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Driving the Future: GCCs at the Core of the Auto Industry’s Reinvention

Arunima Pal — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:10:00

For decades, the global auto industry focused on manufacturing scale, supply chain efficiency, and engineering excellence. Today, this definition is evolving. Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai are emerging as key drivers of the mobility ecosystem. Initially established for cost efficiency, GCCs have become strategic assets. They are now integral to how automotive companies design, build, and envision the future of mobility.

Cost Efficiency to Core Capability

The shift has been gradual but decisive. In the early 2000s, automotive GCCs in India were largely focused on IT services, bThis shift has been gradual yet decisive. In the early 2000s, automotive GCCs in India focused on IT services, basic engineering support, and back-office operations. Today, they lead initiatives in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), electric vehicle (EV) platforms, connected car technologies, digital twins, and predictive maintenance, electrification, software-defined vehicles, autonomous driving, and shared mobility are reshaping business models. In such a landscape, the centre of gravity is shifting from mechanical engineering to software, data, and systems integration. GCCs, particularly in India, are uniquely positioned at this intersection.

India’s Advantage: Talent to Meet Scale

India’s emergence as a GCC hub is supported by a deep and diverse talent pool. Engineers have expanded their expertise from mechanical systems to embedded software, AI models, and cloud architectures. Combined with a strong startup ecosystem and cross-industry collaboration, this talent base is both scalable and adaptable. For global automotive companies, this is invaluable. Building such multidisciplinary teams in traditional markets is both expensive and time-consuming. GCCs in India offer not just cost advantages, but speed, agility, and access to next-generation skills. This is one reason why we are seeing a new wave of GCC investments, not just from traditional OEMs, but also from EV startups, mobility platforms, and Tier-1 suppliers.

The Software-Defined Vehicle and the GCC Moment

The idea of the “software-defined vehicle” is no longer theoretical. Vehicles today are becoming platforms continuously updated, data-rich, and deeply integrated with digital ecosystems. This requires capabilities that go far beyond traditional automotive engineering. GCCs are playing a central role here. They are developing vehicle operating systems, managing over-the-air (OTA) updates, building cybersecurity frameworks, and enabling real-time data analytics. In many cases, critical intellectual property is now being created within these centers. This raises an important shift in perception: GCCs are no longer just execution hubs, they are innovation engines.

Reimagining the Value Chain

The impact of GCCs is not limited to product development. They are increasingly influencing the broader automotive value chain. In supply chain management, GCCs are deploying AI-driven forecasting models to navigate disruptions, from geopolitical tensions to shipping delays. In manufacturing, they are enabling smart factory initiatives using IoT and digital twins. In aftersales, they are building predictive maintenance solutions that enhance customer experience while reducing costs. Even areas like finance, risk, and compliance are being reimagined, with GCCs leveraging advanced analytics to drive decision-making. In essence, GCCs are stitching together what was once a fragmented value chain into a more integrated, intelligent system.

The India Opportunity

India today hosts over 1,500 + GCCs, employing more than 1.8 million professionals. A significant and growing share of these is linked to the mobility and auto ecosystem. Yet, the opportunity ahead is even larger. As global companies look to diversify supply chains and build resilience, India is emerging as a credible alternative, not just for manufacturing, but for capability building. GCCs will be central to this shift.

However, this also brings responsibility. To sustain this momentum, India must continue investing in infrastructure, skilling, and policy clarity. The transition to EVs, the rise of AI in mobility, and the increasing importance of cybersecurity all demand a workforce that is continuously learning and evolving. Equally important is the need to move up the value chain, from execution to ownership. This means not just delivering projects, but shaping strategy, driving innovation, and creating intellectual property.

A More Human Shift

Amid all the talk of technology and transformation, it is easy to overlook the human dimension of this shift. Inside GCCs, thousands of engineers are working across time zones, collaborating with global teams, and solving problems that have real-world impact, whether it is improving vehicle safety, reducing emissions, or enhancing access to mobility. For many, this is not just a job; it is an opportunity to be part of a global transformation from right here in India. The auto industry’s future will be defined as much by code as by combustion, as much by data as by design. In this new world, GCCs are not just supporting actors, they are central to the narrative.

The question is no longer whether GCCs will play a role in the mobility ecosystem. It is how far they will go and how effectively India can leverage this moment. If the trajectory holds, the next breakthrough in mobility may not just be manufactured in India. It may well be imagined, designed, and engineered here.

Nancy Bhatt is Managing Director at Protiviti Member Firm for India. Views expressed are the author's personal.

Depreciation as Opportunity: How India’s Pre-Owned Market Unlocks Hidden Value in Luxury Cars

Angitha Suresh — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:38:51

For ages, depreciation has remained the steep, immediate and inevitably mounting silent tax in the luxury car segment. As soon as the luxury car exits the showroom, its value starts to erode instantly. In India, this phenomenon has conventionally worked against both buyers and brands, bolstering the belief that luxury mobility is often dearer and incurs lop-sided financial cost.

However, with increased education about caring for luxury cars, the narrative is slowly changing and picking up pace among both the dealers and customers to keep the vehicle’s ROI in check.

In the current market dynamics, depreciation of luxury cars is not a liability but an active enabler for the rise of India’s pre-owned luxury car ecosystem. Depreciation is paving the way for reshaping how value is perceived in the premium automotive segment.

From Value Loss to Value Unlock

The numbers tell a compelling story. The pre-owned luxury car market in India has not only matured but, in many ways, overtaken the primary market in terms of momentum. With used luxury car sales now outpacing new ones, the shift is no longer cyclical—it is structural. This overturn showcases how education and value-consciousness are leading buyers to trade the “first-owner premium” with a smarter entry point into luxury ownership.

Centrally, the depreciation curve itself helps benefit both the pre-owned car market players and the buyers. Luxury vehicles usually see the lopsided depreciation in the first 3 years, wherein it usually drops in value up to 30% of their original price. For the first owner, this is a cost. For the second owner, it is an arbitrage opportunity. And that arbitrage is driving demand.

The Democratisation of Luxury Ownership

For a growing segment of Indian buyers—particularly younger, urban professionals—the pre-owned route offers access to globally benchmarked engineering, safety, and performance at significantly reduced price points. In effect, depreciation is democratising luxury. It is expanding the addressable market beyond traditional high-net-worth individuals to include aspirational buyers who prioritise experience over ownership hierarchy.

This shift is also altering the ownership lifecycle itself. Statistics showing a pattern of depreciation is nudging first owners to decrease the waiting period while upgrading, hence inducing a steady pipeline of well-maintained vehicles entering the pre-owned market. Banks and NBFCs too have learnt the potential held in lending finance for pre-owned luxury markets with increased ease in documentation process and nearly equal interest rate as applied on first-ownership cars. This results in the pre-owned luxury car markets’ inventory seeing a healthy mix of fairly new cars that are usually under four years, low mileage and complete service histories.

Rise of an Organised Ecosystem

OEMs, once cautious of the residual value conversation, are now actively participating in it. Certified pre-owned programs, which were once looked over, are now an important part of brand strategy. Manufacturers must focus on mandating standard refurbishing procedures, providing warranty on pre-owned vehicles, and sharing the car’s complete history, etc., to ensure brand equity and increased customer retention within the ecosystem across multiple ownership cycles.

This is a critical shift. The pre-owned market has steadily accelerated from being a feeder market to a crucial extension of the primary market.

The role of organised players and digital platforms has been crucial in the current times. Increased pricing transparency, access to vehicle history, and data-driven valuation tools have helped sellers overcome a significant hurdle that plagued the segment for ages, i.e. trust. Buyers today have multiple sources to seek information and hence make a conscious decision, and sellers are equally informed about the market realities to price the cars transparently. The asymmetry that once defined used car transactions is steadily narrowing.

A Lifecycle View of Luxury

What is also becoming evident is that depreciation-led demand is not merely a function of affordability—it is a reflection of evolving consumer behaviour. While elders predominantly appreciated buying brand new premium cars as a statement of legacy, the notion in the current times across buyers of all ages has seen a mindful shift to invest in lesser-driven, quality maintained, certified pre-owned luxury cars, especially niche brands like Volvo, Maserati, etc. This allows the consumers to access their desired cars at attractive prices and at a time when supply for first-ownership cars of these brands usually have longer waiting periods.

Indian buyers, especially in the premium segment, have a conscious approach towards financial investment in the luxury cars segment. The consumers now know that the value of a luxury car is not superficial in its logo but in its actual life-cycle in terms of utility, performance, and overall ownership experience over time.

Hence, the thought of paying a large chunk of premium for first ownership is waning significantly. The first owner absorbs the depreciation; the second owner reaps the real value from the luxury car.

Shifting Gears to the Road Ahead

In the coming times, the used-to-new car sales ratio in India is deemed to be in the leading position, indicating a notable headroom to grow in the pre-owned luxury car segment. With the amplification of supply, financing pre-owned cars becomes increasingly institutionalised and easily available. The certification standards also continue to evolve to keep the segment sustainable in the coming times.

For dealers, the opportunity lies in curation and credibility. For OEMs, it lies in lifecycle engagement. And for consumers, it lies in access to a level of luxury ungated by price.

Once a legacy factor in India to be the first owner of a new luxury car, the current times are defined by how making the decision of buying a pre-owned luxury vehicle is a smarter choice within the ownership cycle. And in that equation, depreciation is no longer the enemy but the entry point.Avneet Singh Kohli (Sunny) is the founder at AutoBest Emperio. Views expressed are the authors' personal.

When Cars Become Code: The Cyber Risks of Software-Defined Mobility

Arunima Pal — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:10:35

Not long ago, ‘vehicle control’ meant gears, valves, shafts and steel. Today, a modern vehicle is made up of code as much as metal, making the car a continuously evolving digital system on wheels, powered by 100–500 million lines of code.

As per Deloitte’s Global Automotive Consumer Study (GACS) for the India Market in 2026, one of the most important factors driving one’s choice of brand purchasing vehicles is features/ technology, accounting for 50 percent. This is primarily because, at 80 percent, India has the highest proportion of consumers finding software defined vehicles (SDVs) useful This has led to an increased number of connected cars on the road.

This transformation is creating value for the customers as well as the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) but there are significant risks. Connectivity, personalisation and autonomous features are central to brand differentiation. Yet every interface built for convenience introduces exposure. The competitive advantage of SDVs rest on architectural sophistication, but so does the ever-expanding attack surface.

Real incidents have shown us how a single weak interface can cascade into a safety-critical control issue.

Last year, one of the largest global passenger car manufacturers’ vehicle mobile app had insecure authentication. This resulted in the disclosure of vehicle identification number (VIN) and complete control of car functionalities remotely, such as remote start/stop, AC, lock/unlock, geo locations etc.
Few years back, a leading sport utility vehicle (SUV) hack moved from the head unit over the cellular interface into the controller area network (CAN) bus, letting researchers manipulate brakes, transmission and steering. This triggered a massive vehicle recall and redefined “cyber” as a road-safety issue.

The SDV attack surface is no longer a perimeter, but a mesh. Per GACS reports, consumers are ready to pay extra for connected features. The report indicates that 75 percent consumers are ready to pay for autonomous parking while 77–79 percent consumers prefers to have vehicle health reporting, app connectivity, automatic detection of vehicles/ pedestrians and digital keys.

Infotainment systems: It is integrated with smartphone mirroring and voice assistants without strict network segmentation or gateway enforcement, which becomes a safety-critical risk
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS): It raises the stakes further, since these platforms ingest data from cameras, radar and LiDAR sensors. A simple manipulation of sensor inputs or injection of adversarial signals could directly influence the vehicle’s behaviour.
Telematics unit: Maintaining persistent cloud connectivity and the over-the-air (OTA) updates could change an operational convenience to a systemic vulnerability with flawed authentication models or weak certification management.
V2V/V2X: While improving safety and efficiency, V2X also introduces attack feasibilities such as spoofing and Denial of Service (DoS) into the ecosystem

The industry’s responses cannot rely on reactive patch cycles any longer. Security must be engineered into the vehicle lifecycle from the earliest architectural decisions. Threat analysis and risk assessment (TARA) at the concept stage, secure boot chains, software bill of materials (SBOM) governance and secure coding standards aligned with AUTomotive Open System Architecture (AUTOSAR) and Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) practices are foundational controls. These are not optional safeguards; they define system integrity.

This shift-left posture is further reinforced by the regulatory momentum. ISO/SAE 21434 formalises cybersecurity engineering processes across development, production and decommissioning, while UNECE WP.29 R155 mandates a cybersecurity management system (CSMS) as a prerequisite for vehicle type approval across major markets. National frameworks such as AIS-189 further codify compliance expectations.

Today, certification hinges on demonstrable risk management, traceability and incident response readiness and cyber governance has entered the homologation process.

For OEMs, the strategic calculus is shifting. Now, cyber resilience intersects with safety, brand trust, investor buy-in and customer confidence. Per GACS, about 95 percent of customers are willing to pay for SDVs, with safety, security and continuous vehicle health reporting being the top features. As vehicles continue to become software-driven, cyber risk transforms to a safety and brand risk. OEMs that treat cybersecurity as a core system property, architected in early, validated continuously, monitored at fleet scale and anchored in CSMS/ISO 21434 discipline will keep up with attackers and regulators, and outpace competitors on trust, time-to-feature and total lifecycle value.

In a world where software increasingly determines how vehicles sense, decide and move, trust will act as the fuel that redefines the future of mobility.

Rajat Mahajan is Partner and Automotive sector leader at Deloitte India, and Santosh Jinugu is Partner at Deloitte India. Views expressed are the authors' personal.

Beyond Horsepower: How Digital Intelligence is Rewiring India’s Auto Industry

Arunima Pal — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 16:59:15

India’s automotive industry is standing at a defining moment. For decades, competitiveness in the sector was defined by manufacturing scale, cost efficiency, deep supplier ecosystems and expansive dealer networks. These strengths enabled India to build one of the world’s largest and most competitive automotive manufacturing bases.

But the foundations of competition are changing.

Electric mobility, connected vehicles, software‑defined architectures and digitally driven customer journeys are rapidly transforming the industry. The race is no longer only about producing more vehicles. Increasingly, it is about how intelligently companies manage data, risk, supply chains and digital platforms.

In many ways, the sector is moving from a volume-led manufacturing model to a digitally orchestrated mobility ecosystem.

This transition is also redefining the role of governance. Traditionally seen as a compliance obligation handled largely within legal or regulatory teams, governance today is emerging as a strategic business function.

Electric vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems, connected platforms and software updates have significantly expanded regulatory exposure. Automakers must now manage complex requirements around battery traceability, semiconductor sourcing, cybersecurity standards, data privacy regulations and product liability risks.

Automakers must now track the origin and traceability of batteries, semiconductors and rare earth materials, ensure cybersecurity compliance across supplier ecosystems, manage data privacy obligations and maintain readiness for product recalls supported by digital traceability systems. Environmental reporting and carbon accounting transparency are also becoming integral to corporate disclosures.

For several large Indian manufacturers, governance is increasingly integrated across finance, supply chain, engineering and technology teams. The maturity of governance systems now directly influences export eligibility, investor confidence, cost of capital and brand reputation. As a result, several automotive boards are establishing dedicated risk and sustainability committees, embedding governance frameworks into enterprise systems and conducting recall simulation exercises to test readiness.

At the same time, the industry’s supply chain philosophy is undergoing a rethink. The global semiconductor shortage and a series of geopolitical and logistics disruptions over the past few years have exposed the fragility of traditional Just-in-Time manufacturing systems. India’s automotive ecosystem, heavily dependent on MSME suppliers, experienced these shocks first-hand.

Instead of abandoning efficiency, companies are now augmenting it with intelligence. Manufacturers are mapping visibility across Tier-2 and Tier-3 suppliers, building dual sourcing strategies for critical components and segmenting inventory risk more carefully. Investments are also flowing into EV component localisation and digital supply chain control towers that provide real-time monitoring of production flows.

The emerging philosophy is simple: resilience must be built before disruption occurs, not after it.

Technology plays a central role in enabling this shift, particularly through the modernization of core enterprise systems. Digital transformation in the automotive sector is no longer just about upgrading IT infrastructure. It is about creating an integrated digital backbone that connects product design, manufacturing, suppliers, dealers and analytics in real time.

Legacy ERP systems were designed for a manufacturing environment focused on stable production cycles. They struggle to support emerging business models that involve subscription-based services, over-the-air software updates, integrated dealer platforms and global compliance frameworks. Modern ERP ecosystems are therefore evolving into unified digital cores, integrating product lifecycle management, manufacturing execution systems, dealer networks, supplier collaboration platforms and advanced analytics layers.

With such integration, companies gain the ability to anticipate production bottlenecks before they halt assembly lines, dynamically balance dealer inventory, forecast warranty liabilities more accurately and recalibrate procurement decisions in real time. In a highly connected industry, slow access to information can quickly become a structural disadvantage.

The transformation is equally visible in the retail landscape. The traditional dealership model — built around physical inventory and transactional vehicle sales — is gradually evolving into a digitally connected ecosystem. Consumers today expect seamless digital journeys, from online vehicle discovery and booking to financing and service scheduling.

Automakers are experimenting with omni-channel retail models, direct-to-consumer initiatives and subscription-based ownership experiences. New entrants such as Ola Electric have demonstrated alternative distribution architectures that rely heavily on digital platforms, accelerating the pace of change across the industry.

However, the biggest shift in retail may emerge in the after-sales segment. Electric vehicles have fewer moving mechanical parts and therefore require less routine maintenance. At the same time, they rely heavily on software systems, battery management technologies and connected services. As over-the-air updates become more common, service interactions may shift away from traditional workshop visits.

Revenue streams are gradually moving toward software upgrades, connectivity subscriptions, battery lifecycle management and fleet analytics services. This evolution is prompting manufacturers to rethink dealer compensation structures, enabling dealerships to participate in digital revenue streams and long-term customer engagement.

While large manufacturers are adapting to these changes, the transformation also poses significant challenges for the supplier ecosystem. India’s automotive component sector is overwhelmingly MSME-driven, accounting for nearly 70 to 80 percent of the vendor base. The shift toward electric mobility fundamentally alters the economics for many of these suppliers.

Components designed for internal combustion engines may face declining demand, while EV manufacturing requires investments in new tooling, electronics capabilities and advanced production technologies. Compliance standards and digital reporting requirements are also becoming more demanding.

Forward-looking manufacturers are responding with supplier digital enablement programmes, shared research initiatives and strategic partnerships. Some of the large Tier-1 players such as Motherson Group are already diversifying into electronics and forming global alliances to reduce dependence on traditional engine components.

Ultimately, the competitiveness of India’s automotive exports will depend not only on the strength of its major manufacturers but also on how successfully the supplier ecosystem modernises.

Beyond these structural shifts lies an even broader transformation. The automotive industry is increasingly moving from selling vehicles to managing mobility platforms. Electric mobility, connected vehicles, shared transportation fleets and software-defined vehicle architectures are bringing the automotive and technology sectors closer than ever before.

This convergence requires new capabilities — agile product development teams, cloud-native backend systems, subscription-based revenue frameworks and cybersecurity-by-design engineering approaches. The boundaries between a vehicle manufacturer and a technology platform provider are steadily blurring.

For industry leaders, the strategic priorities are becoming clearer. Boards must elevate governance and resilience to the centre of their strategic agenda. CFOs must reassess working capital strategies that balance efficiency with supply chain resilience and modernise revenue models for digital services. Technology leaders must accelerate cloud ERP transformations and build cybersecurity frameworks that extend across supplier ecosystems. Operations teams must invest in predictive analytics and digital twins to optimise production performance.

The transformation underway is not merely technological — it is systemic.

Governance is no longer just a control mechanism; it is becoming a strategic accelerator. Resilience is no longer insurance against disruption; it is a competitive differentiator. ERP systems are no longer back-office tools; they are the nervous system of the enterprise. And data is no longer simply for reporting; it is the foundation of predictive advantage.

The companies that successfully align governance, digital infrastructure, supplier modernization and mobility innovation will not only navigate this transition — they will shape the next chapter of India’s automotive industry.

In the decade ahead, the future of Indian mobility will not be built solely on horsepower. It will be built on intelligence, resilience and orchestration.

Saurav Kumar is Managing Director, Protiviti Member Firm for India. Views expressed are the author's personal.

The Road Ahead: Oil Shock, Electric Vehicles and the Remaking of the Global Car Industry

Arunima Pal — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 16:44:56

The internal combustion engine powers an entire economic system. That system is a vast, interlocking network of crude extraction, refining, fuel retail, and vehicle manufacturing that has shaped industries, economies, and foreign policy for over a century.

Oil shocks, when they arrive, put that entire system under interrogation.

The current oil shock is severe, but not unprecedented. What makes it consequential is the moment in which it arrives—when an alternative system is already emerging.

Electrification was underway well before the oil crunch. Inevitably, high oil prices accelerate a transition already in motion and force decisions that might otherwise have been deferred.

To understand what comes next, it helps to discard a persistent illusion—that the global auto industry has a single center of gravity. It once did, but no longer does. What exists instead is a system of competing poles. China dominates scale. The United States holds the deepest profit pools and the capital that funds innovation. Europe sets regulatory direction, even as its industrial position weakens. India represents the largest reservoir of future demand.

No single geography defines the industry anymore. Each defines a different part of it.

China is the world’s largest auto market. It is a parallel industrial ecosystem, operating on a different technology stack and at a different competitive tempo. Its electric vehicle market has evolved rapidly because of policy support, the depth of its domestic supply chain—from battery chemistry to large-scale manufacturing—and intense domestic competition. BYD now competes globally at scale. CATL supplies companies across continents.

The United States, by contrast, is often misread by analysts who mistake volume for consequence. American manufacturers still dominate the most profitable segments of the market, particularly trucks and SUVs. American capital markets continue to underwrite global automotive innovation. Tesla has already reshaped the economics and expectations of electric vehicles worldwide, however deluded its valuation may seem. Detroit has been relativized; it has not been replaced.

Europe occupies a different position. It is a center of engineering excellence. It has regulatory power. Emissions standards set in Brussels shape product decisions far beyond the continent. German manufacturers remain central to the premium segment. Europe is also caught in a tightening squeeze, given higher energy costs, intensifying competition from Chinese manufacturers, and domestic political pressure to slow the very transition it helped design. A region that sets the rules while losing the capacity to compete under them cannot hold that position indefinitely.

In the global auto industry, India is something volatile. It’s a market where the outcome is still being decided.

At roughly 3% vehicle ownership, this is not a transition from one technology to another. It is a first-choice market. The technology that wins the first purchase at scale will define India’s automotive system for decades.

The battle is unfolding. Tata Motors built the initial lead, at one point commanding over 80% of India’s electric passenger vehicle market. That lead is now eroding. Market share has halved in three years, and the underlying pattern reveals that each new launch delivers a temporary spike in volumes, followed by a reversion to a baseline that has barely shifted. This is a structural signal.

The limitation lies in product architecture. Most of Tata’s EV portfolio consists of electrified adaptations of combustion platforms. That strategy delivered speed, but it is now hitting a ceiling visible in range, charging speeds, and overall performance.

Contrast that with Mahindra & Mahindra. Its INGLO-based vehicles are not conversions but purpose-built electric platforms. The difference is fundamental—with larger batteries, materially higher range, and significantly faster charging capability. The market response has been immediate, manifesting in rapid share gains and sustained waiting periods.

The gap is architectural, which the market is pricing accordingly.

JSW MG Motor India has taken a different route to the same destination and has depended on pricing innovation. Its ‘battery-as-a-service’ model effectively lowers upfront cost by decoupling the battery from the vehicle purchase—a case of a bigger hook than the fish—but it has worked in creating consumer attention. In a market where upfront affordability remains the single biggest constraint, it is a wedge.

Finally, there is Maruti Suzuki—an auto leader that is still early in electric vehicle offerings but could be a disruptive force. Its initial EV volumes are very modest, but with roughly 40% market share and an unmatched distribution network, Maruti does not need to lead in technology to shape the market.

Those are the three competing pathways: architectural advantage, pricing disruption, and distribution at scale.

Tata Motors still retains meaningful advantages of scale and a group ecosystem spanning charging, batteries, and software. But those advantages were built in a market with limited competition. That condition no longer holds.

The next phase of India’s EV market will be defined by whoever can align product, pricing, and scale simultaneously.

That is still an open contest.

In the backdrop of the oil shock, India will not decide whether electric vehicles win. But at scale, it will decide what kind of electric market wins—whether premium, affordable, or mass.

This is not a purely commercial question. India imports the vast majority of its crude oil, making high prices a macroeconomic vulnerability. Electrification, in that context, is both an environmental objective and a strategic one. Upfront costs remain high, charging infrastructure is uneven, and adoption depends on whether policy, economics, and infrastructure align. If they do not, the transition slows. If they do, it accelerates quickly.

Financial markets offer an imperfect but revealing lens. Divergences in valuation across the industry suggest that capital is beginning to price in a different future. Companies positioned to benefit from electrification and reduced oil dependence have seen stronger investor support than those tied most closely to traditional internal combustion profit pools.

History offers a useful reference point. The oil shocks of the late 1970s reshaped the industry. American consumers, confronted with rising fuel costs, shifted toward more efficient vehicles. Japanese automakers such as Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, already positioned for that demand, gained market share that proved durable. The lesson was that incumbents failed to see the pace of oncoming change. Transitions that appear viscous in theory can accelerate rapidly under pressure.

That risk is present again. The tension between today’s profit pools and tomorrow’s technologies is becoming harder to sustain.

In the United States, highly profitable combustion vehicles coexist with massive investments in electrification. In China, the shift toward electric is already well advanced, strengthening domestic manufacturers. In Europe, regulatory ambition collides with industrial reality. In India, the foundational choices have yet to be made.

What will determine the outcome is the persistence of higher oil prices. A short-lived spike changes behavior at the margins. A sustained period of higher prices alters investment decisions, accelerates technological adoption, and redistributes competitive advantage.

There are reasons to believe the current environment may have more staying power than previous cycles, given constrained supply investment, geopolitical fragmentation, and simultaneous shifts in demand.

None of this means the end of the internal combustion engine in the near term. Transitions of this scale are uneven and contested. Direction matters more than speed. The industry is moving toward electrification. The question is who arrives positioned to benefit.

The mistake after the oil shocks of the 1970s was the belief that a temporary recovery invalidated the need for structural change. When prices fell, strategic adjustments were deferred. The consequences played out over decades.

That is the risk again.

The current moment does not create a new trajectory for the global car industry. It merely accelerates an existing one, and in doing so, it begins to sort winners from losers.

The wars that triggered the latest price surge will end, hopefully, at some point in time soon.

The repricing it has set in motion will not reverse with them.

Shubhranshu Singh is a business leader and marketer. He served as global head of marketing at Royal Enfield and as Chief Marketing Officer at Tata Motors CV across the last decade. Views expressed are the author's personal.

How the Critical Minerals Recycling Scheme Can Be India’s Fastest Route to Manufacturing Sovereignty

Autocar Professional Bureau — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:05:46

Critical minerals, as the name aptly describes, are essential for electric vehicles, electronics, renewable energy storage and defense. Minerals like cobalt, lithium, and nickel play a crucial role in energy storage. Currently, India imports virtually all of its lithium and cobalt and spent over ₹34,000 crore on critical mineral imports in FY2023–24.

Since these minerals are so important, recycling batteries and electronic waste can become a strong domestic source of supply. With a strong recycling ecosystem, dependence on imports and new mining can be reduced, and India can build strategic reserves that protect the country against supply chain disruptions.

Experts worldwide argue that recycling is vital for critical minerals supply security and sustainability. All major economies are racing to scale up recycling. The EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (2023) sets a goal of 15% recycling of strategic minerals by 2030, and the US has proposed a $12 billion critical minerals stockpile.

India’s “manufacturing sovereignty” i.e., our ability to produce high-tech machinery or batteries at home, is dependent on securing critical mineral inputs through domestic recycling and processing, along with the primary routes of developing new mining assets and scaling refining capabilities.

Recycling Fuels Industrial Strategy: Global Trends

The International Energy Agency (IEA) substantiates the role of recycling in reducing reliance on new mines and enhancing supply security of critical minerals. Globally, recycling rates of nickel and cobalt have reached about 40–50%, providing ~40% of theoretically available scrap for nickel and cobalt (lithium ~20%) (IEA, 2024). There is significant potential for recycling to scale supply with the right policy support.

Internationally, over 30 new measures on critical minerals recycling have been introduced since 2022, ranging from Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks to financial incentives. Corporates and automakers are responding to this, and EV battery supply chains are being designed for circularity. Consumer electronics firms are funding e-waste take-back programs, and these global trends foreshadow India’s path as well.

India’s Critical Minerals Scenario

With India being almost 100% dependent on key minerals, its industries are vulnerable to geopolitical risks. EV sales and renewable energy deployments are rising, and with that the domestic demand for lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earths is set to skyrocket.

In January 2025, the government announced the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat. It is a ₹34,300 crore, seven-year mission (₹16,300 crore direct budget plus ₹18,000 crore expected PSU investment) spanning the full value chain from exploration, mining, and processing to recycling, effectively complementing recycling with mining and international tie-ups.

Under the NCMM, in September 2025, the government approved a ₹1,500 crore incentive scheme to build recycling capacity for critical minerals. This scheme, spanning six years, targets e-waste, lithium-ion battery scrap, and other secondary sources as feedstock. It encourages both new and existing recyclers through capital and operational subsidies. It offers up to 20% capex subsidy on new plants, plus opex-linked incentives (40–60% of incremental sales) over five years.

The scheme targets establishing 270 kilotonnes per year of recycling capacity and recovering 40 kilotonnes of critical minerals annually. The government intends this to catalyse about ₹8,000 crore of private investment and create around 70,000 jobs across the recycling ecosystem. Recycling can rapidly generate material supply and employment even as mining projects mature.

The Critical Minerals Recycling Scheme ties into a broader push for circularity across sectors. India is the world’s third-largest e-waste generator, and much of this e-waste such as phones and PCs contains cobalt, copper, gold and rare earth elements (REEs). The recycling scheme will ramp up formal e-waste and battery waste processing capacity and funnel recovered metals into manufacturing.

Recycling lithium-ion batteries will facilitate the supply of battery materials back into various metal value chains. Platinum group metals (PGMs) and REEs will also be recycled and collectively, these measures will ensure that waste is used as a resource for multiple industries including automotive, batteries, solar, steel, defense and other machinery. Some states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat are already planning battery parks.

In summary, recycling will shorten lead times. Mines can take decades to yield usable minerals, but recycling plants can supply materials within months to a few years. A closed-loop system for critical minerals can feed India’s gigafactories and over time, mandated targets (such as 35–40% scrap use in steelmaking) will weave recycling into every factory’s supply chain. This will reduce India’s import bill and insulate manufacturers from global shocks and dependencies.

India’s Critical Minerals Recycling Scheme is a decisive step toward strategic autonomy. Its alignment of fiscal incentives with regulatory support and industry action can lay the foundation for high-tech manufacturing. This is an era where raw material supply is as vital as markets, and recycling is India’s fastest route to manufacturing sovereignty. With proper implementation, this scheme will create new industries, jobs, and help turn India into a manufacturing powerhouse amid the global green-tech transition.

Mr. Manikumar Uppala is the Co Founder and Chief of Industrial Engineering at Metastable Materials. Views expressed are the authors’ personal.

From Workshop Chaos to Connected Networks: How Technology Is Rewriting Auto Repair

Autocar Professional Bureau — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:02:07

When a customer hands over their car keys, they're making a leap of faith. For many customers, auto repair means surrendering control and bracing for the unknown — on cost, timeline, and even the work itself. This gap is reflected globally, where independent service experiences consistently rank among the lowest-trust consumer services, revealing a system in need of fundamental change.

When satisfaction collapses across every fundamental dimension, the issue is not a few bad garages or untrained technicians. It is structural. Something deeper in the operating model is broken.

Auto repair today is not failing because people do not know how to fix cars. It is failing because the system coordinating that work is fragmented.

Understanding The Fragmented Workshops

A fragmented workshop is built to survive. A connected network is built to scale trust. Most of the world’s independent workshops still operate in the first mode. And that difference explains almost every customer frustration we see.

Independent garages keep millions of vehicles on the road globally and service approximately 70% of post-warranty vehicles worldwide. Across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, the story is the same. These businesses are indispensable. Yet the experience around them feels outdated.

Job cards live on paper or spreadsheets. Diagnostics sit in a technician’s head. Spare parts are sourced through phone calls and WhatsApp. Insurers work on entirely separate systems. Billing is often reconciled after the car is delivered, not before. Every step depends on manual follow-ups, local relationships, and individual memory.

Nothing Talks to Anything Else

In a fragmented workshop, every function optimises locally. Parts teams chase availability. Service advisors chase approvals. Technicians wait. Customers call for updates. The business survives, but only by absorbing chaos.

In a connected network, workflows are shared. Data moves automatically. Delays are visible before they become disputes. Trust is designed into the system, not patched onto it. That difference is not cosmetic. It changes economics.

Why Surface-Level Digitisation Fails

Other industries have faced this problem before. Uber did not succeed because it built a better taxi booking app. It succeeded because it coordinated drivers, pricing, demand forecasting, payments, and routing on one shared system.

Airbnb did not win by listing homes. It won by standardising trust: identity, payments, reviews, availability, and dispute resolution.

Swiggy and Zomato did not just help customers discover restaurants. They rebuilt the entire food delivery backend: order flow, kitchen prioritisation, rider allocation, live tracking, and settlement. Auto repair is harder than all of them.

A ride is one transaction. A meal is one order. A stay is one booking. A repair is a chain reaction. Vehicle repairs involve multiple decision points discovered only after inspection, unlike fixed-scope transactions in ride-hailing or food delivery.

Inspection leads to diagnosis. Diagnosis leads to parts identification. Parts availability affects labour scheduling. Approvals impact cash flow. Delays ripple across every downstream step. One missing component can stall an entire job for days. Parts availability issues account for 30–40% of extended repair turnaround times in independent workshops.

This is why most aggregator-led models struggle. They digitise discovery and booking but sit on top of broken operations. Workshops end up updating multiple platforms manually. Insurers remain disconnected. Parts suppliers stay loosely integrated. The customer sees an app. The workshop still runs on phone calls.

Digitising the surface without fixing the core does not remove friction. It just relocates it.

What Connectivity Actually Unlocks

A connected network changes the cost of coordination. When intake, diagnostics, parts sourcing, approvals, labour tracking, and billing run on shared digital infrastructure, information no longer needs to be chased. It flows. The implications are tangible.

Studies of digitally integrated service operations show a 15–25% reduction in turnaround time. This results in faster delivery and unlocks higher vehicle throughput without adding bays or technicians.

A 20–30% increase in technician productivity is not just efficiency. It translates into higher revenue per employee and better margins in a labour-constrained industry.

Standardised digital job cards and integrated parts ordering do not just reduce errors. They compress working capital cycles by aligning parts procurement, approvals, and billing.

Real-time visibility does not just improve customer experience. It reduces disputes, rework, and post-facto audits. These gains compound.

Technology as a Transformative Force

Auto repair does not need another standalone platform. It needs interoperability. Garage management systems, parts e-commerce platforms, insurer and fleet systems, POS, payments, accounting, and logistics must be able to exchange data securely through APIs. Without this, digitisation remains siloed and coordination fails.

The workshop sits at the centre of this ecosystem. Choosing a strong, integrated garage management system is not a tooling decision. It is an operating philosophy. It decides whether a business remains reactive or becomes process-driven.

Insurers and fleet operators benefit most when they partner with digitally enabled repair networks rather than individual workshops. Continuous visibility replaces retrospective audits. Approvals move faster. Fraud risk drops.

Parts suppliers gain by connecting directly to real workshop demand signals. Inventory planning improves. Conversion rates increase. Manual ordering channels shrink.

Adjacent services — pick-up and drop, digital inspections, diagnostics, warranties, service history, even pre-owned vehicle platforms — scale faster when they plug into a shared network instead of rebuilding context each time. Rather than being about control, this is about enhanced coordination.

The Global Consequence

This is not an India problem. It is a global one. Trusted, transparent car repair remains one of the most unresolved service experiences worldwide. Unclear pricing. Unpredictable timelines. Limited visibility. The same failures repeat across markets. The stakes are rising fast.

Vehicles are becoming software-driven with EVs and new energy platforms, which require significantly higher diagnostic time and specialised tooling compared to ICE vehicles. Regulations are demanding traceability and compliance. Customers raised on Uber and Amazon expect real-time updates, zero ambiguity, and price transparency as a baseline across services. Fragmentation is no longer inefficient. It is untenable.

Independent workshops will not design ecosystems. They are not supposed to. They are built to fix cars, manage cash, and survive the day. Ecosystems are built by infrastructure.

The only viable path forward is this: digitise the workshop to solve immediate operational pain, then connect those systems outward through open, interoperable networks spanning parts, insurers, fleets, logistics, and payments.

When coordination is embedded into daily workflows, not sold as strategy, networks form by default. Participation becomes rational, not aspirational.

This shift cannot wait. The future of auto repair will belong to those who build the invisible coordination layer now. Everyone else will be forced to operate on top of it later — on weaker margins and someone else’s terms.

Vijay Gummadi is the CEO of Autorox. Views expressed are the authors’ personal.

The Dealers’ Dossier That Made It Into a Trade Deal

Autocar Professional Bureau — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 18:38:54

Trade agreements are usually written in the language of tariffs and timelines. But their success is ultimately measured in the real economy—on factory floors, in supplier parks, and, crucially, in the dealership bays where consumers decide what they can afford, what they can maintain, and what they trust.

That’s why the India–EU FTA is more than a diplomatic milestone for the auto sector. It is a case study in something rarer: how a stakeholder group closest to the consumer—auto dealers—can influence the architecture of a mega trade deal when it brings data, discipline, and a market-stability lens to the table.

This is the behind-the-scenes story of how FADA’s recommendations—delivered as a structured research paper in July 2025, after a direct request from the Hon’ble Commerce & Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal during May–June 2025 engagements—found their way into the public contours of the deal announced in January 2026.

The Moment Policy Met the Marketplace

In June 2025, FADA’s engagement with the Commerce Ministry took a decisive turn. The Hon’ble Minister’s message was direct: don’t just react to the FTA—help shape it. Specifically, FADA was encouraged to develop a research-backed view on how the India–EU FTA could benefit the Indian automobile ecosystem—not in theory, but in practice.

For an industry often represented through manufacturing or component narratives, this was a strategic opening. Dealers are not just intermediaries. They are the sector’s early-warning system—tracking demand sentiment, financing constraints, inventory health, sale/resale behaviour, service readiness, and customer friction points in real time.So FADA did what dealers do best: convert market signals into actionable structure.

July 2025: A Research Paper Designed Like a Policy Blueprint

By July 2025, FADA submitted its representation—built to answer a practical question:

How does India liberalise without destabilising its mass-market manufacturing base?

FADA’s paper was grounded in a simple but powerful thesis:
Liberalisation must be calibrated, segmented, and safeguard-led—so that India gains technology and investment without triggering a demand shock.

This was not an argument against opening. It was an argument for how to open—intelligently:

• Avoid a tariff cliff that creates a sudden price shock and market distortion
• Use quota-led/guard-railed pathways to manage the pace of change
• Keep India’s mass segment insulated while allowing a premium-tech upgrade pathway
• Ensure openness reinforces Make-in-India capability building, not mere import substitution
• Build predictability so OEMs invest, suppliers scale, and dealers prepare service capabilities

In other words: trade policy, reimagined as market design.

The Persuasion Phase: One Report is not Enough

Policy adoption is rarely about the document alone. It’s about the rigor behind it—and the ability to defend it under scrutiny.

Following the July submission, FADA undertook multiple engagements to walk policymakers through the logic, the segmentation model, and the second-order effects on retail, financing, and service readiness. The intent was to prevent a simplistic debate (“imports good” vs “imports bad”) and instead anchor the conversation in outcomes:

• consumer choice without consumer confusion
• technology access without ecosystem disruption
• competition without destabilisation
• investment certainty without policy whiplash

This is the unglamorous part of reform—less headline, more hard work. But it is precisely where trade deals are either made credible or made brittle.

January 2026: The Deal Lands—and the Design Looks Familiar

When the FTA’s broad contours were announced in January 2026, what stood out was not merely that automobiles were included. It was how they were included.

From the industry’s standpoint, the structure carried a clear signature: calibration.

Three signals were particularly aligned with the philosophy FADA advocated:

Quota-led liberalisation as an organising principle
Instead of an immediate, broad-based opening, the package reflected a managed pathway—the kind that prevents demand shocks and allows domestic industry to adapt and upgrade.
A phased glidepath on tariffs, not a sudden cut
A time-bound pathway creates predictability. Predictability creates investment. And investment creates the real win: localisation, jobs, and capability building.
A narrative that explicitly ties the framework to Make-in-India and future export potential
This is the strategic leap. It reframes the FTA from being “about imports” to being “about India’s next auto chapter”—technology absorption, manufacturing competitiveness, and global market participation.

From FADA’s vantage point, the alignment was clear: the final architecture mirrored the same risk-managed, growth-forward framework that we had submitted.

Why the Dealer Lens Mattered More Than Most People Realise

Dealers sit at an unusual junction: they represent the consumer’s affordability constraint and the ecosystem’s execution constraint.

When policy changes, dealers see it first:

• financing approvals tighten or loosen
• price sensitivity shifts overnight
• inventory cycles change
• aftersales capacity becomes the bottleneck
• customer expectations reset

That’s why FADA’s representation was not just policy opinion. It was operational intelligence—the kind governments need if they want reforms that hold up under real-world conditions.

The result is a trade deal design that, at least in its public contours, signals a crucial intent:
India wants competition and technology, but not chaos.

The Real Scoreboard: What Happens Next

The announcement is not the finish line. For the auto ecosystem, the next phase is where outcomes will be won or lost:

• rules and administrative mechanics
• clear definitions and transition schedules
• compliance architecture that doesn’t overburden execution
• OEM localisation and supply-chain strategy
• dealer readiness—training, tooling, diagnostics, and service infrastructure

If the FTA is executed with the same discipline with which it has been framed, India can achieve a rare trifecta:

Consumer upgrade (better tech, better safety, better choices)
Ecosystem strengthening (components, jobs, service capability)
Strategic competitiveness (investment + export optionality)

A Closing Insight: The Quiet Power of Credible Institutions

In a world of loud lobbying, the most effective influence is often the most measurable one. FADA’s role in the India–EU FTA narrative underscores a broader lesson:

Institutions that combine data credibility, market intimacy, and national interest framing don’t just participate in policymaking—they improve it.

FADA’s submission began as a ministerial request in mid-2025. It matured through technical engagement. And in January 2026, it showed up where it matters most: in the shape of policy.

For India’s auto retail ecosystem, that’s not just a policy win. It is proof that ground truth, presented with rigor, can move the architecture of history.

Saharsh Damani is the CEO of FADA. Views expressed are the authors’ personal.

Telematics: The Route to India’s Next-Gen Logistics

Autocar Professional Bureau — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 11:53:24

Logistics has never been more complex. From safety and sustainability standards to end customers demanding faster delivery times, today’s fleets face immense pressure.

Not helping matters are untracked common unpowered assets like trailers, containers, and pallets, which can result in inefficient fleet utilisation, long idle times at hubs, bad route planning, pilferage, detention delays, and border holdups. The direct impact is higher costs and reduced reliability. Naturally, decision-makers are looking to improve operations through technology.

Meanwhile, government efforts such as the National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity (PM Gati Shakti), the National Logistics Policy, and the rapidly expanding Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), aim to accelerate digital transformation with a view to elevating the entire logistics chain.

However, technology is not a silver bullet. Instead, fleet managers must invest wisely, putting their resources into building a foundation of detailed, actionable information.

Systemic bottlenecks

With a network of inter-state ports, inland container depots (ICDs), and distribution hubs, fleet managers in India need to monitor assets across road, rail, air, and waterways. Integrating them is essential to improving last-mile connectivity and cost-efficiency. In essence, this was what 2021’s Logistics Efficiency Enhancement Programme (LEEP) aimed to address.

However, due to process fragmentation, fleet managers face challenges in acquiring detailed information on their logistics systems. In spite of updates to the AIS-140 mandate, which requires commercial vehicles to integrate global positioning systems (GPS), emergency buttons, and real-time data connectivity to a central command centre, many still lack end-to-end monitoring and tracking.

That has led to many fleet managers being mired in bottlenecks, misplaced trailers, unverified handovers, and limited proof of movement. This has chafed fleet managers with a lack of control over operations while making it harder for them to fulfil commitments to customers, as highlighted in a report by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

The real-time visibility gap

While freight corridors, multimodal infrastructure, and digitalised planning frameworks have strengthened India’s logistics ecosystem, real-time visibility remains elusive. This is where telematics comes in. Picture a computer in each vehicle that observes and records everything from speed and idling to fuel consumption and tyre pressure. This data would be a godsend for fleet managers, who can use it to make better decisions based on how each asset is used.

Better still, a powerful, scalable internet of things (IoT) platform that centralises device and data management, enables swift, accurate, and uninterrupted analyses of both powered and unpowered assets nationwide. The result is fleet management that can track movements in real time to refine routes or spot problems before they cause disruptions. In real terms, these benefits can provide impetus for the national objective of reducing logistics costs to 7.5% of GDP target by 2030.

Closing the loop via complete visibility

Powering transparency, efficiency, and sustainability will require complete visibility. Asset tracking solutions are the key here. With a full-stack, secure telematics ecosystem that is tailored to serve India’s mixed-asset logistics environment, fleet operators will be able to aggregate a vast amount of data from geographical locations and usage patterns.

Systemic issues like unattended trailers, unpredictable dwell times, and the inability to verify cargo movement cost the Indian logistics sector billions annually. A tailored telematics solution can ease these issues.

For example, an asset tracking solution that tracks both powered and unpowered assets via low-energy IoT modules with a long-lasting battery reduces the friction that traditionally made it difficult to achieve end-to-end visibility. Supported by eSIM technology, such a solution will ensure reliable connectivity across regions and telecommunications networks.

A robust telematics ecosystem offers more than just precise location data, with elements like remote geofencing, diagnostics, tamper alerts, and utilisation analytics allowing fleet managers to delve deeper into asset behavior. With this level of end-to-end visibility, shippers, fleet owners, and warehouse teams can trace movements, handovers, and deviations within the logistics chain with full transparency and efficacy.

Visibility raises efficiency, safety, and sustainability

India’s fleet managers face a range of pressures. Growing expectations around efficiency, safety, and sustainability, not least from the PM Gati Shakti as well as stricter AIS-140 enforcement, make precise asset allocation indispensable.
The conundrum for organisations is how to ensure a profitable business case for asset tracking.

This hinges on two critical requirements: long-term operation with low maintenance costs, and real-time GPS tracking during movement. The way to achieve that is through a powerful, scalable IoT platform that embeds end-to-end tracking of any asset and logistics challenge anywhere.

Sachin Arora is the Head IoT and Connectivity at Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) India. Views expressed are the authors’ personal.

Software Ages Faster Than the Car: The Bill Nobody Budgeted For

Arunima Pal — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 14:39:15

Software-defined vehicles (SDVs) were meant to extend vehicle life through upgradable software. At least, that was the promise. Instead, software may be shortening perceived relevance—and someone will eventually pay for that gap.

The automotive industry is enthusiastic about software-driven longevity: vehicles that stay updated, relevant, and competitive for longer. What is far less understood—or conveniently ignored—is the long tail of cost, liability, and operational burden that follows this promise.

This article is not a rant about OTA failures. It is not a software-versus-hardware debate. And it is certainly not another explanation of why “technology is hard.”
It is about lifecycle economics, operational reality, and consequences the industry prefers to defer.

At its core, this discussion challenges two widely accepted tenets of SDVs:
first, that software updates alone can keep vehicles fresh for their full lifespan; and second, that decoupling software from hardware is always the right direction for SDV evolution.

At the heart of the issue lies a quiet mismatch: vehicles are expected to last like infrastructure, while software is designed to evolve like fashion.

1. Decoding the Software–Hardware Age Gap

Consumer electronics offer a telling reference. Smartphones were once supported for barely two years; today, leading models promise seven or more. Even then, few users mistake updates for timeless relevance.

In theory, SDVs can receive software updates across their entire 10–15 year lifecycle. In reality, not all updates are equal. A more honest SDV software lifecycle looks like this:

0–7 years: Innovation years
Feature expansion, UI refreshes, ADAS improvements, capability growth.
7–10 years: Maintenance years
Optimisation, bug fixes, efficiency improvements.
10–15 years: Survival years
Security patches, regulatory compliance, functional safety updates.

In practical terms, an SDV remains meaningfully contemporary for its first 5-7 years. Beyond that, software updates often shift from enhancing relevance to merely sustaining existence. This has a direct impact on perceived longevity and real-world value.

In comparison, a car—pre SDV—has traditionally been designed for roughly 22 years of serviceability before being regarded as a classic. Ownership may change multiple times during this period, but the viability of the vehicle remains intact. The expectation has never been continuous reinvention, but dependable relevance over time.

The uncomfortable truth is that the oldest vehicles carrying credible “software upgradability” promises are barely a decade old. The industry has not yet experienced a full SDV lifecycle at scale. And when it does, the limiting factor will not be software ambition—it will be hardware reality.

2. The Cost of Believing the Myth of Infinite Updates

If the current approach to decoupling hardware and software continues unchanged, OEMs risk shipping vehicles that age digitally faster than they age mechanically—a new form of obsolescence the industry is not prepared to manage.

Many strategic decisions today carry quiet downstream consequences:

Aggressive OTA promises lead to service overload and customer distrust
High-compute platforms without lifecycle planning accelerate warranty exposure
No hardware evolution path forces premature replacement

This raises an unavoidable question: who pays for the gap?

The cost does not fall on technology partners whose responsibility often ends at delivery. Instead, it lands on:

OEMs: R&D teams pulled back into post-SOP firefighting, Aftersales and service networks, Warranty and goodwill budgets
The pre-owned market, where value erosion accelerates and Independent service providers struggling with tools and access
And Customers asking the most damaging question of all:
“I was promised a future-ready car—why does it already feel old?”

If SDV lifecycles are not prioritised now, vehicles risk running mechanically sound but digitally outdated software, with growing security gaps and limited repairability. The industry is already grappling with electronic waste from short-lived consumer devices. With SDVs, the scale—and the consequences—will be far greater.

3. Beyond Wishful Thinking: Designing for Planned Evolution

This is where the SDV conversation needs a reset.

The next direction is not endless abstraction or complete hardware–software separation. It is planned hardware evolution, deliberately embedded within the SDV framework.

If software is expected to grow smarter over time, the physical systems it depends on—sensors, cameras, radar, and compute platforms—must be designed to evolve as well.

Imagine instead:

Sensor suites designed with clear upgrade paths
Compute platforms refreshed once during the vehicle’s life
ADAS and autonomy capabilities improving because inputs evolve, not just algorithms

This is not about turning cars into Lego kits. It is about accepting a basic truth: software cannot outgrow the senses through which it perceives the world.

Done thoughtfully, selective hardware upgradability:

Extends usable vehicle life
Preserves customer trust
Stabilises residual values
Keeps SDV promises aligned with physical reality

Hardware stops being the bottleneck—and becomes the enabler. This also reframes the HW–SW relationship. The question is no longer how much we can decouple, but where coupling must remain intentional. That shift demands new thinking—and deeper collaboration between OEMs and technology providers, not just on software standards, but on sensing and compute foundations.

Closing Thought: The Cost of Denial Is Higher Than the Cost of Design

The promise of software-defined vehicles was never about endless updates. It was about relevance, longevity, and trust.

Software will age faster than cars. That is not a failure—it is a fact.
The real failure is designing vehicles as if this fact does not exist.

Because if we don’t plan for software ageing, we don’t eliminate the bill—we merely defer it. And deferred bills, as the industry knows well, always arrive with interest.

The only question is whether we choose to design for it—or keep pretending it won’t.

Parul Pradhan Sharma is a Design-driven strategic leader with over 23 years of experience in the automotive and product innovation space. Views expressed are the authors’ personal.

India’s Auto Boom Is Outpacing Road Safety: Why Road Safety Isn’t Scaling with Vehicle Growth

Arunima Pal — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 14:04:48

India’s growth story is increasingly visible on its roads. Highways now stretch deeper into the hinterland, cities are linked by faster corridors, and connectivity has become a backbone of economic mobility. Over the past decade, the national highway network has expanded by more than 60 percent, with construction continuing at a rapid pace daily. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of new vehicles hit Indian roads every day, reflecting rising incomes, growing logistics demand, and changing travel habits.

Yet this rapid expansion comes with a stark contradiction. Even as roads improve and vehicles become safer, India records some of the highest road crash fatalities globally: around 474 lives lost daily. Growth has delivered speed and scale, but safety has not kept pace.

A key challenge is how road usage has evolved. Roads are no longer simple transport corridors, they now serve school zones, hospitals, markets, residential areas, expressways, and freight routes within the same network. Pedestrians, children, cyclists, two-wheelers, buses, delivery vehicles, and private cars compete for limited space. Traffic volumes are denser, speeds are higher, and the mix of users is far more complex than a decade ago.

Yet road design and regulation have not kept up. Many rules still assume predictable traffic behaviour and prioritise vehicle movement over human safety. When infrastructure and policy lag behind real-world conditions, risk multiplies.

The Risk Is Concentrated Where Protection Is Weakest

The burden of road crashes falls disproportionately on vulnerable users—pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheelers—who together account for nearly seven out of ten fatalities (around 68% as per MoRTH data. Two-wheelers alone make up almost majority of all fatalities, while rising pedestrian fatalities highlight the shortage of safe footpaths, crossings, and traffic-calmed streets. Speed remains the dominant factor, contributing to 68–70 percent of fatal crashes. Highways, though a small fraction of road length, account for over a third of fatalities due to higher speeds, while rural roads also show high death rates because of weak enforcement, poor lighting, inconsistent engineering, and delayed emergency response.

Beyond human loss, road crashes cost India an estimated 3–5 percent of GDP annually, with lower-income households bearing the heaviest financial burden. At a time when the central government is considering critical amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act, the opportunity to address these systemic gaps has rarely been clearer. Targeted changes can help ensure that India’s road safety laws catch up with today’s road realities.

Three Levers That Save Lives: Speed, Enforcement and Child Restraints

Closing the gaps requires focusing on the few interventions that consistently deliver the highest safety impact across India’s roads. Speed limits must reflect real-world road conditions and be set using scientific evidence and human injury tolerance, not just vehicle categories. Amendments to Section 112 of the Motor Vehicles Act can enable this shift by aligning speed limits with road function, surrounding activity, human injury tolerance levels, road environment, and the presence of vulnerable users. As traffic volumes grow, evidence-based speed management, aligned with global best practices and supported by periodic data-led reviews, becomes one of the most effective ways to reduce fatalities.

Enforcement must evolve in parallel. Two-wheelers and three-wheelers dominate urban mobility and account for a large share of fatalities. Clear inclusion of these vehicles under Section 183, with graded penalties linked to the severity of violations, can strengthen deterrence and better reflect actual road risk.

Built-in safety features are another critical area. Rear-seat belt usage remains weakly enforced, and children are often restrained using adult seatbelts due to legal ambiguity. Updating Section 194B to mandate the use of child restraint systems (CRS) for children under 12 years of age or below 150 cm in height, in line with global standards, is critical. Adult seatbelts are not designed to protect children and can cause serious injury in crashes. Clear legal provisions requiring age-, height-, and weight-appropriate CRS, along with unambiguous enforcement, will ensure that built-in child safety features are used effectively in real-world conditions.

Beyond saving lives, these changes also benefit the automotive ecosystem. Aligning vehicle safety standards with real-world outcomes helps ensure that OEM investments in airbags, crash structures, and child safety systems translate into measurable reductions in fatalities. Consistent rules across states reduce compliance uncertainty and reputational risk when vehicles are incorrectly blamed for crashes driven by human behaviour or unsafe infrastructure.

India stands at a pivotal moment where policy, industry, and infrastructure can align to redefine road safety. The MV Act amendments offer a chance not only to improve safety outcomes but to build a predictable, accountable, and outcome-driven mobility framework. Every new vehicle and every new kilometre of road represents an opportunity to make travel safer — and to ensure that growth does not come at the cost of human life.

Rinki Sharma is Project Leader, Consumer Voice, and Member, Road Safety Network. Views expressed are the author's personal.

Union Budget 2026–27: Shaping India’s Manufacturing Future

Arunima Pal — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 14:00:03

Union Budgets often shape expectations for the year ahead.. This year, the Budget reflects a steady policy direction, with continued emphasis on infrastructure-led growth, strengthening the manufacturing ecosystem and supporting MSMEs. While the announcements build largely on existing priorities, the Budget reinforces the importance of domestic capability creation as part of India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, which is increasingly being viewed not as an aspiration but as a practical requirement in a changing global environment.

It features six clearly defined 'Kartavyas' to successfully guide India in the next stage of economic growth. These Kartavyas together convey the government’s intent to augment the foundations of development led by manufacturing, with a strong push on creation of infrastructure, empowerment of MSMEs, industrial rejuvenation and demand led growth. The Budget delivers alignment, policy continuity and long-term investment confidence for the manufacturing sector, including automotive and auto components.

The Union Budget has identified Creating and Championing MSMEs as one of the six Kartavyas. Through the Tier 2 and a Tier 3 supplier base, MSMEs act as a backbone in capacity creation, flexibility and employment generation. Efforts to enhance access to credit, encourage cluster-based development, and to provide targeted capital support will seek to resolve the structural challenges, especially those concerning liquidity and scale. Measures are aimed at improving access to finance, encouraging cluster-based development and providing targeted capital support to address structural challenges, particularly related to liquidity and scale. Strengthening MSMEs will help improve productivity, support technology upgrades and improve quality standards, thus strengthening the overall manufacturing ecosystem.

Another important Kartavya highlighted in the Budget is the continued push for infrastructure development. Infrastructure investment remains one of the most effective enablers of industrial growth. Spending on roads, transport networks, logistics systems and industrial infrastructure helps reduce logistics costs, improve supply chain efficiency and support large-scale manufacturing operations. For the capital goods, construction-linked manufacturing, and automotive supply chains sectors, this enhances operational efficiency as well as generates demand through increased economic activity. To make Indian manufacturing competitive in the domestic and global markets, a strong infrastructure base is essential.

The Budget also calls attention to legacy industrial sectors. This shows that they are relevant to the industrial structure of manufacturing in India. The traditional engineering and manufacturing sectors use a significant workforce and contribution to industry. By better access to capital, infrastructure and industrial support systems we can support their modernisation to become more efficient and competitive. Additionally, there is focus on more balanced regional development by developing city economic regions, particularly in new geographies. Encouraging industrial activity beyond established manufacturing hubs can unlock new demand centres, and create employment opportunities closer to consumption markets.

Moreover, the emphasis on consumption-led growth is an important signal to the manufacturing sector from a demand perspective. Consumption is one of the key drivers for the automobile, mobility related industries. Policies that enhance economic stability, infrastructure development and employment generation reinforce consumer confidence. For investments and long-term production strategies, a steady demand environment is essential.

With manufacturing becoming increasingly technology-driven, sectors like semiconductors and rare earths are becoming more relevant across sectors like auto and industrial manufacturing. Strengthening our electronics and high-tech engineering capabilities will improve the resilience of the supply chain and reduce our critical technology and metals dependencies. This is in line with the larger goal of creating a manufacturing ecosystem that can support the needs of future products and processes.

Collectively, the six Kartavyas outlined in the Union Budget 2026–27 create a stable and forward-looking policy environment for manufacturing-led growth.

By focusing on infrastructure, MSMEs, industrial rejuvenation, regional development, consumption and advanced manufacturing capabilities, the Budget 2026 positions India for the next decade. It aims to build formidable resilience against external factors and solidify India's ambition to be a rule-maker, rather than merely a rule-follower, in the global economic order.

Rajnikant Behera is Executive Director of RSB Global. Views expressed are the author's personal.

Union Budget 2026–27: Shaping India’s Manufacturing Future

Arunima Pal — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 14:00:03

Collectively, the six Kartavyas outlined in the Union Budget 2026–27 create a stable and forward-looking policy environment for manufacturing-led growth.

Rajnikant Behera is Executive Director of RSB Global. Views expressed are the author's personal.

Onkar Kanwar: Budget 2026’s Infrastructure Push Will Anchor India’s Long-Term Auto Demand

Autocar Professional Bureau — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:51:04

Budget 2026 stands out as a prudent and structurally focused roadmap aimed at sustaining economic growth while strengthening long-term fundamentals. Rather than short-term stimulus, the Finance Minister has opted for calibrated fiscal management combined with targeted public investment. The emphasis on strategic manufacturing reinforces India’s ambition to deepen its role in global supply chains, while large-scale investments in logistics and connectivity signal a clear push to lower transaction costs and enhance competitiveness. The announcement of new freight corridors, including 20 national waterways and seven high-speed rail corridors between major cities, positions infrastructure not merely as an enabler, but as a growth connector that binds manufacturing, consumption and exports into a more efficient ecosystem.

A defining feature of the Budget is its strong commitment to balanced and inclusive development. Prioritising rural development, alongside targeted measures to enhance farmer incomes, reflects an understanding that sustainable growth must be broad-based. At the same time, focused infrastructure development in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities aims to create new engines of economic activity, reduce pressure on metros, and support urbanisation that is more evenly distributed. Investments in housing, urban mobility, energy systems, and civic infrastructure in these cities will help unlock latent demand and employment potential across regions.

For the auto and mobility sector, the most important signal in Budget 2026 is the sharp rise in government capital expenditure. This capex push acts as a powerful tailwind for vehicle demand across segments -- commercial vehicles, construction equipment, passenger vehicles and farm mechanisation alike. The Finance Minister’s message is subtle but consistent: build roads, cities, energy systems and state capacity first -- vehicles will follow. Improved highways, freight corridors, urban infrastructure and rural connectivity directly translate into higher utilisation of vehicles, replacement demand and expansion of transport fleets.

In essence, Budget 2026 reinforces the idea that durable growth comes from investing in the foundations of the economy. By combining fiscal prudence with a strong capital expenditure thrust, strategic manufacturing support, and inclusive regional development, the Budget lays the groundwork for sustained economic momentum -- one where infrastructure-led growth fuels industrial expansion, rural prosperity, and long-term demand across sectors.

Onkar Kanwar is the Chairman of Apollo Tyres Ltd. Views expressed are the authors’ personal.

India Explores Advanced Charging Technologies to Accelerate Electric Bus and Truck Adoption

Autocar Professional Bureau — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 14:00:25

India’s commitment to achieving a Net Zero emission target by 2070 and to reducing carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030 underscores the critical need for a transition to electric mobility. This transition is a key technological leap that will propel India towards achieving global climate change targets.

With an ambition to achieve a 30% electric vehicle (EV) market share by 2030, EV adoption in India is rapidly gaining momentum. In 2025, EV penetration in India reached 8% of total automobile sales, with electric two-wheelers (e-2Ws) contributing about 56% of total EV registrations. Electric three-wheelers (e-3Ws), electric buses (e-buses), and electric four-wheelers (e-4Ws) have also achieved significant market traction, driven by favourable economics, regulatory support, and rapid expansion of fast-charging infrastructure.

The growth of electric Heavy-Duty Vehicles (e-HDVs)—trucks and buses—remains low. There is a need to establish robust, safe, reliable, accessible, and affordable charging infrastructure to accelerate this momentum and enable faster adoption of EVs, including e-HDVs, in the country.

High-capacity EVs such as trucks and buses are fundamentally different in terms of charging requirements compared to 2Ws, 3Ws, or 4Ws, where owners often prefer to install personal charging points at home, while public charging points are increasingly being made available through Charge Point Operators (CPOs) across the country.

In the case of heavy-duty vehicles, there is a need to move towards fast-charging technologies to reduce charging time and infrastructure costs, while also optimizing battery capacity. Dual-gun charging, pantograph charging, catenary charging, wireless charging, megawatt-hour charging, and battery swapping are emerging technologies that are evolving to address these needs. This article discusses these different charging technologies and their application in India.

GoI Schemes Promoting EVs

The PM Electric-Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme, launched in 2024 with an outlay of ₹10,900 crore, offers incentives to accelerate the adoption of EVs and to establish charging infrastructure. It proposes the installation of 48,400 fast chargers for e-2Ws/3Ws, 22,100 fast chargers for e-4Ws, and 1,800 fast chargers for e-buses across India, with an outlay of ₹2,000 crore. Further, ₹4,391 crore has been earmarked for the procurement of over 14,028 e-buses by State Transport Undertakings (STUs) and public transport agencies, providing significant subsidies of up to ₹35 lakh per standard bus.

The PM-eBus Sewa Scheme aims to augment bus operations through the deployment of 10,000 electric buses under a PPP model. This initiative is expected to enable the deployment of more than 38,000 electric buses during the period from FY 2024–25 to 2028–29 through a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model and a Payment Security Mechanism (PSM) for STUs, with operational support extending up to 12 years from the date of deployment.

To bridge the gap in research and development, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, launched various initiatives such as the MAHA EV Mission under the aegis of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which focuses on the development of key EV technologies to reduce dependency on imports and promote domestic innovation. DST has also launched another program known as EVolutionS (Electric Vehicle Solutions led by Startups for component manufacturing), aimed at supporting EV startups in translating proof-of-concept technologies and prototypes into commercially viable products.

High Power Charging Technologies

High-power charging is essential for e-buses and e-trucks, with varying requirements based on vehicle type and usage patterns. E-buses require different charging strategies depending on their routes and battery capacities: city buses may need overnight charging, while long-distance buses may require a combination of destination charging and fast opportunity charging. Conversely, the freight sector demands rapid charging solutions to maximize vehicle uptime and payload capacity.

The selection of charging systems is crucial and varies across several technologies, each with distinct configurations and advantages. These include:

Dual-Gun Charging

As the name suggests, this technology uses two guns, accommodating power delivery requirements of up to 500 kW. Unlike the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard involving a single gun, which typically provides power up to 250 kW or 350 kW, dual-gun chargers mitigate the need for costly infrastructure upgrades by delivering increased power through two separate outlets. This configuration enables faster charging by effectively doubling the power delivery rate, thereby halving the charging time. Other benefits include:

(a) compatibility, as it utilizes the same communication protocols and components as single-gun systems;
(b) the use of established standards such as CCS, which are widely adopted and tested globally; and
(c) operational resilience, as dual-gun chargers can revert to single-gun charging in the event of a failure, ensuring that the vehicle’s high-voltage battery is not left uncharged. Dual-gun charging is already in practice among several players.

From an infrastructure and grid integration perspective, managing power and cooling systems involves complex coordination. Additionally, simultaneous high-power charging of multiple buses can significantly impact local grid stability, necessitating careful grid balancing to prevent disruptions.

Catenary Charging

Instead of a conventional ground-based charging facility, this system employs an overhead fixed line with a vehicle-mounted pantograph. This is similar to electric railway systems, where locomotives draw power from overhead equipment (OHE), but adapted for heavy-duty road vehicles.

Catenary systems for trucks utilize two overhead wires installed along designated routes, with battery-electric trucks equipped with a pantograph mounted on the vehicle’s roof to draw current while in motion. The system can deliver up to 500 kW of power at voltages up to 1,500 V DC.

By eliminating lengthy downtime at charging stations, catenary systems significantly enhance operational efficiency and driver productivity. However, multiple challenges—including the absence of Indian standards specific to catenary systems and the significantly higher cost of OHE infrastructure—complicate the adoption of this technology. In addition, required modifications to vehicle designs further increase complexity.

Inductive Charging

In this method, power transfer takes place through magnetic resonance coupling via inductive loops buried in the roadway. These loops generate a magnetic field that wirelessly supplies energy to e-buses. This contactless energy transfer, which is approximately 90% efficient, involves an electric current flowing through conductors (charging plates) embedded in the road to generate a magnetic field.

The system consists of a primary coil in the road connected to the power grid and a secondary coil fitted beneath the bus. Inductive charging offers two distinct capabilities tailored to different needs:

(a) low-power static charging of up to 50 kW, and
(b) dynamic charging of 50 kW and above.

Key benefits include the possibility of downsizing battery packs, which could make this technology suitable for inter-city electric buses and potentially serve as an alternative to light rail or metro systems. However, India currently lacks established standards and proof-of-concept deployments for inductive charging, making implementation complex. High capital and operational costs, grid strain due to substantial power requirements, and unresolved technical challenges remain significant barriers.

Pantograph Down Charging

Pantograph technology, long established in railway systems, is increasingly being adapted for EV charging globally, particularly for depot and opportunity charging applications. Capable of delivering up to 600 kW, pantograph systems substantially reduce charging times. Pantograph solutions in India offer safe and reliable automated connections at voltage levels ranging from 150 V to 850 V and power levels of 100 kW, 150 kW, 300 kW, 450 kW, and 600 kW. Connector-based charging systems typically support around 10,000 cycles, whereas pantograph charging systems can support up to 30,000 cycles.

In addition to electric bus charging, pantographs can be deployed in mining and drayage applications, where heavy-duty vehicles have limited time available for charging. One of the key advantages of pantograph charging is that it reduces the need for large, expensive onboard battery packs.

However, transitioning from cable-based systems to pantograph technology requires installing compatible bus bars or rails on e-buses, additional components for wireless communication, and modifications to junction boxes. This technology holds significant potential for addressing the charging requirements of HDVs and large vans of varying sizes and capacities using common charging infrastructure. Interoperability is a key consideration.

Pantograph systems demand up to 450 kW per bus, creating grid stability concerns when multiple vehicles charge simultaneously. Solutions such as Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) integration, and innovative business models like Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) can help mitigate these challenges. Pantograph charging offers interoperability, long infrastructure life, and operational efficiency—positioning India to meet its clean mobility goals effectively.

Megawatt-Hour Charging

Megawatt-hour charging delivers up to 3.75 MW of peak power through a single connector, enabling ultra-fast charging for heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks and buses at voltages of up to 1,250 V and currents of up to 3,000 A. The lack of Indian standards for Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) complicates regulatory compliance, and significant grid capacity assessments and charge management readiness evaluations are required.

The long-term impact of such high-power charging on battery life also needs careful evaluation. Ensuring modular system design, robust communication during high-power charging, effective heat dissipation, and adherence to safety standards is critical. The high-voltage architecture must be capable of handling extreme currents, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and increased mechanical and thermal stresses.

Establishing MCS stations at logistics hubs and ports requires substantial grid capacity and advanced energy management. Charge scheduling and predictive planning will be necessary to optimize station utilization and meet commercial vehicle demand. Comprehensive feasibility assessments from both grid readiness and EV readiness perspectives are essential.

Battery Swapping

Battery swapping is an alternative to fixed-battery charging systems, involving the replacement of discharged batteries with fully charged ones. For e-HDVs, battery replacement is performed robotically, unlike the manual swapping used for 2Ws and 3Ws. This approach separates battery ownership and charging from vehicle operation, keeping vehicles on the road with minimal downtime. Battery swapping is comparable to refuelling internal combustion engine vehicles and typically takes 1–3 minutes.

This technology falls under the broader umbrella of Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS), where users purchase EVs without batteries, which typically account for 40–50% of the total vehicle cost. Users access batteries through subscription-based services offered by OEMs or third-party BaaS providers.

Battery swapping remains nascent in India but is gaining traction, particularly in commercial and fleet operations. In September 2025, the Nhava Sheva Distribution Terminal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority deployed 50 swappable-battery trucks. OEMs such as Ashok Leyland, Energy in Motion, Sun Mobility, and Blue Energy are actively engaged in advancing this technology.

Looking Ahead

This article provides an overview of emerging charging technologies for heavy-duty vehicles, specifically e-buses and e-trucks. Each technology presents distinct advantages, limitations, and challenges, and several require further real-world validation. Controlled field trials, feasibility studies, and the development of India-specific standards are essential to assess performance under tropical climatic conditions.

It is also imperative to evaluate grid impacts and ensure effective integration of renewable energy sources to mitigate grid imbalance while meeting the charging requirements of heavy-duty vehicles. Collaboration among policymakers, industry stakeholders, utilities, and research institutions will be critical for the successful implementation of these technologies.

Suresh Babu Muttana is Scientist E, CEST Division, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India; Sharif Qamar is Associate Director at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi; and Dr. Anita Gupta is Scientist G & Head, CEST Division, DST, GoI. Views expressed are the authors’ personal.

Riding with India: Celebrating 25 Years of Mobility, Partnership, and Progress- Tsutsumu Otani

Autocar Professional Bureau — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:47:45

Over the past 25 years, India’s mobility story has evolved alongside the everyday lives of its people. This transformation stems from a deep human belief: to build a society that experiences the joy and freedom of mobility.

Across cities, towns, and villages, mobility solutions have enabled people by delivering freedom, convenience, and enjoyment while meeting India’s evolving needs. Mobility has not just been about machines. We create mobility that unlocks freedom, expands possibilities, and strengthens trust in everyday lives. This commitment has been guided by the responsibility of being a trusted mobility partner making mobility safer, more inclusive, more innovative, and increasingly responsible, while offering universal and essential value for people.

A Journey that Began with a Belief

Twenty-five years ago, mobility in India was largely about necessity. Motorcycles dominated the roads, while scooters - once integral to households were in decline. Yet, from the outset, there was a quiet conviction that Indian market needed mobility solutions that were not only powerful, but also practical, inclusive, and easy to use.

That conviction revived a category that transformed urban and semi-urban mobility, empowering riders across ages, genders, and geographies. Scooters reintroduced comfort, reliability, and inclusivity to millions, especially to women and first-time riders, for whom mobility became personal, dependable, and freeing. What began as a bold step, soon evolved into one of the most remarkable transformations in India’s mobility landscape.

As people’s lives expanded, so did the industry. India’s two-wheeler market surged from 4 million units in 2001 to nearly 20 million today, establishing it as the world’s largest and a global manufacturing hub.

It is not merely a matter of volume; it reflects the deep partnership between Indian customers, dealers, associates, the engineers and designers across continents, many of whom grew alongside the industry itself. Over time, people's lives in India have transformed, from limited skills to new opportunities that expand living spaces and human connections. India’s rise as the largest two-wheeler market underscores the country’s central role in shaping the future of global mobility, not just as a consumer base but as a centre of innovation, manufacturing excellence, and skilled talent.

It also reflects how India has strengthened its industrial collaboration with global OEMs, with technology, knowledge, and values flowing both ways. The industry’s growth through mobility stands as a living example of how trust, respect, and shared purpose can build long-lasting prosperity.

A fundamental strength of India’s two-wheeler journey has been localisation. Global technologies were seamlessly adapted to Indian roads and consumer needs - from traffic conditions to fuel efficiency and durability, reinforcing the spirit of make in India. Over time, this has led to the development of a robust domestic supplier base, deeper localisation of components, and a resilient manufacturing ecosystem that has reduced dependency while improving quality, cost efficiency, and speed to market.

This supplier ecosystem has gone beyond manufacturing parts. It has enabled livelihoods, skills, co-creation, and long-term trust. It has enabled co-creation, skill development, technology transfer, and shared responsibility for safety, quality, and sustainability. This local ecosystem in India also reflects Honda’s wider global philosophy that mobility should transcend physical movement to enrich people’s lives and augment human potential, a core belief echoed in initiatives around the world.

Sustainable Manufacturing & Net Zero Impact

As mobility expanded, responsibility deepened. Sustainable manufacturing today demands reducing carbon footprints through energy efficiency, renewable energy, electrification, and responsible resource management, aligned with Net Zero goals. It also requires collaboration across the value chain to drive meaningful and lasting environmental impact. Honda is working closely with its suppliers to decarbonise the value chain and minimise resource use, reinforcing a comprehensive approach to sustainable manufacturing, ensuring progress that is mindful of both people and the planet. These efforts reflect Honda’s belief that responsible mobility must be built on responsible production, aligned with Net Zero ambitions, global climate goals, and the aspirations of markets like India.

Resilience: The industry has seen it all

Each shift strengthened the industry accelerating cleaner technologies, realigning portfolios, and reinforcing collaboration with dealer partners.

The transition to Goods and Services Tax (GST) unified a fragmented tax regime, while the recent GST rate revision affected pricing and consumer sentiment, requiring the industry to recalibrate pricing strategies, absorb transitional impacts, and work closely with dealers to maintain demand.

The industry successfully sailed through the quick shifts in the emission standards, emerging stronger, more resilient, and more agile by accelerating cleaner technologies, realigning portfolios, and supporting dealer partners.

The COVID-19 pandemic was another defining moment, disrupting manufacturing, logistics and retail activity nationwide. While factories paused and supply chains broke, mobility remained essential. The industry responded with resilience, from protecting its people, stabilising operations, to quickly adopting digital-first approaches such as virtual showrooms, online enquiries and contactless service to sustain engagement with customers, ensuring continuity even in uncertainty

Dealerships: The Local Face of Global Partnerships

A strong and widespread dealer network became one of the key drivers of the industry’s expansion, helping take mobility beyond metros and making two-wheelers accessible to a much wider population. The dealerships became important touchpoints for trust and education, introducing customers to new technologies, reinforcing safe riding practices, and supporting long-term ownership experiences. Each dealership represents not only a sales point but also a livelihood, a learning centre, and a bridge between global manufacturing and local aspirations, that enabled families to pursue economic independence. The result has been the creation of a vibrant ecosystem of local entrepreneurs whose collective effort sustains India’s position as the world’s largest two-wheeler market.

Road Safety: Making Every Ride a Shared Responsibility

One of the defining lessons from the past 25 years is that mobility is meaningful only when it is safe. India reported over 1.7 lakh road fatalities in 2023, with two-wheelers accounting for close to 45% of total fatalities, underscoring that road safety is not merely a compliance issue but a collective responsibility. Addressing this requires more than awareness; it demands rigorous training, clear communication, and consistent execution at every level. Accordingly, the industry has invested across India in training centres, rider education programmes, and community initiatives that promote traffic discipline and responsible behaviour by reaching out to children, schools, first-time riders, and fostering a generation that views safety not as enforcement, but as empowerment. The goal has always been simple yet profound, that is, to ensure that every journey that begins ends safely.

Workplace Safety, Well-being, and Inclusion

Safety begins at the workplace. Manufacturers have continuously strengthened shop-floor safety through automation, ergonomics, and rigorous training. Picture a factory worker wary of slippery floors and heavy lifts. Now, with machines that ease the load, smart tool designs, and daily safety drills, workers move with steady confidence. These measures have contributed to a steady reduction in incidents.

As organisations have grown, so has the understanding that well-being extends beyond physical safety. Mental health support, wellness programmes, regular health screenings, and work-life balance initiatives have become integral to employee welfare, recognising that a healthy workforce is essential for sustainable growth.

True progress empowers all, those who work hard and those who dream big, and progress is sustained when organisations empower not only those who deliver results, but also those who lead with initiative, curiosity, and courage. Another meaningful shift has been the increasing participation of women across manufacturing, R&D, sales, and leadership roles, reflecting changing mindsets and creating safer, more inclusive workplaces. Safer workplaces, inclusive policies, and skill development programmes have helped build an environment where women can contribute, lead, and thrive, strengthening both diversity and performance.

Economic and Social Ripple Effects

The responsibility of mobility extends beyond business; into the communities we serve and the environment we share. The growth of the two-wheeler industry has done more than connect destinations; it has connected aspirations. Every dealership, supplier, and workshop has contributed to India’s employment and skill landscape.

Women in rural areas once walked miles for water or school. Now, with scooters, she zips to class, starts a small shop, and dreams bigger thereby gaining independence and mobility that opens the world. Two-wheelers connect not just places, but also hopes that fuel village businesses, clinic visits, city deliveries, and self-made lives. In cities, they have supported last-mile logistics, self-employment, and mobility freedom. The cumulative effect is visible in India’s expanding middle class and in the rise of mobility as a driver of economic resilience.

Looking Ahead: The Next Chapter of Mobility

In a world of shifting regulations, rising customer expectations, and constant change, success lies not in reacting, but in anticipating. The road ahead calls for renewed energy, sharp focus, and collective ownership, to build trust through action and serve with purpose. India’s next mobility chapter will harmonize technology with trust, innovation with inclusion, and progress with responsibility. The lessons remain vital:

Build on local entrepreneurship to sustain global partnerships
Treat safety as the foundation of mobility, not an afterthought
Keep people, not just products, at the centre of innovation

Transcend constraints and augment human potential. India’s two-wheeler journey is still unfolding, powered by a generation of riders who see mobility not only as convenience but as confidence, freedom, and new possibilities.

For us, riding with India has always been a shared journey, shaped by trust, responsibility, and long-term commitment. Honda’s global perspective, that mobility is a force for human potential and societal transformation, resonates deeply in India, where Honda remains committed to meaningful partnerships, innovation, and mobility solutions that elevate everyday lives.

Guided by the principle of “First Safety, Then Production,” Honda has successfully linked its global vision to India. Over the past 25 years, this partnership has meant anticipating change rather than reacting to it, strengthening local ecosystems, and placing people and safety at the heart of mobility. As India’s aspirations continue to evolve, Honda Motorcycles remains committed to advancing mobility that is inclusive, sustainable, and worthy of the trust placed in it. As the road ahead unfolds, our journey continues to be driven by purpose, strengthened by partnership, and committed to progress.
Tsutsumu Otani is the President and CEO at Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India. Views expressed are the author's personal.

EV Retrofits Emerge as Fast-Track Solution for India's Commercial Vehicle Transition

Autocar Professional Bureau — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 13:07:17

India's push toward electric mobility may find an unexpected accelerator in retrofitting existing internal combustion engine vehicles, according to Exponent Energy executives who argue the approach could dramatically speed up the country's transition to zero-emission transport.

With approximately 5-6 million three-wheelers currently operating across India, replacing the entire fleet through new vehicle sales alone would take at least a decade, even if all new sales were electric from tomorrow. Industry observers suggest the actual timeline could stretch to 20 years.

Arun Vinayak, Co-founder of Exponent Energy, and Ayush Bhargava, Head of Business Initiatives at the company, highlight that commercial vehicles—comprising only 10% of India's vehicle population—account for roughly 70% of road transport energy consumption. This concentration makes commercial fleet electrification particularly impactful for emissions reduction and energy security goals.

The economics present a compelling case for vehicle owners. An autorickshaw driver operating a 5-6 year old CNG or LPG three-wheeler could save approximately Rs 3,000 monthly immediately after retrofitting, compared to the Rs 3.5-4 lakh investment required for a new electric vehicle. Once the typical 3-year loan for retrofit equipment is repaid, monthly savings could reach Rs 10,000—representing nearly 70% savings compared to CNG operation.

The retrofit model requires loans of only Rs 1.5-2 lakh, making financing more accessible while preserving the residual value of existing vehicles. Drivers maintain access to established service networks for non-battery maintenance while benefiting from improved ride quality and reduced noise.

India has precedent for such transitions. The country's shift to CNG vehicles in the early 2000s, particularly in pollution-affected cities like Delhi, initially relied heavily on hybrid petrol-CNG vehicles and aftermarket conversions before pure CNG vehicles became dominant.

Safety and quality standards are already established through the AIS 123 guidelines published in 2015, which mandate certification for retrofit kits, testing of brakes and range, weight restrictions, and proper documentation. The framework requires authorized retrofit centers with trained technicians.

However, policy gaps remain. Current government incentive programs focus predominantly on new EV purchases and charging infrastructure. Retrofit batteries and kits face 18% GST compared to 5% for new electric vehicles. The PM e-DRIVE flagship program does not currently include subsidies for commercial vehicle retrofits.

International markets are moving in this direction. France has subsidized electric retrofits, Stellantis has partnered with conversion specialists for light commercial vehicles, and Volvo initiated a program two years ago to convert construction equipment to electric power.

Each retrofitted three-wheeler eliminates approximately 4-5 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. With millions of eligible vehicles potentially available for conversion, the cumulative impact on India's carbon footprint could be substantial while the EV manufacturing sector scales to meet long-term demand.

Arun Vinayak is the Co-Founder of Exponent Energy, and Ayush Bhargava is the Business Head at Exponent Energy. Views expressed are the authors’ personal.

Software-Defined Fuel Retail: How Open API's Will Unlock the Next Decade of Energy-Agnostic Mobility?

Arunima Pal — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 20:09:57

For years, fuel retail in India has been defined by physical infrastructure, such as dispensers, tanks, meters, pipelines, and traditional, manual processes. But as mobility evolves faster than ever before, we’re entering an era where hardware alone is no longer enough. The next wave of disruption will come from software systems intelligent enough to manage demand, predict supply, integrate across fuel types, and create a consistent experience for consumers, no matter what vehicle they drive.

India is heading toward a future in which petrol, diesel, EV charging, CNG, hydrogen, LNG, and biofuels will coexist for at least the next 15–20 years. This mixed-fuel environment is the transition period, which has introduced complexity. Today, every fuel type operates in its own silo, with fuel pumps divided between EV charging stations, petrol/diesel dispensers and separate stations for CNG filling. If we continue down this path, the future will look even more fragmented.

The only practical way to build a unified mobility experience in such a diverse ecosystem is to turn fuel retail into a software-defined industry, one where intelligent systems sit at the centre, and infrastructure responds to it.

From Energy Source to Energy Experience

Globally, digital transformation in fuel retail is still playing catch-up. 90% of the retail operators spend an enormous amount of effort feeding data manually into the computers, navigating siloed systems, and dealing with uncertainty across their distribution networks. Meanwhile, consumer expectations are shifting from fuel-as-a-commodity to fueling as a service. The users want clarity, predictability, and the ability to make informed decisions on the go, and the need for a seamless digital experience is slowly but gradually becoming non-negotiable.

For example, at Bharat Petroleum stations, users can now make a payment in advance via QR code, fill up their tanks, and leave the station, and receive the balance refunded to their source account within 5 mins of fueling up. This payment method has been reducing long queues at BP fuel stations, as users are confident of their payments and refunds.

In India, we’ve been witnessing such promising indicators, such as real-time dashboards for EV charging availability, data-enabled CNG station management pilots, app-based payments, and increasing digitisation of station operations. These efforts, however, are still scattered, and there is still a missing link that could bring everything together. The future should feel like a single, frictionless mobility experience, whether topping up petrol, booking an EV charging slot, or refueling with hydrogen.

The Role of Open APIs in a Multi-Fuel Future

Each fuel type, EV charging, CNG, hydrogen, and petrol/diesel, comes with its own operations, its own hardware vendors, its own apps, and its own data formats. EV users today often juggle five different apps just to find an available charger. CNG stations operate mainly in the dark, with no real-time visibility for drivers. Fuel pumps rely on disconnected POS systems that don’t communicate with OEMs or payment networks. This is what happens when every operator builds closed technology stacks: they become isolated fuel islands.

As these systems and stations don’t speak to one another, consumers are forced to navigate multiple platforms just to move from point A to point B, and have to experience discomfort while wasting time on roading and adding to congestion and pollution.

Open APIs can prevent this. They allow stations, vehicles, apps, regulators, and financial systems to exchange information instantly and securely. They create shared digital rails that any operator can plug into. With these rails in place, adding a new fuel type wouldn’t mean starting from scratch. It would simply become another node in the network.

Countries like the U.K. and Norway are already pushing interoperability for chargers and fueling networks. India has even more to gain by adopting standardised digital frameworks early. We’ve already shown the world what’s possible with UPI. A similar model for energy access, open, fair, transparent, could unlock unprecedented scale and efficiency.

When APIs become standard, the user journey becomes effortless: the vehicle predicts needs, stations prepare ahead of time, payment happens without friction, and the entire experience becomes predictable instead of reactive.

That’s the future India should aim for.

Open APIs are only as strong as the systems they connect: The need for Smart Infrastructure

Software-defined fuel retail can only work if the physical and digital layers complement each other. As India transitions to a multi-energy landscape, several types of smart infrastructure will become essential. For example:

Real-time station visibility: Fuel stations and charging points need to go beyond dispensing; they must become data endpoints. The sensors, queue measurement systems, predictive demand models, and automated operations will offer operators clarity they’ve never had before, and in turn allow them to offer a seamless fueling experience to their patrons.
Consumer apps that add real intelligence: We need platforms that allow users to make informed choices: live availability, estimated wait times, pricing clarity, charging slot booking, and transparency across networks. Apps like these will bridge the gap between physical infrastructure and consumer experience. This intelligence on the station's current status could significantly reduce congestion, save time, and build trust.
Digitized maintenance of multi-energy hubs: Over time, we’ll see more refueling hubs where traditional fuel, EV, CNG, hydrogen, and liquid fuels exist together. Managing them manually is impractical. With software managing load distribution, maintenance, asset health, and utilization, these hubs can become significantly more efficient.

Where’s the Gap?

The vision is bold, but the changing demographics of our country demonstrate the appetite for technological change. India already fuels over 400 million vehicles, and its EV adoption is growing at over 45% YoY, as per the report by the International Energy Agency. However, one friction point remains: the maturity of API ecosystems among fuel retail providers and mobility startups.

India’s mobility sector is still in a phase where many startups are building closed systems because interoperability feels like a threat rather than an accelerator. Open APIs require collaboration, shared standards, and a willingness to let go of control in exchange for scale and network effects.

But history has shown us what open rails can do, as in the case of UPI, which is now a trillion-dollar example.

If we succeed in building open fueling APIs, India could become the world’s blueprint for energy-agnostic mobility.

A Software-led Future is no Longer Optional

India’s mobility ecosystem is standing at a defining moment. With our population, growing vehicle base, and accelerating shift to multi-fuel adoption, the country cannot afford a fragmented energy future.

Software-defined fuel retail isn’t about replacing hardware; it’s about elevating it. It’s about giving operators the intelligence they need, giving consumers the clarity they deserve, and giving the nation the infrastructure it requires to transition smoothly into a multi-energy world.

If we embrace open APIs, interoperable systems, and smart infrastructure today, we’ll build more than a modern fueling network; we’ll build the digital backbone of India’s next decade of mobility.

A future where the energy you choose matters less than the experience you have accessing it. A future where energy is not just supplied, but orchestrated. A future where India leads not by copying global standards, but by defining them.

Vaibhav Kaushik is Co-founder and CEO of Nawgati. Views expressed are the author's personal.

Software-Defined Fuel Retail: How Open API's Will Unlock the Next Decade of Energy-Agnostic Mobility?

Arunima Pal — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 20:09:57

From Energy Source to Energy Experience

The Role of Open APIs in a Multi-Fuel Future

That’s the future India should aim for.

Open APIs are only as strong as the systems they connect: The need for Smart Infrastructure

Real-time station visibility: Fuel stations and charging points need to go beyond dispensing; they must become data endpoints. The sensors, queue measurement systems, predictive demand models, and automated operations will offer operators clarity they’ve never had before, and in turn allow them to offer a seamless fueling experience to their patrons.
Consumer apps that add real intelligence: We need platforms that allow users to make informed choices: live availability, estimated wait times, pricing clarity, charging slot booking, and transparency across networks. Apps like these will bridge the gap between physical infrastructure and consumer experience. This intelligence on the station's current status could significantly reduce congestion, save time, and build trust.
Digitized maintenance of multi-energy hubs: Over time, we’ll see more refueling hubs where traditional fuel, EV, CNG, hydrogen, and liquid fuels exist together. Managing them manually is impractical. With software managing load distribution, maintenance, asset health, and utilization, these hubs can become significantly more efficient.

Where’s the Gap?

But history has shown us what open rails can do, as in the case of UPI, which is now a trillion-dollar example.

If we succeed in building open fueling APIs, India could become the world’s blueprint for energy-agnostic mobility.

A Software-led Future is no Longer Optional

Vaibhav Kaushik is Co-founder and CEO of Nawgati. Views expressed are the author's personal.

Made in India: The Next Frontier of Tech Sovereignty

Autocar Professional Bureau — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 12:15:51

Semiconductors have moved from being an industry to becoming an instrument of strategy. The pandemic, supply chain shocks, and geopolitical flashpoints have shown how access to chips determines a nation’s economic rhythm. In a multipolar world, self-reliance is not isolation; it is the ability to build trusted, resilient ecosystems that can withstand uncertainty. For India, the semiconductor and electronics story is no longer distant, it has begun.

The global semiconductor market is projected to reach US $1 trillion by 2030, while India’s domestic electronics market could cross US $100 billion. This growth is driven by demand from mobile devices, automotive systems, renewable energy, healthcare, defence, and smart infrastructure. Whoever controls semiconductors controls innovation; whoever designs them defines the next decade of technology.

India’s policy architecture is beginning to reflect that reality. The India Semiconductor Mission, launched in 2021 with an outlay of around ₹76,000 crore, has approved ten projects across six states, attracting ₹1.6 lakh crore in investments. Simultaneously, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme has catalysed an electronics surge: exports rose 47 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of FY 2026, and mobile phone exports have grown from almost zero in 2016 to nearly ₹90,000 crore in FY 2023. Scale is finally matching ambition.

But building an industry is not the same as building sovereignty. True sovereignty begins with design, research, and intellectual property, areas where India has made progress but still has distance to cover. Much of the design ecosystem depends on foreign electronic design automation tools and imported IP cores. India needs a homegrown framework that supports local standards, security, and innovation. The real question is not only whether we can make chips but whether we can design the thinking that makes chips possible.

Talent lies at the centre of that challenge. For decades, Indian engineers have fuelled global innovation in software. The next leap demands a shift from code to circuits, from platforms to physics. Each chip requires not just coding intelligence but deep understanding of material science, lithography, and system integration. Universities and industry must collaborate to create a pipeline of semiconductor intellect, programs that combine design thinking with fabrication fundamentals. India produces over 600,000 electronics engineers every year; aligning even a fraction toward chip design and manufacturing can transform national capability.

Across India, new regional clusters are taking shape. Gujarat is advancing in fabrication and packaging; Bengaluru dominates design; Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh are strengthening assembly and testing; Mohali is emerging as a hub for prototyping. Each reflects a pattern; policy incentives creating gravity for private capital, and enterprise creating learning cycles for local talent. Over time, this distributed network could become India’s greatest strength: a federation of specialised capabilities linked through a shared national mission.

Challenges remain significant. More than 90 percent of India’s advanced wafers, chemicals, and substrates are still imported, increasing costs and risks. Fabs require clean rooms, reliable power, and ultrapure water, conditions not yet universal. Logistics costs, though improving, remain higher than competing economies. If every percentage point in logistics cost translates into export competitiveness, this is the quiet battle India must win.

Equally important is quality and sustainability. The next wave of global manufacturing will reward reliability, not just cost. India’s reputation will depend on precision, compliance, and responsible production, turning factories into long-term partnerships rather than transactional suppliers. The environmental footprint of fabrication offers another opportunity: to build green fabs and embed ESG principles into industrial design from the outset.

The coming three to four years will be decisive. Fabrication plants are moving from MoUs to site development, silicon-carbide packaging is on the horizon, and India’s OSAT ecosystem is maturing. These will test how well national policy, state initiatives, and private execution can synchronise. They will determine whether India can evolve from an assembler to a full-stack semiconductor nation, owning research, design, production, and value creation.

Yet the deeper questions remain: How do we ensure Indian-designed chips remain Indian-owned in value and rights? How do we foster shared research frameworks that protect intellectual property while encouraging collaboration? And how do we pair patient capital with patient innovation in a sector where outcomes are measured in decades, not quarters?

India’s neutrality, software heritage, and young technical workforce position it uniquely to be a trusted node in a diversified global supply chain. If we can connect design with manufacturing, research with policy, and education with execution, we can define a model of technological sovereignty that is inclusive, collaborative, and resilient.

Semiconductors are not just about chips; they are about choices—the choice to invest long term, to design what we use, and to value knowledge as much as production. If India sustains that discipline, the next decade will not just be about making in India, it will be about making the future with India.

Rahul Garg is the Founder and CEO at Moglix. Views expressed are the author's personal.

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