Puneet Anand Writes: Sustainability Should be a Core Pillar of Product Innovation

As India transitions into the era of cleaner and more sustainable mobility solutions, it has become imperative for automakers to do more than just electrify their line-up. They are expected to rethink how vehicles are designed, manufactured and eventually recycled.

Hyundai Motor India is among those leading this transformation, by making material sustainability a core pillar of its product innovation strategy. While the company’s progress in electric and hydrogen mobility garners headlines, Hyundai’s less-visible efforts to reduce the use of plastic in its vehicles are just as important in the transition to a circular and carbon-neutral economy.

Cutting Plastic Use

The use of plastics has long been integral to automobiles. Its durability, light weight and affordability make it a practical choice for interior elements, body parts and other essential components. However, its environmental cost is substantial. Much of the plastic used in vehicles ends up in landfills, contributing to the growing problem of microplastic pollution.

Hyundai Motor India has embedded sustainability into its core strategy aligning with both national priorities and Hyundai Motor Company’s global vision of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. Our strategy is built on a threefold approach: reduce, replace and recycle.

First, the company aims to reduce the volume of plastic used per vehicle, starting with design optimisation. Next, it replaces conventional plastics with sustainable alternatives, including bioplastics, recycled polymers and natural materials.

Lastly, Hyundai is working towards improving recyclability at the end-of-life stage by adopting modular designs and promoting disassembly friendly components. All of this supports a broader vision of developing a circular economy in the Indian auto industry.

Green Commitments

Hyundai Motor India’s commitment towards reducing the use of plastic is visible in its vehicle lineup.

In line with this, Hyundai Motor India also implements waste reduction practices in its manufacturing facilities, including its state-of-the-art plant in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. This includes investments in local sourcing of green materials, collaborations with Indian suppliers for eco-friendly components and upcoming R&D efforts to innovate with indigenous bio-composites.

Crucially, plastic reduction efforts are part of Hyundai’s sustainability roadmap under the broader vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’, which prioritises sustainable development and making more accessible and equitable-mobility solutions available to consumers.

This commitment guides the company’s approach to manufacturing and product development, with specific targets set for reducing environmental impact across all operations.

The author is associate vice-president and vertical head, corporate affairs, corporate communication and social, Hyundai Motor India