Announcing that Prime Minister Modi’s message was motivating for the Indian auto industry to work together towards new age technology, world class manufacturing, and next generation infrastructure, Kenichi Ayukawa, President, SIAM and MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki, in his address during the opening session, said that there was a need to achieve sustainable and productive growth with quality and safety, and protect our environment, resources and raw materials. Stressing on the need for focused efforts, Ayukawa mentioned that SIAM and ACMA have together worked out a localisation roadmap with a target of about 15 to 20 percent further localisation in the next 2 to 5 years. Revealing that SIAM has prepared an approach paper for long term regulation roadmap that takes care of all aspects and gives clarity on future investments, Ayukawa San said that the auto industry is working on new powertrain technologies. He appreciated the government’s announcement of the scrappage policy and PLI scheme. 

Amitabh Kant.

Recognising the contribution of the Indian automobile industry to the Indian economy, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Minister of Heavy Industries, Government of India, said that his ministry is working consistently for the growth of the automotive sector. Acknowledging the rise in localisation supported by the PLI initiatives of government, Dr Pandey said that these efforts would make the industry more robust. He stressed on the need to develop EV charging infrastructure as well as manufacture quality products that would help the Indian automobile industry to be regarded as the best in the world. T V Narendran, President, CII and MD, Tata Steel Ltd, in his address, mentioned the need for the right policy support to make India a five-trillion-dollar economy by 2025-26. It is important that the Indian manufacturing sector is strong. He called on the auto industry to focus on six key areas – electric vehicles, circularity, urbanisation, resilient supply chain and an ability to reap in functionality and embed sustainability, going forward. 
 

R C Bhargava.

In his speech, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, said that the future direction of the auto industry is in the area of shared, connected and electric mobility. He opined that there are four prominent growth drivers that the industry should focus on. These include the expansion of investment in R&D, more focus on innovation in small format mobility segment, establishment of massive charging infrastructure across the country and provision of export impetus to the industry. Kant said that EV should be an integral part in every OEM’s plans. Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari spoke about the government’s aim to increase the contribution of the automotive sector towards the nation’s GDP. Currently, the sector contributes roughly 7.1 percent towards the GDP, he said. Revealing that the government would like to see the contribution rise to 12 percent, the union minister stated that it would amount to a huge step towards making India a five-trillion-dollar economy. Expressing gratitude to the dignitaries for their presence, Vipin Sondhi, Vice President, SIAM and MD, Ashok Leyland Ltd, drew attention towards the effect of Covid-19 on sales. 
 

Appreciating the efforts of the Ministry of Heavy Industries to create world-class testing and R&D infrastructure in all the auto hubs of the country, he spoke about how the auto industry will take advantage of localisation, PLI scheme and EV charging infrastructure. These efforts, he added, will contribute to the government’s initiative of ‘Make in India’. In a session focusing on the outlook of the Indian auto industry and its role in the economic growth, Venu Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director, TVS Motor Company, and R C Bhargava, Chairman, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., drew attention to the new policies introduced over the past few years. The duo stressed on the high taxation structure on automobiles and the mandatory insurance costs. These, they said, have hugely bumped up the pricing to make vehicles expensive. Srinivasan touched on two-wheelers being taxed at 28 percent despite being the most basic means of transport. This, he added, is almost equal to cars which are a luxury item. Opining that the prices of vehicles have risen over the past few years with the switch to BS IV and subsequently to BS VI, and the change in safety norms, R C Bhargava mentioned that mounting challenges have had an effect on the sales. 
 

Venu Srinivasan.

Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj said that the government is open to discussing a change in Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates on automobiles. Seeking to know from the auto industry whether it is the GST rate on cars that is preventing the sector from growing, Bajaj questioned the reason behind SUV sales going up and not that of the cars in economic terms. Stating that the tax rates were higher in some states before GST came into force, he suggested the auto industry to examine in detail the reasons behind the dip in sales. Covid-19 and other factors could be at play, he reasoned. Bajaj called on the industry to keep pace with the changing technology.

Kenichi Ayukawa.

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Dubai Future Foundation has announced DP World as the first strategic partner of SHIFFT, a self-driving logistics joint venture established in collaboration with autonomous vehicle technology company Oxa under the Dubai Research, Development and Innovation Programme.

The partnership focuses on developing and deploying autonomous logistics solutions across ports, terminals and industrial zones, beginning at Jebel Ali Port. The scope includes vehicle integration, autonomous driving functions, safety frameworks, fleet management, routing, digital twins, situational intelligence and operational performance optimisation.

At present, DP World operates more than 900 vehicles at Jebel Ali Port for inter-terminal container movement, alongside thousands of vehicles across its global network of over 60 ports and terminals.

Khalifa Al Qama, Chief of Research, Development and Innovation, Dubai Future Foundation, said, "The selection of DP World as the first strategic partner of SHIFFT marks an important step in developing and implementing autonomous logistics solutions from Dubai. This collaboration brings together world-leading operational expertise and advanced technologies to develop practical solutions that can be deployed and scaled globally."

Ibrahim Al Najjar, Senior Vice-President of Information Technology, DP World GCC, said, "For our customers and partners, autonomous technology translates into more predictable, resilient supply chains that keep cargo moving reliably and at speed. It also creates opportunities for our people to build future-ready skills, while strengthening Dubai’s competitiveness as a destination for trade and investment. By co-developing these technologies here, around real operational needs, we are setting new benchmarks that will benefit the wider industry."

Paul Newman, Founder and CEO, Oxa, said, "This collaboration aims to transform industrial vehicles into an intelligent, autonomous digital workforce capable of operating efficiently in complex, mixed-use environments. By working with DP World, SHIFFT is helping to elevate operational fleet performance and strengthen the long-term resilience of supply chains."

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Acconeer has secured an order valued at USD 520,000 for its A121 pulsed coherent radar sensor for mass production applications within the automotive sector. The purchase order was placed by a Japanese distributor, with product deliveries scheduled for the first half of 2027.

The A121 sensor operates on 60GHz pulsed coherent radar technology integrated within a 28 mm² surface area footprint, providing distance measurement, motion detection and object presence sensing functions.

The supply contract follows growth across Acconeer's automotive product portfolio, which also includes the A212 sensor model. The company announced that the information was submitted for publication pursuant to requirements under the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

"We are seeing strong growth within the automotive industry, driven both by our new A212 sensor – for which deliveries quadrupled in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter – and by our established A121 sensor, with volumes increasing as new models and customers are launched," said Ted Hansson, CEO, Acconeer.

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Intangles has launched an AIS-140-certified product portfolio in India across four distinct configurations: InCert, InSight, InGenious and InVision+. The product lineup supports commercial vehicle segments ranging from three-wheelers and cabs to light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles and buses.

The portfolio integrates India's AIS-140 vehicle tracking and emergency alert requirements with predictive fleet intelligence. InCert provides certified tracking, trip management, geofencing, and driver alerts. InSight adds driver behaviour reporting, fuel consumption insights and fault codes with repair guidance. InGenious introduces predictive vehicle health monitoring, fuel management, and automated operations tools. InVision+ combines the certified hardware with AI-powered video telematics using dual cameras and in-cabin voice alerts.

All four versions run on Intangles' InRoute fleet intelligence platform. The devices are available through field sales channels and the company's direct-to-consumer platform, InCentral, which handles compatibility checks, purchases, and VLTD certificate generation.

Anup Patil, CEO, Intangles, said, "The size of a fleet should not determine whether an operator can access predictive intelligence. A vehicle off the road can significantly affect a business, whether it owns five vehicles or five hundred. With a certified device already installed and connected whenever the vehicle runs, operators should be able to choose the value it delivers to their business. Intangles’ new range brings this promise to life through #ChoiceOkPlease, giving operators the flexibility and freedom to choose a solution that meets compliance requirements and addresses their everyday operational challenges."

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Affordable Robotic & Automation (ARAPL) has announced that its subsidiary ARAPL RaaS, operating under the Humro brand, has received Conditional Approval from the US Department of War for its specified autonomous industrial vehicles under the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) framework.

The approval, issued by the FCC following national security assessments, covers Humro’s Maia2000 autonomous pallet trucks and Atlas AC2000 autonomous forklifts. The decision grants the specified devices exemption from FCC Covered List restrictions, which were introduced in July 2026 for foreign-produced robotic devices.

Humro is among 13 global robotics operators, and the only Indian entity, to receive conditional authorization under the updated guidelines. The approval enables the company to enter the US material-handling market, subject to compliance with onshoring plans, local manufacturing commitments over the next two years, and equipment authorisation requirements.

Robinson Philipose, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Humro, said, "This is a significant milestone for Humro and an important validation of our technology and our commitment to building globally competitive robotics solutions. Being among the first few robotics companies worldwide to receive Conditional Approval under the revised US regulatory framework is a matter of great pride for us."

"Following the regulatory changes, our team worked relentlessly to replace certain key components that did not meet the revised guidelines. This also required us to make corresponding changes to our technology to ensure compliance. We completed the modifications, submitted our application and secured FCC approval within a remarkably short period. This demonstrates the agility and technical capabilities of our team. The approval strengthens our position as we look to expand our international footprint and take our autonomous material-handling solutions to customers in the US. We see considerable potential for robotics to transform warehouse, manufacturing and logistics operations. As part of the Conditional Approval, we are also committed to commencing manufacturing in the US in phases over the next two years. We are actively looking to partner with like-minded local players to establish our manufacturing operations in the country," Philipose.

Melind Padole, Founder and Director, ARAPL Group, said, "These are exciting times, with our teams in the US and India expanding rapidly. Securing FCC approval within such a short period demonstrates the strength of our team and the capabilities of our products. As we prepare to commence manufacturing in the US in line with FCC requirements, we have also begun working towards meeting the requirements of the Buy American Act (BAA) and the Trade Agreements Act (TAA). In parallel, we are developing a new technology platform based on Vision-Language Action models. Our next-generation robots will be more human-like in their ability to perceive, understand and interact with their surroundings, and will incorporate reinforcement learning capabilities. This will enable them to learn from experience, adapt to changing environments and perform increasingly complex tasks."

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