India Can Emerge as a Global Hub for Electric Mobility, Says Tata Motors’ Shailesh Chandra at SIAT 2026

India has a unique opportunity to position itself as a global hub for electric and sustainable mobility, leveraging the ongoing transformation in the automotive sector as a catalyst for long-term innovation and manufacturing leadership, Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, said in his keynote address at SIAT 2026, organised by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

Positioning electrification as “an opportunity”, rather than “a constraint”, Chandra said the clean mobility transition can enable India to emerge as a centre for electric mobility, advanced manufacturing and innovation, supported by strong supply chains, policy alignment and industry-academia collaboration.

Chandra said the automotive industry is currently at the intersection of three major transitions: sustainability, safety, and rapid technological advancement, and how these shifts are managed will determine India’s future role in the global mobility landscape.

“Sustainability is no longer a choice but an immediate national challenge,” Chandra said, noting that India’s rapid economic growth and rising mobility aspirations must now be aligned with cleaner technologies, lower emissions, and reduced dependence on fossil fuels. He added that the transition toward zero-emission mobility represents a systemic transformation that requires participation across the entire automotive ecosystem.

He emphasised that India’s automotive sector must move beyond incremental change and focus on industrialising new technologies at scale, supported by deeper collaboration between manufacturers, suppliers, and technology partners. “This transition is a catalyst for long-term innovation and positions India to play a larger role in global manufacturing networks,” he said.

On safety, the head of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicle business said the industry has made significant progress over the past decade through stronger vehicle structures, improved restraint systems, and the adoption of global safety practices. However, the next phase of progress must focus on preventing accidents by increasing the deployment of active safety and driver-assistance technologies.He also highlighted the importance of robust, credible testing infrastructure, noting that transparent, locally relevant safety assessment frameworks have helped make safety measurable, more competitive, and better understood by consumers.

Addressing rapid technological change, Chandra said Indian customers are becoming increasingly informed and digitally literate, with expectations for advanced technology, connectivity, and safety extending across all segments, including entry-level vehicles. 

He noted that automobiles are increasingly transitioning from mechanical products to software-defined machines, with software shaping user experience and enabling continuous improvement over a vehicle’s lifecycle.

Looking ahead, Chandra said India’s automotive growth story remains strong, driven by rising aspirations and expanding global relevance. The shifts toward electrification, higher safety standards, and software-led vehicles, he said, are markers of growth rather than barriers.

Managing this transformation, he added, will require strong alliances and partnerships across the value chain, sustained capability building, and the intelligent deployment of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.