Testing infrastructure is the quiet engine behind India's ambition to become a global automotive hub. At SIAT 2026, the 19th edition of the Symposium on International Automotive Technology held from 27 to 30 January in Pune, it was front and centre. Dr Nagesh Walke, Senior Director at ARAI, spoke about how the symposium came together, the infrastructure India still needs to build, and the five-year window in which he believes the country can close the gap with Europe.

Testing, whether physical, digital or simulation-based, seems to be the real heartbeat of SIAT 2026. What did it take to get so many testing players under one roof?

Testing is the core of product validation, and product validation has become non-negotiable, both because of tightening legislative requirements and because customer expectations are rising fast. So naturally, every testing and service provider wanted to be here. We have dedicated pavilions for them, and they occupy the largest exhibition space at the show. But we also set up a separate pavilion, for the first time, specifically for advanced testing: ADAS, software-defined vehicles and AI-driven validation. That has drawn strong interest. There is also a pavilion for start-ups and micro enterprises showcasing their innovations, and a student zone where academic work is being presented directly to OEMs and visitors.

Part of the reason, surely, is that product cycles are shrinking. Is that compressing the focus onto testing?

Absolutely. Product development cycles have compressed dramatically. What used to be a sequential process, design, simulation, build and test, is now concurrent engineering. Simulation, component development and physical proving all have to happen in parallel. That puts enormous pressure on R&D infrastructure and on the speed at which testing can be turned around. The service providers here are showcasing exactly the kind of solutions that address that pressure, which is a big part of why the show is drawing so much interest.

And yet, some of the critical technologies still do not exist in India. OEMs are flying to Europe for a week or two of simulator time. What is ARAI doing to change that?

ARAI is building testing infrastructure that simply does not exist in the public domain in India today. Crash-test facilities, advanced battery test laboratories, ADAS proving grounds and simulators are either already developed or actively under development so that OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers can validate products cost-effectively without leaving the country. The goal is to support India's self-reliance in automotive development. And it is already beginning to work. Some of the facilities we have built are now attracting global users. Companies from Europe and elsewhere are coming to India to use them.

So when do we get to the point where no Indian OEM and no Tier 1 supplier needs to leave the country to test?

That is the goal, and it is a long-term one. Building infrastructure takes time. But we are closing the gap faster than most people expect. A number of capabilities that Indian companies used to have to source abroad can now be accessed domestically. The remaining gaps are being addressed, and with active government and industry support, infrastructure development is moving at a rapid pace. Within a five-year window, I believe we will be self-sufficient for all the advanced testing that the market requires.

Five years, then. Is that the timeline to genuinely compete with Europe on testing infrastructure?

Yes. And it is not just about matching Europe. We already have unique facilities where foreign manufacturers are choosing to come here. The government's customs duty exemption scheme has helped make those facilities attractive for global product development, not just for Indian programmes. So the direction of travel is already two-way.

SIAT 2026 is already the largest the country has seen. What does the next edition look like from where you're standing?

Each edition sets a new benchmark, and this one has done exactly that. The scale, the quality and the breadth of participation are all significantly higher than what we have seen before. The next edition will be larger still, and I say that with confidence, because the need for a symposium like this, one that brings every stakeholder into the same room, is only growing. India needs this kind of forum, and the momentum is clearly there.