Toyota Kirloskar Motor has concluded the 24-hour Toyota Hackathon 2025 in Mumbai engineered to empower young innovators to drive road safety solutions. It has been a part of the automaker’s commitment to education and road safety. 
Held at Vidyalankar Institute, Wadala (East), Mumbai, and coinciding with ‘Road Safety Month’ (January 18 – February 17, 2025), the event brought together over 400 talented students from over 100 schools across Mumbai, turning in turn into an effective platform to develop actionable solutions to critical road safety challenges.
Attracting the presence of Atul Moreshwar Save, Minister for OBC Welfare, Dairy Development, and Renewable Energy, Government of Maharashtra; Arprit Save, President Chamber of Marathawada Industries and Agriculture, and Senior leadership from TKM (including Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Governance, TKM, and Sudeep Dalvi, Chief Communication Officer, Senior Vice President and Head State Affairs, TKM), the event – a key pillar of TKM’s comprehensive Road Safety Initiative designed to address this critical issue by integrating road safety education into school and college curriculums – began with team selection and idea submissions, progressed through a boot camp, culminated in a 24-hour final hackathon, and concluded with incubation support for the top one winner per city. 
Fostering critical thinking, innovation and a sense of responsibility, the Hackathon – structured in five phases – saw participants tackle key road safety themes such as ‘Road Safety Awareness and Education’, ‘Community Engagement for Safety’, ‘School Zone Safety’, ‘Road Infrastructure and Pollution’, ‘IoT/ICT in Road Safety’, ‘Traffic Easement’ and ‘Making Roads Inclusive’. 
Out of 100 initial teams, 28 advanced to post- boot camp, 10 teams completed in the final hackathon out of which 3 emerged as winners, earning continued support to bring their innovative ideas to life.
Following the success in Mumbai, the Toyota Hackathon 2025 will move to Bangalore on 14 February 2025. For the 2024-25 academic year, TKM aims to expand the initiative to 300 institutions across key cities, with over 400 innovative concepts already submitted.
Speaking at the event, Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Governance, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “At Toyota Kirloskar Motor, we are driven by the belief that empowering the younger generation with the right tools, mentorship, and opportunities can lead to transformative change. The Toyota Hackathon 2025 serves as a testament to our unwavering commitment to road safety and innovation, as it brings together young minds to ideate, collaborate, and develop solutions for safer roads. This initiative reflects our holistic approach to fostering a culture of safety and sustainability, aligning with Toyota’s global vision of zero traffic fatalities.”
 

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Maruti Suzuki India has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Transport Department, Government of Telangana, to set up 12 Automated Driving Test Tracks across six locations under its corporate social responsibility initiative. The tracks will be established at Ibrahimpatnam, Karimnagar, Kondapur, Medchal, Nagole and Uppal.

The facilities will evaluate applicants for two-wheeler, light motor vehicle and heavy motor vehicle driving licences, with heavy motor vehicle testing available at the Nagole and Karimnagar locations.

The tracks will feature high-definition cameras, RFID sensors, analytics software and an integrated IT system to automate testing in accordance with Central Motor Vehicle Rules.

With this agreement, Maruti Suzuki India's operational network of automated test tracks expands to 98 locations across nine states and two union territories. The company has also established eight Institutes of Driving and Traffic Research and 19 Road Safety Knowledge Centres in collaboration with state governments, evaluating over 5.5 million individuals.

K Ilambarithi, Transport Commissioner for the Government, Telangana, said, "Road safety remains a key priority for Telangana. Through technology, stronger enforcement, and improved driver testing, we are working to build safer roads. We welcome car market leader Maruti Suzuki’s partnership in establishing 12 Automated Driving Test Tracks across 6 locations in the state. These tracks will make driving tests more transparent and efficient, while ensuring that only competent and qualified applicants are awarded driving licenses."

Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer of Corporate Affairs at Maruti Suzuki India, said, "Driver skill is key to ensuring road safety. ADTTs bring fairness and transparency, to the licensing process by eliminating human bias. ADTTs will ensure rigorous driver evaluation and promote disciplined driving practices, vital to enhance road safety. Our partnership with the Government of Telangana to deploy Automated Driving Test Tracks is an important step in this direction. We are pleased to contribute to Telangana’s road-safety journey and look forward to deepening this collaboration in the future."

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced the introduction of the Innova Crysta LIMO Edition, a brand offering created for commercial fleet mobility operators. The new model is available exclusively in the GX-SLF grade across 7-seater and 8-seater seating configurations.

The Innova Crysta LIMO is powered by Toyota's 2.4-litre diesel engine paired with a manual transmission, delivering a certified fuel efficiency of up to 15 kmpl. It features captain seats, multi-row air-conditioning, touchscreen infotainment with smartphone connectivity and safety equipment including up to seven airbags, Anti-lock Braking System, Vehicle Stability Control, Hill Start Assist Control and Electronic Brake-force Distribution.

Standard ownership terms include a warranty of three years or 100,000 km, with extension options available up to five years or 220,000 km. Ex-showroom pricing remains unchanged, starting at INR 1.99 million for the seven-seater variant and eight-seater layout.

Sabari Manohar, Executive Vice-President of Sales, Service and Used Car Business at Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, "For over two decades, the Innova has earned the trust of customers by consistently delivering on reliability, comfort and confidence of ownership making it a preferred mobility across generations. Professional mobility customers have also been an integral part of this journey. With the Innova Crysta LIMO, we are building on this strong legacy with a distinct identity while continuing to deliver the quality and dependability they expect from brand Toyota."

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Hyundai Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced the introduction of a Usage-Based Insurance (UBI) program for customers owning vehicles equipped with Bluelink connected-car technology.

The initiative allows eligible vehicle owners to access potential savings on the own-damage portion of their insurance premiums based on recorded driving behaviour.

The program evaluates vehicle usage and driving metrics captured over a three-month period through the Bluelink platform, assessing parameters such as rapid acceleration, rapid deceleration, rapid braking, speed management and engine idling duration.

Drivers with an insurance renewal due within 90 days and a driving score of 70 or above out of 100 may qualify for savings of up to 15 percent on own-damage premiums, subject to the underwriting criteria of participating insurance partners.

Hyundai India Insurance Broking acts as the intermediary facilitating consent-based score sharing between vehicle owners and insurance companies. The initial phase of the program includes Cholamandalam MS General Insurance, Go Digit General Insurance and ICICI Lombard General Insurance as participating partners. Customers can track their driving score and view eligibility directly within the Hyundai Bluelink mobile application.

Tarun Garg, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hyundai Motor India, said, "Hyundai Motor India’s connected car ecosystem continues to witness strong growth, with over 0.8 million connected cars already on Indian roads, a target of 1 million cumulative connected car sales by 2027 and an ambition to reach 2 million connected car sales by 2030 through its Bluelink platform. Leveraging this expanding connected-car ecosystem, the Usage-Based Insurance (UBI) program extends the value of connected mobility beyond convenience and safety by rewarding responsible driving with personalised insurance benefits. In certain cases, customers may save up to 15 percent (basis insurers underwriting rules) on the own-damage component of their insurance premium, making vehicle ownership safer, smarter and more rewarding."

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Honda Cars India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced 'Honda Alpha' as the official name of its upcoming electric SUV, which is scheduled to make its global debut on 2 December 2026.

The model marks the company's first manufactured electric SUV in India, with the country serving as the global production base for the model.

The e-SUV was previously shown as a concept prototype at the Japan Mobility Show 2025 with India to serve as the initial market for the model's rollout. The announcement also marks the debut of Honda's new H mark in the company's official communication in India, reflecting the corporate brand transformation. The revised badge will be applied to the Honda Alpha as its first model in the country.

Toshiyuki Yanagisawa, President and CEO, Honda Cars India, said, "We are delighted to announce Honda Alpha as the official name of our upcoming electric SUV. Honda Alpha represents our ambition to bring advanced electric mobility to our customers in India while delivering the quality, reliability and joy of driving that Honda is known for. With India serving as the global production base for this model in future, it is an important step in Honda’s electrification journey and reflects our strong commitment to the Indian market. We look forward to ushering in a new chapter for Honda in India with this exciting new offering."

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