Motherson and Hellmann Form Logistics Joint Venture in Dubai

Samvardhana Motherson International Limited has agreed to establish a joint venture with Germany-based Hellmann Worldwide Logistics to provide integrated supply chain services to the global automotive sector.

20 Mar 2026 | 1 Views | By Angitha Suresh

Samvardhana Motherson International Limited (SAMIL) announced on March 19, 2026, that its Board of Directors had approved a Joint Venture Agreement with Hellmann Worldwide Logistics (MESA) Holding Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of Dubai International Financial Centre, United Arab Emirates. The new joint venture company (JVC) will be registered in Dubai and will serve as the operational vehicle for the partnership.

The board meeting at which the proposal was considered commenced at 1630 hours IST and concluded at 1725 hours IST on March 19, 2026. The disclosure was made to both the National Stock Exchange of India, where SAMIL trades under the symbol MOTHERSON, and BSE Limited, where it carries scrip code 517334, in compliance with Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.

SAMIL will hold a controlling 51% stake in the JVC, with Hellmann holding the remaining 49%. The JVC will be incorporated with an authorised share capital of USD 10 million, equivalent to approximately AED 36.7 million, and a paid-up share capital of USD 1 million, equivalent to approximately AED 3.67 million. Both parties will subscribe to the paid-up share capital in proportion to their respective shareholding ratios, with the final structure subject to business requirements at the time of incorporation.

Governance of the JVC will be shared between the two partners. The board will comprise a minimum of six directors, with SAMIL appointing three, including the Chairman, and Hellmann appointing the remaining three. The joint venture agreement will include rights and obligations customary to transactions of this nature, the company stated in its filing.

The venture will be operated through SAMIL's Logistics Solution Division and is designed to deliver integrated third-party logistics (3PL) and fourth-party logistics (4PL) services on a global scale, with Japan excluded from the scope of operations. The stated objectives of the partnership include strengthening resilience, efficiency, and stability across automotive supply chains, while supporting customers with end-to-end logistics requirements.

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG, the German parent of the JV partner, brings considerable scale to the arrangement. Headquartered in Osnabrück, Germany, the company reported a turnover of EUR 3.8 billion and maintains a presence across more than 170 countries through a combination of direct operations and an agents' network. Its service portfolio includes air, ocean, and road freight, customs brokerage, and contract logistics, spanning multiple industries in addition to automotive.

For SAMIL, the tie-up represents an expansion of its logistics ambitions at a time when automotive manufacturers are placing increasing emphasis on supply chain reliability following years of disruption caused by semiconductor shortages, geopolitical uncertainties, and freight bottlenecks. By partnering with an established global freight forwarder, SAMIL's Logistics Solution Division gains access to an existing international infrastructure without building it from the ground up.

The choice of Dubai as the domicile for the JVC is consistent with the city's position as a regional hub for trade and logistics, offering a well-developed regulatory environment through the Dubai International Financial Centre, along with connectivity to markets across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

SAMIL confirmed that the transaction does not constitute a related party transaction for the company, and the related party provisions under SEBI regulations are therefore not applicable. The company has not disclosed a timeline for the completion of the JVC's incorporation, nor the date on which operations are expected to commence.

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