As India's automotive and manufacturing sectors navigate a period of rapid technological change, the conversation around artificial intelligence often skews alarmist. But Upkar Saini, Vice President of India Sales at PTC, pushes back on that narrative firmly — AI, he argues, is a tool that empowers engineers and product teams, not one that replaces them.

Speaking on the sidelines of an Inner Circle event, Saini outlined how AI, software-defined vehicles (SDVs), and product lifecycle management (PLM) platforms are reshaping how India's industry designs, builds, and iterates on products in an increasingly volatile and complex world.

On the electric vehicle front, Saini offers a grounded perspective: while India's EV ambitions are real, internal combustion engine vehicles will remain a significant part of the country's mobility mix for the foreseeable future, a point often lost in the enthusiasm around electrification.

With PTC expanding its India presence and the government targeting manufacturing's contribution to reach 25% of GDP by 2030, Saini sees R&D investment and digital transformation not as optional upgrades, but as essential infrastructure for what comes next.

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