Conference organized by Autocar Professional, shed light on the sophisticated methodologies, technological innovations, and material science breakthroughs propelling this critical shift, emphasizing that the focus is no longer just on "light" but on "light and smart" vehicles.
For the automotive industry, lightweighting is integral to achieving more efficient and sustainable vehicles. “It has always been crucial for fuel efficiency but is now gaining more and more importance with the whole part of electrification,” Jain said. He highlighted lightweighting as a “common theme that runs across as a horizontal” in various aspects of vehicle development—from electronic design to software usage and the deployment of new tools. This integrated approach is critical for the industry to meet stringent efficiency targets and the unique demands of electric powertrains.
Uno Minda, with its diverse portfolio spanning 28 product segments—from switches and seats to alloy wheels and advanced electronics—takes weight saving “very seriously.” Their strategy involves several key methodologies:
Targeted Lightweight Components: Uno Minda produces specifically targeted lightweight parts, such as blow-moulded parts, which offer crash absorption and weight reduction compared to metal or injection-moulded alternatives.
Jain underscored that lightweighting is a core theme within Uno Minda’s product and technology roadmaps, with targets closely coordinated with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). These targets are often balanced against cost implications: a “30% weight reduction” might not be feasible if it entails a “200% cost increase.” However, for specialized, high-efficiency vehicles—such as electric autonomous shuttles, where weight is critical and cost less so—targets can be much higher compared to high-volume vehicles like two-wheelers in India.
Innovation for lightweighting extends beyond new materials to advanced manufacturing processes. Jain cited the example of low-pressure injection molding for two-wheeler Electronic Control Units (ECUs), a process that can eliminate the use of heavy epoxy material and also reduce cost while achieving weight reduction. Other innovations include using new-age materials or filling pipes with foaming material in handlebars to improve structural rigidity and still reduce weight. Ultimately, lightweighting innovation is described as “a combination of material science, usage of new CAE techniques, and new manufacturing processes,” Jain added.
The Digital Edge: CAE and AI
Technology plays a transformative role in achieving design optimization and weight targets. Digital twins and advanced Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) techniques, including hybrid CAE and AI models, significantly reduce lead times and costs by enabling virtual testing and iterations. The advent of multiphysics CAE allows for combined thermal, structural, and electronics simulations, accelerating complex analyses. Digital databases of material science data can also be integrated into CAE models for faster and more reliable outcomes.
Uno Minda is actively exploring four evolving applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
Generative Design: Leveraging historical data to increase reuse of designs and concepts, thereby reducing lead time and improving accuracy for mechanical parts.
AI Extensions in CAE: Enhancing the accuracy and correlation of CAE models.
Failure Mode Analysis: Using data to identify failure modes and severity, aiding in problem diagnosis.
Capturing Requirements: Employing AI models to better capture regional and usage-specific requirements.
Addressing concerns about structural integrity and formability, Jain noted that CAE enables virtual proofing, showing that new-age materials can be used for critical applications—including crash structures—and may even improve crash resistance. For instance, blow-moulded crash absorption parts are simple and effective in improving safety. While new materials currently face challenges such as higher costs and less readily available manufacturing technologies due to lower volumes, the industry is actively working to create volume and build the necessary supply ecosystem.
Sustainability—including recyclability, reuse, and end-of-life considerations—is now a key factor when exploring new materials. Replacing non-recyclable materials like epoxy with more sustainable options, such as those enabled by low-pressure injection molding, is becoming standard practice. The use of recycled or reground materials is also increasingly common.
Furthermore, the evolving Electronic & Electrical (E&E) architectures, characterized by the shift toward zonal and domain controllers, contribute significantly to both lightweighting and sustainability. Consolidating more than 20 ECUs into four or five domain and zonal controllers leads to a net reduction in weight and lowers the use of non-recyclable components—fewer PCBs, fewer ICs. Software, by enabling over-the-air updates, can extend a vehicle’s lifespan and support overall sustainability goals.
The automotive industry’s commitment to lightweighting suggests an aggressive re-engineering of how vehicles are designed and manufactured. Driven by demands for efficiency, sustainability, and electrification, this trend is leveraging a sophisticated blend of material science, advanced manufacturing techniques, and cutting-edge digital tools like CAE and AI.
As Uno Minda’s Amit Jain emphasized, the future of mobility is not just about making vehicles light, but about making them “light and smart,” ensuring they are both high-performing and environmentally responsible.