Schaeffler India, IISc Launch World-Class HPC Infrastructure Driving Sustainable Innovation

Schaeffler India, the motion technology company, has announced the opening of a computational research infrastructure at the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID), Bengaluru. Part of Schaeffler India’s purposeful engagement with IISC, premium research academia, this supported facility strengthens research capabilities by enabling HPC (High- Performance Computing) large-scale simulations, data-intensive modelling and advanced analytics across materials, energy systems, and sustainable mobility. Additionally, these improvements will foster stronger industry collaborations, improved research quality and efficiency, and increased relevance of research in industry projects.

The initiative focuses on expanding FSID’s computational facilities through the acquisition of dedicated lab space, advanced in-rack cooling systems, power backup and high-performance hybrid computing workstations or clusters. These enhancements will significantly improve computational efficiency and support cutting-edge research.

The enhanced facility will benefit a wide range of stakeholders directly, including faculty members of the Indian Institute of Science (IISC), FSID-incubated startups, external startups and MSMEs accessing advanced digital infrastructure, industry partners engaged in R&D collaborations. Indirectly, the expanded infrastructure will support PhD scholars, postgraduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and the broader academic and industrial ecosystem.

Schaeffler India has also signed a Master Research Agreement (MRA) with the Indian Institute of Science (IISC), setting foundation for multiple future research projects and further strengthening its commitment to collaborative innovation and advanced research.

“At Schaeffler India, we are committed to building skills and manufacturing excellence rooted in India’s unique strengths, aligned with its needs, and geared towards creating lasting value. Such efforts depend on strong academia-industry collaboration, with institutions like Indian Institute of Science playing a critical role in equipping researchers with the right tools and expertise.

We’re proud to support its latest computational infrastructure through Schaeffler India’s CSR programme, HOPE. Beyond its immediate purpose, the facility will empower a wide spectrum of IISC research projects across diverse streams and teams, thereby amplifying the impact of collaborative research. Schaeffler India and IISC have a strong pipeline of joint projects, and our teams are fully aligned to move into execution. It reflects what's possible when two organizations come together with a shared purpose to strengthen research across multiple disciplines at IISC.” said Mr. Harsha Kadam, MD & CEO, Schaeffler India.

“The initiative of Schaeffler India to establish a high-performance computational facility for developing intelligent and sustainable systems at FSID, IISC, is highly commendable. With the long-term aim of creating a computational facility with a peak performance of around 32 PFLOPs, comprising a mixture of CPUs and GPUs, the facility will be highly beneficial for the research groups at IISC, startups incubated at FSID, and industries that collaborate with FSID/IISC. We look forward to the increasing digitalization, automation, and acceleration of research that this facility can create around the IISC ecosystem and the upcoming long-term collaborative activities with Schaeffler India.” said Sai Gautam Gopalakrishnan, Associate Professor of Materials Engineering, IISC.

Prof B. Gurumoorthy, Director- Foundation for Science Innovation and Development, said, “Being the interface for collaborative research with industry and deep science innovation at Indian Institute of Science, we are pleased to have this new infrastructure, which will significantly strengthen our ability to support faculty and other researchers pursuing interdisciplinary research across materials, energy systems, and sustainable mobility. This collaboration with Schaeffler India marks an important step in enhancing FSID’s capabilities in high-end simulations, data-intensive research, and next-generation technology development. We see this as a strong example of how industry-academia partnerships can accelerate research and innovation with real-world relevance".

By strengthening FSID's computational infrastructure, Schaeffler India aims to catalyze agile and impactful research engineering domains. This partnership will accelerate scientific deliverables, skill up the next-generation workforce, and drive industry-relevant solutions.

Schaeffler India Acquires Koovers, A B2B Automotive Spares E-Commerce Startup

Addition of B-to-B e-commerce platform to act as a key enabler for the aftermarket ecosystem, including distribution partners

Koovers is a brand of KRSV Innovative Auto Solutions Private Limited

Acquisition of 100 percent of the shares via a share purchase agreement

Schaeffler India Limited today announced that the Board of Directors has approved the acquisition of 100 percent of the shares of KRSV Innovative Auto Solutions Private Limited (in the following “Koovers”), a Bengaluru-based private limited company offering spare parts solutions to Indian aftermarket workshops via a B-to-B e-commerce platform. This acquisition presents an ideal synergy for Schaeffler’s future aftersales activities in India. It will be a key enabler for the aftermarket ecosystem, including distribution partners and help to play an important role in the fast growing and evolving aftermarket digital landscape.

 

Koovers founders

Schaeffler’s Automotive Aftermarket division supplies components and holistic repair solutions for the automobile spare parts business worldwide and sees itself as an enabler of garages. With an overarching understanding of systems and comprehensive services, Schaeffler supports garages in complex repairs and at the same time contributes to extending the operating life of vehicles.

Founded in 2015, Koovers has established a B-to-B e-commerce platform offering spare parts solutions to aftermarket workshops in India. With revenues of INR 777 million in the financial year 2022-23, the company has a compelling growth story and is one of the fast-growing players in the Indian B-to-B e-commerce market.

Koovers had raised a total of $2.5 million in funding over two rounds. Their latest funding was raised on June 2022 from a Seed Round. Koovers' largest round was in year 2021 when it raised $1.5 million led by Inflection Point Ventures. Other investors in that round include JPIN-VCats and Venture Catalysts.

Koovers supplies to over 7,000 plus workshops and has a portfolio of around 1.8 million parts from various manufacturers. The platform will continue to operate under Koovers brand name.

“We are happy to announce the acquisition of Koovers, a milestone moment for Schaeffler in India. This will be a strategic step to maximize value creation through our repair solutions for all customers. Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket’s ambition has always been to simplify workshop operations with plug and play products and solutions, while building consumer connect. Koovers strongly supports this ambition with its innovative digital offering,” said Mr. Harsha Kadam, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Schaeffler India.

Under the share purchase agreement, Schaeffler India Limited will acquire 100 percent shares of KRSV Innovative Auto Solutions Private Limited for a consideration of approximately INR 1,424 million. The transaction would be completed in third quarter of CY 2023, subject to customary closing conditions. This acquisition will be fully funded by own cash generation.

“This acquisition is in line with Schaeffler India’s strategic initiatives for growth and provides a compelling synergy potential. With its digital offering, the Koovers B-to-B e-commerce platform enables workshops to easily order spare parts solutions. We welcome the Koovers team to the Schaeffler Group,“ commented Mr. Debasish Satpathy, President Automotive Aftermarket Schaeffler India.

Mr. Sandeep Begur Sheshadri, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder at Koovers said: “Since our foundation eight years ago, we have scaled our business through innovative solutions and offerings. Koovers will expand its market coverage and depth, as well as extend product portfolio across the automotive aftermarket under the ownership of Schaeffler India. We are delighted to be an integral part of Schaeffler India and are committed to create value for all stakeholders.”

The Schaeffler Group has been driving forward groundbreaking inventions and developments in the field of motion technology for over 75 years. With innovative technologies, products, and services for electric mobility, CO₂-efficient drives, chassis solutions, Industry 4.0, digitalization, and renewable energies, the company is a reliable partner for making motion more efficient, intelligent, and sustainable – over the entire life cycle. The motion technology company manufactures high-precision components and systems for drive train and chassis applications as well as rolling and plain bearing solutions for a large number of industrial applications. The Schaeffler Group generated sales of EUR 15.8 billion in 2022. With around 84,000 employees, the Schaeffler Group is one of the world’s largest family-owned companies. With more than 1,250 patent applications in 2022, Schaeffler is Germany’s fourth most innovative company according to the DPMA (German Patent and Trademark Office).

About Schaeffler India Limited

Established for more than 60 years, Schaeffler India is a leading motion technology company with 4 manufacturing sites in Pune, Vadodara, Maneja, and Savli, 3 R&D centres, and 8 sales offices. In 2022, the company reported sales of INR 68,674 million, supported by a team of 3,190 employees. The company is well represented in India with its three divisions – Industrial, Automotive and Automotive Aftermarket, offering comprehensive range of products and services under the brands of FAG, INA, LuK and TruPower. Schaeffler caters a to a large and diverse customer base with efficient engine & transmission solutions, chassis and E-mobility solutions on the automotive division and reliable range of bearings and accessories with award winning Industry 4.0 and Lifetime Solutions for the industry division. Both the divisions are backed by a strong network of aftermarket footprint bringing products and solutions closer to customers. The strategic roadmap is driven by a well-defined ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) program, and Schaeffler India is committed to contribute to the global sustainability targets. Committed to quality, innovation, sustainability with a passionate team Schaeffler India strives to pioneer motion to advance the industrial and automotive technology in India. Explore more - www.schaeffler.co.in

11 Winning Ideas for Social Innovator Fellowship Program Announced by Schaeffler India

11 impactful ideas were shortlisted and awarded for further development and incubation

Creates platform to promote Social Innovation to enable inclusive growth and development

Leading industrial and automotive supplier, Schaeffler India Limited (BSE: 505790, NSE: SCHAEFFLER) today announced 11 winning ideas out of 150 shortlisted entries for its Social Innovator Fellowship Program. At an event held in Pune, 11 ideas were announced as winners, from over 150 entries that were shortlisted after 24 weeks of evaluation and jury process. The Social Innovator Fellowship Program was announced by Schaeffler India in the third quarter of 2021. Applications were invited in areas of education for the underprivileged, health & nutrition, renewable energy & environment, water conservation, and waste management. Schaeffler partnered with Buddy4Study, India's largest scholarship platform that connects scholarship and education loan providers with seekers to facilitate the initiative.

The 1st winning idea received a monetary support of INR 5,00,000 and the remaining 10 winning ideas received INR 1,00,000 each. Further, all the 11 winners will undergo an eight-week hybrid mentorship at CIIE (Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship) IIM Ahmedabad, one of India’s top Business schools to help them further develop and scale their solutions. Additionally, Schaeffler India will collaborate with winners and provide them access to its network to further collaborate and create opportunities.

The jury comprised of Mr Harsha Kadam – Managing Director and CEO, Schaeffler India; Mr Santanu Ghoshal – Vice President HR and Head of Sustainability India and eminent social entrepreneur and Ramon Magsaysay award winner Mr Anshu Gupta – Founder of Goonj.

Schaeffler India is actively pursuing its ESG strategy to drive holistic development and growth. A part of Schaeffler India's social development initiative, the program acts as a catalyst to identify and strengthen the capacity of young innovators who are working to transform the areas of education for the underprivileged, health & nutrition, renewable energy & environment, water conservation, and waste management.

Congratulating the winners, Mr Harsha Kadam said, “Innovation and development leads to growth, but equitable innovation is key to inclusive growth. It is heartening to see so many passionate ideas aided by technology, potentially impacting the social fabric in a positive way. We are seeing technology disruptions all around us promoting growth and holistic development and at Schaeffler India we are conscious of this fact and therefore announced this platform.”

On the announcement, Mr. Santanu Ghoshal said, "We are deeply committed to advancing the prosperity and progress of our communities. The Schaeffler India Social Innovator Fellowship Program aims to harness and support the pioneering spirit of young and passionate innovators across India to bring improvements to social and ecological issues. Our heartiest congratulations to the outstanding group of leaders selected for this fellowship program, who demonstrated a strong commitment to developing transformative solutions to 21st-century problems that result in more resilient systems, communities, and people.”

Mr. Anshu Gupta, Magsaysay awardee Social Entrepreneur and Founder – Goonj, while judging the event commented, “While judging the event commented, “Being a part of this event was an extremely gratifying and enriching experience. I congratulate all the winners who have passionately pursued their ideas and commend the teams of Buddy4Study and Schaeffler India, for creating this platform to bring forward transforming social impact ideas. It is good to see how youth from diversified backgrounds are trying to understand the core of issues and bringing new approaches and solutions.”

Selection Process:

The nomination process for the fellowship began in September last year. Schaeffler India received 557 applications from young innovators across the country. These nominations were subjected to a transparent and rigorous three-step selection process consisting of interviews and presentations to the jury panel and Schaeffler India leaders. In the primary check round, 167 candidates were shortlisted out of 557.

In the first round, the shortlisted candidates were judged on four different parameters i.e., - the age group, the current stage of their social venture, category of the idea and introductory deck/ video pitch. In this round 42 candidates were shortlisted for the 2nd round of selection.

The second round was conducted by trained Schaeffler employees from different locations in India and the candidates were judged on a holistic questionnaire and score card. After the 2nd round, 11 candidates were shortlisted for the third and final round.

In the final round, these 11 candidates presented their solution to an august jury panel, comprising of Schaeffler India leaders and a social entrepreneur. Basis the presentation and subsequent interview, the panel has selected the following winners: (at a felicitation ceremony)

Names of Winners	Name of their solution	Category
Purva Parwani	Claylab Education Foundation	Transforming Education for the underprivileged
Nikky Kumar Jha	Saptkrishi Scientific Private Limited	Renewable Energy and Environment
Swalih C I	Electrical Retrofitting	Renewable Energy and Environment
Shilpa K Nayana	Dime Klear Pvt Ltd	Water Conservation
Himanshu Gupta	Agricultural waste valorization conversion into value added products of industrial application	Waste Management
Aditya Srinivas	Roha Biotech	Waste Management
Deepak Rajmohan	GreenPod Labs	Waste Management
Lakshmanan	Adhesive Non-Surgical Hearing Device	Health & Nutrition
Ardra S Nair	Ecocontainers from recycled coir fiber	Waste Management
Dr. Neha Tuli	6DOF Solutions Pvt. Ltd.	Transforming Education for the underprivileged
Sulem Ansari	Comparison Of Effectiveness Of Moringa Oleifera Leaves Extract Gel (2%) With Retino A (0.1%) Cream For Treatment Of Oral Leukoplakia (precancerous lesion) : Double Blinded Randomized Control Trial	Health & Nutrition

About the winning projects:

Project Name	Synopsis
Agro Waste Valorization into Value added products by Himanshu Gupta	Problem: fruit waste which is underutilized in low value creation Solution: Bio-Active Compounds, Green Bio-polymers and chemicals Banana fruit waste peel dried, milled into powder form using 150 sieve mesh size Extraction of Beta Carotene from Banana waste peel Application as ingredient in cosmetic and animal feed products Impact: It can prevent greenhouse gas emissions and generate employment in rural areas through de-centralized processing units
Impulse - Make hear the un-hear by Lakshmanan	Problem: High risk open skull surgery Hearing implants are inaccessible to a large percentage of population High cost of implantation Recommended before 8 years of age  Solution: Eliminate open skull surgery for children IMPULSE device to stick behind the ear, switch on the device, and hear Impact: The gift of hearing, employment opportunities, innovation from a Tier-2 city, and better quality of life (UN SDGs)
Learn—O—Little by Dr. Neha Tuli	Problem: Traditional learning lacks interaction, engagement, motivation and hinders self-imagination. Solution: Learn -O- Little is a portable and affordable Augmented Reality based hands-on learning kit for kindergarten kids to help them learn basic English language skills (alphabet, word building, etc.).  Learn -O- Little for special kit includes sign language flashcards that would allow special kids to learn from the same kit. Learn ? O ? Little Magic workbook is India?s first AR integrated Workbook in which the child learns unique vocabulary and can visualize the same color animals in front of him/her the way he fills in his coloring book
Saptkrishi by Nikky Kumar Jha	Problem: 40% of horticulture produce around the globe is wasted. Sum loss in agricultural sector due to post-harvest wastage in India alone: 20 bn $/year.  Solution: Sabjikothi/ Preservator Impact:  50% increase in the income of small & marginal farmers Reduction in waste by more than 30% Health benefits - kills deadly  pathogens and makes food  safe Reduces Energy consumption by more than 80%
Claylab Education Foundation by Purva Parwani	Problem: 1 crore students move to Grade 11 every year in India. At least 60% of them would be 1st generation graduates. Lack adequate career awareness and readiness  Solution: Virtual mentorship support. Connecting Working Professionals as Mentors with higher-secondary students from low-income families Impact:  90.6% students feel they have at least 1 person at Claylab who can guide them 78% of students are at a level of 3 in CORE 40% of students are at a level of 4 in CORE
Dime Klear Pvt. Ltd. by Shilpa K Nayana	Problem: Water scarcity is a huge problem for the World. Even if the water is available, there is the issue of contamination. This is particularly severe in certain areas where there is a lack of groundwater, resulting in illness from poor water quality  Solution: An ISRO Supported Project. Purification and Desalination of water using agricultural materials, Coconut shell with high-end technology, Nanotechnology at fraction of the cost. Project SUKHVI: provides clean drinking water to under privileged communities at Rs.  2 for 20 litres by deploying 1000 LPH (litres per hour) community filtration plants.
Moringa Oleifera (Drumstick) Leaves Extract Gel (2%) For The Treatment Of Oral Leukoplakia (Pre-cancerous lesion) by Sulem Ansari	Problem: Currently there is no specific treatment available for the management of oral leukoplakia  Solution:  Moringa oleifera is a tropical shrub native to India, which is also known as the 'drumstick tree?. Moringa oleifera leaves demonstrate potent antioxidant activity. A study on moringa oleifera reported that it provides 7 times more vitamin C than oranges,10 times more vitamin A than carrots.  It is found in various parts of India and  can be grown in any region of India, economical and low maintenance plant. M. oleifera mucoadhesive gel. Impact:  Confidence and sense of empowerment.  Entrepreneurial mindset. Clear vision regarding the venture. Commercialization of the innovation. Scaling of the innovation. Positive impact on society and the economy.
Electrical Retrofitting by Swalith Ibrahim	Problem: Policy to scrap auto-rickshaws older than 15 years. 30% rickshaws will be affected. Majority will be dumped in roadsides or illegal scrap yards, leaching metals & toxins in to ground Solution: Retrofit fossil-fuelled auto-rickshaws to electric vehicle. Reuse 80% of components
Roha369 Biotech by Aditya Srinivas	Problem:  Styrofoam constitutes 1% of the overall plastic industry, it occupies a staggering 30% of volume in landfills 70% of 270 KTPA ends up in landfills after singleuse. Catastrophic damage for Marine& Land life  Solution: Mycelium packaging with following benefits: Agricultural residue-based mycelium bio-composite Water and fire resistant.& Thermal and sound insulator Minimal energy consumption Upcycling of waste Complex, customizable & modular structures
Sustainable packaging solutions by Ardra S Nair	Problem: Around 142 billion units of cosmetic packaging- Global, 2018 Majority comprising of Plastic packaging Only 9% of worlds plastic has been recycled Pollution- Landfills and Oceans  Solution: Eco-containers from recycled coin fibers Impact: With 5 lakh containers in the market, we save 4.35 MT Co2 equivalent
Greenpod Labs by Deepak Rajmohan	Problem: 40% of fruits & vegetables lost $12 Billion economic waste 2.6G Tons of greenhouse gas emission  Solution: Active Packaging ?The product activates the plant?s defense mechanism to slow down the ripening rate and prevent any microbial growth

About HOPE

Schaeffler India as a part of its CSR program has consolidated its activities and focus exclusively on a few core areas which will make a meaningful impact on the community and make a difference. HOPE is Schaeffler India’s umbrella initiative encompassing the values, vision and mission of the organization. Through this initiative Schaeffler India strives to contribute, to the motto \'सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः\' (May everyone be happy). It is derived from the four core areas of focus – Healthcare, Occupational skill, Preservation of national heritage, art & culture and Empowerment of society. Under HOPE, Schaeffler India runs a number of initiatives for the four focus areas.

HOPE is Schaeffler India’s flagship CSR brand that has the following focus areas; Health Care, Occupational Skill for Employability, Preservation of National Heritage Art & Culture and Empowerment of Society. The engineering scholarship initiative is part of the organizations continuous endeavor towards empowerment through education.