New Delhi: India's auto parts makers are betting on lightweight components as a key growth frontier, as automobile companies intensify efforts to improve electric vehicle (EV) efficiency and driving range, analysts said.
At least two large auto component makers—Pune-based Belrise Industries Ltd and Gurugram-based ASK Automotive Ltd—are focusing on making lighter parts, as automakers look to balance the extra weight of lithium-ion batteries in EVs compared to traditional internal combustion engines (ICE).
Analysts say the trend is set to accelerate as lighter components improve driving range—a key concern for EV buyers—by reducing energy use per kilometre and allowing vehicles to travel longer distances on a single charge. Various independent estimates suggest that EVs weigh 20-30% more than ICE vehicles due to the higher weight of lithium-ion battery packs.
“If the battery is heavier than the engine, then what the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) expect is for the chassis and other large BIW (Body in White) components to drive the lightweighting,” Swastid Badve, general manager at Belrise Industries, told Mint in an interview.
“And that's why we want to, kind of, focus on high tensile technology to drive lightweighting in all of the other components that we make like a chassis, BIW part and so on and so forth,” he added.
BIW parts refer to those components that make up the structure of a vehicle including body side, floor, and roof panels, among others.
To drive lightweighting, the company is investing in high tensile technology, which reduces the thickness of steel used to make components. As Badve explains, investment in such technology is also helping improve safety of cars as it can absorb higher impact.
Analysts and investors have struck a similarly bullish note on ASK Automotive, which has invested in aluminium lightweighting solutions for components such as battery pack and electric motor housings.
“The company is aggressively positioning itself to capture the Electric Vehicle (EV) sector, specifically for lightweighting solutions that are critical for increasing EV range,” analysts at Sunidhi Research wrote in a note on the company on 18 March.
Queries sent to top two-wheeler makers like Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto, TVS Motor Company and Honda and four-wheeler makers like Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, and Mahindra and Mahindra remained unanswered till press time.
“The shift to EVs has materially increased vehicle weight due to battery packs, and OEMs are actively pushing suppliers to offset this through lighter components across chassis, body, and powertrain systems,” Harshvardhan Sharma, group head of automotive technology & innovation at Nomura Research Institute Consulting & Solutions India, said.
During an earnings call on 29 January, ASK Automotive’s management said that it remains bullish about the opportunity in the lightweight parts segment.
“[This] is a very flexible and great opportunity. That is why we call it the sunrise industry,” Kuldip Singh Rathee, chairman and managing director at ASK Automotive, told analysts and investors.
To be sure, auto component makers are also offering similar lightweighting solutions for internal combustion engine vehicles, where the growing use of electronics adds weight, fuelling a need to lighten other components.
“The division is powertrain-agnostic and also a primary beneficiary of the EV transition, as lightweighting is critical for electric vehicle range and performance,” Saurabh Jain of Sunidhi Research wrote on ASK Automotive’s lightweighting business.
However, the industry executives and analysts note that opportunities are bigger in EVs, where there is need for immediate improvement in performance and range.
EV sales growth
Electric vehicle sales have been gaining momentum in the country, prompting both domestic and global automakers to launch new models. Electric two-wheelers sales rose 11% to 1.2 million units in calendar year 2025, while electric four-wheeler sales increased 77% to nearly 177,000 units.
Foreign car and bike makers are increasingly producing EVs locally in India, with groups like Renault, Honda and Suzuki taking the lead which is helping auto component makers gain market share in the EV component segment.
Over the past few years, introduction of new models and advancement in technology have allowed headline range of EVs being sold in India to go from around 200-250 km to nearly 450 km- 500km as consumers continue to cite lack of range as one of the reasons holding back their EV purchase.
“While industry estimates suggest a 10% weight reduction can deliver double-digit range gains, real-world benefits are often more modest at 4-6%. Lightweighting is still critical, but its real value lies in enabling smaller batteries, better efficiency, and improved vehicle dynamics, not just headline range,” Nomura's Sharma said.
Key findings from Deloitte’s 2026 Global Automotive Consumer Study for India show that over a third of respondents cite range anxiety as a reason for not switching to electric vehicles. EVs currently account for just 4% of the passenger vehicle market and 6.3% of the two-wheeler market.