ZF Group India President Akash Passey Interview: Govt Testing Orders, EV Push & What's Next

ZF Group India recently secured three separate orders for automotive testing systems covering battery, tyre and e-axle testing, from three independent agencies operating under the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP), the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the Government of India.

This was the first time that the ZF Group won orders from independent government testing agencies across three separate testing disciplines in the country, having previously supplied testing equipment mainly to private automotive manufacturers in India.

Akash Passey - President and Head - ZF Group in Region India

We talked with Akash Passey, President & Head, ZF Group in Region India, over an email interview about the trends shaping automotive testing, how the test systems business fits into ZF's growth strategy, and where the company sees the biggest opportunities ahead. Here are his thoughts...

Q1. What are the biggest trends shaping the future of automotive testing today?

As the automotive industry accelerates its transition towards electric mobility, testing has expanded beyond conventional vehicle validation to include batteries, electric drivetrains, e-axles and other critical EV components.

Manufacturers are increasingly investing in comprehensive testing capabilities to ensure product safety, durability, performance and compliance throughout the development lifecycle, making advanced validation a critical enabler of next-generation mobility. At the same time, regulations, including the ongoing development of BS7 in India and the implementation of Euro7 globally, are increasing demand for advanced testing and certification infrastructure.

As emission, safety and quality standards become more stringent, manufacturers are placing greater emphasis on robust testing, validation and certification to meet regulatory requirements. This is driving greater investment in advanced testing infrastructure capable of supporting component, system and full-vehicle validation, enabling manufacturers to achieve compliance while accelerating product development.

As vehicle technologies become more complex, manufacturers are adopting integrated testing solutions that span the entire development process, from individual component validation to complete vehicle and system-level assessment, supporting regulatory compliance while improving product quality and reliability.

Beyond automotive applications, the growth of sectors such as railways and defense is creating new opportunities for advanced testing and validation technologies. These industries increasingly require high-performance, reliable and safety-critical technologies that undergo rigorous testing and validation, generating demand and creating new opportunities for providers with expertise in integrated testing and engineering solutions across diverse mobility applications.

2. How does the test systems business fit into ZF's long-term growth strategy?

The Test Systems business is a strategic growth pillar for ZF Group India's Industrial Technology Division. This business strengthens our position as a technology solutions partner within the evolving automotive and mobility sectors. By supporting advanced testing across driveline, chassis and e-mobility applications, the business complements our broad portfolio while contributing to the nation's ambition of building a globally competitive mobility ecosystem.

Through its battery, tyre and e-mobility testing solutions, ZF Group provides advanced testing infrastructure for OEMs, suppliers and certification agencies, helping them perform accurate product validation and certification while meeting increasingly stringent safety and regulatory requirements.

At the same time, the business supports India's localisation agenda by combining global testing expertise to boost the manufacturing capabilities and evolving regulatory framework. As industry standards continue to advance, this approach helps customers achieve compliance, strengthens domestic testing capabilities and supports the development of a more resilient, innovative and future-ready automotive ecosystem.

3. What makes these three orders a significant milestone for ZF Group India?

This is ZF Group India's first multi-order win from three independent government automotive testing agencies under NATRiP, MoRTH and the Government of India, making it a significant milestone in the company's growth and its contribution to strengthening India's automotive testing and certification ecosystem.

Being selected by three independent government-backed agencies reflects strong confidence in ZF Group's technology, engineering expertise and ability to support the nation's evolving regulatory landscape. Securing these projects was a highly competitive bidding process and further underscores ZF's ability to succeed against strong global and regional competition, highlighting customer trust in its our proven testing technologies, engineering excellence and capability to deliver solutions tailored to India's specific regulatory and testing requirements.

For us this project showcases the breadth of ZF Test Systems' capabilities across battery, tyre and e-axle testing, demonstrating its ability to support multiple facets of next-generation mobility and address growing demand driven by electrification, safety requirements and evolving certification standards. This achievement highlights ZF Group India's deep understanding of the country's testing and certification landscape while reaffirming its long-term commitment to strengthening automotive safety infrastructure and enabling globally competitive mobility solutions.

4. How is the shift towards electrification shaping demand for testing solutions, and how is ZF addressing it?

Electrification is significantly increasing demand for specialised battery, electric powertrain and e-axle testing solutions as automotive manufacturers focus on validating the safety, durability, performance and regulatory compliance of next-generation electric vehicles.

ZF Group supports the industry's transition through a comprehensive portfolio of advanced testing technologies that span the entire battery lifecycle, including cell, module and pack-level validation, as well as End-of-Line (EoL) testing to ensure battery quality before vehicles enter service.

Our e-mobility test systems enable manufacturers to efficiently validate electric motors, e-axles and conventional transmissions on a single platform, helping accelerate product development while meeting evolving certification and customer requirements. Through its integrated battery and e-mobility testing capabilities, we are helping OEMs, suppliers and testing agencies develop safer, more reliable and future-ready electric mobility solutions while strengthening India's testing and certification ecosystem.

5. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunities for advanced automotive testing?

The biggest opportunities in the automotive testing industry is in advancing testing and validation capabilities across electric mobility, vehicle safety and regulatory certification.

As vehicles become increasingly electrified, connected and technologically complex, manufacturers will require comprehensive testing solutions that can validate EV batteries, electric powertrains, tyre performance, safety systems and connected vehicle technologies, while meeting compliance and regulatory standards.

The growing emphasis on safety, performance, reliability and faster certification is driving demand for advanced testing infrastructure that supports the entire vehicle development lifecycle, from component validation to full-system and vehicle-level testing. By combining ZF Group's global testing capabilities with a thorough understanding of the Indian automotive landscape, we help OEMs, suppliers and independent testing agencies address emerging industry requirements.

This enables the company to strengthen India's testing and certification infrastructure while contributing to the development of safer, smarter and more sustainable mobility solutions.