The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) launched the project on development of ‘Motor Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool (Bharat VECTO) for Real Drive Fuel Consumption/CO2 Emissions’, a landmark project in India’s homologation process, at the ongoing Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. ARAI is showcasing its technology and services at stall no H11-04, Bharat Mandapam; stall no H2-02, Yashobhoomi and stall no H1-A14, India Expo Centre & Mart from 17 to 22 January 2025.

Minister of Road, Transport and Highway Shri Nitin Gadkari; Dr Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI; P K Banerjee, Chief Executive Director, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Dr Sukrut S. Thipse, Senior Deputy Director – ARAI and Bharat VECTO Project Leader graced the event.

In accordance with Europe, the United States, Japan, China and other countries, the developed Bharat VECTO will be used to compute the realistic fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDVs) (GVW > 3.5 tonnes) on a driving cycle basis. The BS-VII regulation will include it. Various mission profiles will be created under the Bharat VECTO project to address all HDV classifications, driving styles, road topography etc. Before being finalised for usage, the created tool will be tested on a few vehicle classifications. Along with project partners, ARAI will make every effort to create Bharat VECTO. It will be made available in Bharat Stage-VII and will serve cars powered by internal combustion engines, electric vehicles (EVs), fuel cell EVs and flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) in a phased way.

At Bharat Mandapam, a concept demo of the Over-Head Automated Charging Device (OH-ACD), one of ARAI's projects in collaboration with IIT-Madras, is on exhibit. Fast charging is possible with the 600-kW charging power, 1000V voltage and 600A current, which is made to satisfy the needs of the changing transportation environment. In addition to OH-ACD, the company is showcasing its in-house ADAS Validation Platform, a Light Commercial Vehicle with a 117 HP engine and an E-Axle for European customers and a Training Kit for the Battery Management System.

Stall number H2-02, Yashobhoomi, lists ARAI's specialised service portfolio for certification and support in developmental validation for components, systems and sub-systems. Along with engine models and lightweight components from the ARAI Fatigue Material Centre of Excellence, ARAI is also exhibiting the Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) Bike and Battery Management System Kit, which was constructed by ARAI engineers.

Dr Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI, said, “It is a great pleasure to host Hon’ble Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari and have his presence for the launch of Bharat VECTO project. Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has played a significant role in enabling ARAI guide the auto industry towards one direction. Hence, ‘Motor Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool for Real Drive Fuel Consumption/CO2 Emissions’ will be instrumental in accelerating the momentum for industry-wide adoption of green mobility. ARAI, while being a major stakeholder in homologation and developmental testing and standardisation has also been fundamental in innovating technologies for sustainable mobility like Over-Head Automated Charging Device, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Powertrain, which are at display at Bharat Mobility Global Expo. We are thrilled to showcase these technologies and drive conversations for greener tomorrow.”

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced that 100 members of its workforce will travel to Japan to participate in the Global Skill-Up Training (GST) program at Toyota Motor Corporation.

The initiative aligns with the Government of India’s Skill India Mission and the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), a framework between the Governments of India and Japan for skill development and talent exchange.

The Global Skill-Up Training program in Japan is an 11-month program, combining classroom sessions with on-the-job training. It focuses on Toyota’s core principles, while also preparing trainees with Japanese language, culture and civic responsibility to prepare for global integration.

The automaker, an NSDC-approved Sending Organisation, has facilitated the overseas training of over 1,000 youth to countries including Japan, Jordan, Qatar and Slovakia.

G Shankara, Executive Vice-President, Finance and Administration, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “We at Toyota Kirloskar Motor are deeply committed to nurturing globally competitive talent from India. The Global Skill Up Training Program is more than just a learning opportunity; it is a journey to experience excellence, discipline, innovation, and respect on a global stage. Through this initiative, we aim to empower our youth with world class technical expertise and the values that define Toyota’s culture, while contributing to the Government of India’s Skill India vision. Together, we aspire to make India a global hub for people, solutions, and automobiles, and together we will make that vision a reality.”

Dr. Sharanaprakash Rudrappa Patil, Minister for Skill Development, Government of Karnataka, said, “We are proud to see our youth getting access to this global opportunity with Toyota. This program aligns strongly with our vision to position Karnataka as a hub for advanced skills while empowering rural talent to access world-class career opportunities.”

Sonal Mishra, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, said, “The collaboration between MSDE and Toyota under the TITP framework represents India’s growing role as a trusted global source of highly skilled professionals. This international apprenticeship opportunity will accelerate India’s contribution to global value chains and enable our youth to build future-ready careers.”

Till date, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has trained and empowered over 140,000 youth across India through its multi-tier skilling initiatives, including the Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI) model.

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Uber for Business, the enterprise division of Uber, has appointed Rituraj Chaturmohta as the Senior Country Manager for India & South Asia.

In his new role, Chaturmohta will lead the division’s growth strategy, focusing on strengthening partnerships with organisations, enhancing enterprise mobility solutions and driving innovation in corporate travel and employee transportation.

Chaturmohta joins Uber with experience in marketplace and platform businesses. He previously served as Head of Sales and Business Development at Airbnb.

Eric Lee, Regional General Manager and Head of Uber for Business - APAC, said, “We are delighted to have Rituraj join our leadership team to drive Uber for Business’ growth and partnerships in India and South Asia. His experience in building and scaling platform businesses, combined with his understanding of the Indian market will be instrumental in strengthening our enterprise offering.”

Rituraj Chaturmohta, Senior Country Manager, Uber for Business, India and South Asia, said, “I am thrilled to join Uber for Business to lead India and South Asia, one of Uber’s most dynamic growth markets. Uber for Business is reimagining how businesses move - with scale, sustainability, and customer centricity at the core. My focus is to deepen Uber’s relationships with our business clients, build tailored mobility solutions that drive measurable ROI, and make Uber for Business a growth partner for every company operating in this region.”

Uber for Business manages travel, meals, and commute programmes for over 200,000 organisations worldwide. In India, the division currently assists over 8,000 organisations with solutions for business travel, daily commutesand employee shift transportation.

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The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) has assessed the draft of the 2030 Charging Infrastructure Master Plan, calling for a coherent, cross-departmental 'Overall Charging Strategy' to accelerate the expansion of charging infrastructure.

Hildegard Muller, President, VDA, said, “In order to further accelerate the expansion of charging infrastructure for vehicles, increase user-friendliness and ensure charging prices, a cross-departmental 'Overall Charging Strategy' is necessary. Against this background, the VDA fundamentally assesses the draft of the 2030 Charging Infrastructure Master Plan as good.”

The VDA supports the draft's proposals to increase e-mobility through streamlined approval procedures, grid expansion, charging prices through transparency and a focus on charging infrastructure for trucks and buses on highways and at depots.

However, the association outlined areas requiring work:

• Multi-Unit Buildings: The VDA demands that the EU Building Directive requirements for charging infrastructure at parking spaces be implemented into law without delay. It stressed that the pooling of charging points across locations, as mentioned in the draft, would weaken EU requirements and must be rejected.
• Commercial Vehicles: While welcoming the commitment to expand the charging network for trucks, the VDA noted that the still inadequate availability of charging points represents an obstacle to the ramp-up of commercial vehicles and buses. It also stated that the draft fails to address the segment of light vehicles, demanding measures to support the development of charging infrastructure in urban areas.
• Power Grids and Taxation: The VDA highlighted that Germany's power grids are not equipped for the energy transition. It called for the expansion to be oriented towards demand and for a uniform, digital process for grid connection applications. Furthermore, the VDA demands that electricity tax, network charges and concession fees be eliminated when energy is fed back into the supply network (vehicle-to-grid) to establish bidirectional charging.
• Charging Prices: The VDA reiterated that charging prices are necessary for the market ramp-up of e-mobility. It called for the electricity tax for e-mobility to be reduced to make charging electricity less expensive, noting that the draft 'falls short of the coalition agreement' on this point.

The VDA also urged the government to advocate for targets in the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) at the level, stating that the AFIR targets are not to the market ramp-up of e-mobility in Europe.

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HERE Technologies, a provider of location data and technology platforms, has announced its collaboration with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) as the ‘Official Navigation on Autopilot and Localisation Partner’ for The ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) Show. The event is organised by Aayera in collaboration with ARAI and MarketsandMarkets.

This partnership is taking place at the newly opened ADAS Test City near Pune, Maharashtra, which is touted as India’s first testing ground for ADAS and autonomous vehicle technologies.

The collaboration supports HERE Technologies' aim to speed up India’s progress towards intelligent transport and connected mobility. By combining HERE’s expertise in high-precision mapping, real-time localisation and connected vehicle data platforms with ARAI’s research and standards work, the partnership aims to bring ADAS and autonomous technologies closer to deployment under Indian driving conditions.

“We’re honoured to partner with ARAI on this transformative initiative. The ADAS Test City is a cornerstone in India’s path toward intelligent mobility and HERE’s high-definition maps and localisation technologies are key enablers of safe, reliable and context-aware driving experiences. Together with ARAI, we aim to empower automakers, tier-1s and developers to localise, test and scale ADAS capabilities that truly reflect India’s diverse road ecosystem,” stated HERE Technologies in a statement.

At The ADAS Show, HERE Technologies will present its innovations, including live demonstrations of its real-time localisation and HD mapping systems during ADAS track demos at the Test City. Visitors can explore HERE’s capabilities, such as HERE HD Live Map and HERE ISA Map, C-V2X, and cloud-based localisation. HERE experts will also participate in discussions on navigation accuracy, vehicle localisation and connected mobility.

The ADAS Test City, developed by ARAI, is an integrated testing environment dedicated to the validation of ADAS and autonomous technologies. It replicates complex urban and highway conditions for testing safety features. The ADAS Show 2025, organised in collaboration with ARAI, is a platform for automotive leaders and innovators.

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