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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The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and COEP Technological University have signed a Letter of Intent to establish the Advanced Ergonomics and Human Factors Research Centre (AEHFRC) at COEP Tech’s Research and Innovation Park in Chikhali, Pune.

The initiative involves a planned investment of INR 1.05 billion and will function as a national facility focused on developing technologies tailored to the physical metrics of Indian users.

The facility will span approximately 38,000 square feet. The project will be executed in two phases: the first phase, spanning two to three years, will set up laboratories for posture evaluation, seating comfort analysis, human biomechanics and field of vision assessments; the second phase, over four to five years, will complete the full-scale deployment of the centre.

The centre will address sectors including automotive, defence, aerospace, railways, agriculture, industrial equipment, consumer goods and textiles. Key operational objectives include generating Indian anthropometric databases, establishing ergonomics standards, creating usability frameworks and offering training and certification programs.

The partnership will pursue research projects, consultancy assignments, and funding from government bodies, industry partners, and CSR initiatives to translate academic research into industrial applications.

Dr Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI, said, "As technology becomes increasingly human-centric, ergonomics and human factors play a critical role in ensuring safety, usability, and user well-being. Through this partnership with COEP Technological University, ARAI aims to create a national ecosystem that advances research, develops indigenous capabilities, and supports industry in creating products and systems that are better suited to Indian users and operating conditions. We believe the AEHFRC will play a significant role in strengthening India’s capabilities in human-centred design and innovation."

Prof. Sunil Bhirud, Vice-Chancellor of COEP Technological University, said: "COEP Technological University has consistently worked to translate research into societal impact. The proposed AEHFRC, in collaboration with ARAI, will provide a unique platform for interdisciplinary research, innovation, and industry engagement in ergonomics and human factors. We are confident that this initiative will contribute significantly to the development of Indian standards, indigenous technologies, and a skilled workforce capable of addressing national and global challenges."

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MathWorks and MapmyIndia Mappls have announced a collaboration to support automotive engineering teams developing and validating Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for Indian driving environments.

Under the partnership, MapmyIndia’s high-definition (HD) digital maps have been integrated with MathWorks' software ecosystem, including MATLAB, Simulink and RoadRunner.

The integration enables engineers to construct digital twins of Indian road infrastructure to simulate traffic scenarios and evaluate ADAS controllers within a Model-Based Design framework before physical vehicle testing.

MapmyIndia’s HD maps capture lane-level geometry, traffic controls and localised road features, including speed breakers, potholes and worn lane markings. The dataset addresses engineering challenges associated with Indian traffic environments, such as high-density traffic, variable lane discipline and evolving road layouts.

The combined software workflow links location intelligence data directly into algorithm development and system validation tools, aiming to reduce virtual testing cycles for original equipment manufacturers and tier-one automotive suppliers operating in India.

Sapna Ahuja, President of Automotive Business and Chief Operating Officer, MapmyIndia Mappls, said, "India's roads present some of the world's most complex and dynamic driving environments. Developing ADAS solutions for these conditions requires far more than adapting models built for structured traffic ecosystems. MapmyIndia's HD maps capture the scale and complexity of Indian roads with accuracy and detail — from lane-level geometry and traffic controls to speed breakers, potholes, faded lane markings and other critical localised road attributes. Our collaboration with MathWorks empowers automotive engineers to simulate real Indian driving conditions, validate systems earlier, and accelerate the development of ADAS solutions that are truly built for India."

Vijayalayan R, Senior Manager – Automotive, MathWorks, said, "As automotive teams expand ADAS development for India, virtual validation is becoming essential to evaluate system performance across diverse driving conditions. By integrating MapmyIndia’s HD maps with MATLAB, Simulink, and RoadRunner, engineers can test ADAS algorithms earlier in development, reduce reliance on costly physical testing, and improve system performance before deployment on Indian roads."

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Taiwan-headquartered Delta Electronics has announced a collaboration with NVIDIA aimed at developing autonomous driving systems for next-generation vehicles.

The partnership combines Delta’s automotive energy management, electric powertrain systems and in-vehicle high-performance computing system integration with the NVIDIA Hyperion reference platform and NVIDIA Halos safety system.

NVIDIA Hyperion serves as a sensor and compute architecture for Level 4 autonomous vehicles and robotaxis, utilising dual NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Thor processors to enable production-ready vehicle autonomy.

James Tang, Executive Vice-President of Mobility Business Category, Delta, said, "Autonomous driving requires years of technology development, continuous innovation, and strong system integration. Our commitment to the EV sector began several years ago, developing strong expertise in power electronics and key automotive technologies, and accumulating extensive development experience with world-class automakers. We are honoured that NVIDIA recognises Delta’s automotive expertise and strategic direction. Through this joint endeavour, we will further integrate AI and HPC capabilities into the enhancement of advanced autonomous driving functions, turning next-generation smart vehicles into real-world applications while pursuing new opportunities in the fast-growing smart mobility market."

Rishi Dhall, Vice-President of Automotive, NVIDIA, said, "Level 4 autonomous driving requires powerful in-vehicle computing, a comprehensive sensor architecture and close collaboration across the automotive ecosystem. By combining Delta’s automotive and system integration expertise with NVIDIA Hyperion, we can accelerate the development of safe, intelligent and scalable autonomous driving systems for the next generation of mobility."

Under the agreement, Delta will work alongside NVIDIA’s engineering teams to integrate its system technology into the Hyperion architecture, while leveraging NVIDIA's international network to broaden commercial engagement with global automotive manufacturers.

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Stellantis and Wayve will participate in the Wave by Vento event in Turin from 7 to 9 October 2026, featuring executive sessions, technical presentations and demonstration rides focused on artificial intelligence in mobility.

A keynote session titled ‘Technology Made for Humans’ will feature Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa and Wayve Co-Founder and CEO Alex Kendall on 9 October. Moderated by Adam Jonas, global embodied AI and robotics strategist at Morgan Stanley, the discussion will focus on AI-powered mobility and strategic partnerships for technology deployment at scale.

During the event, Stellantis and Wayve will conduct demonstration rides in Fiat 500e and Maserati Grecale development vehicles equipped with the STLA AutoDrive platform powered by Wayve.

The system integrates the Wayve AI Driver to demonstrate hands-free, door-to-door supervised automated driving, categorised as Level 2++, in real-world driving conditions. The integration follows the Jeep Grand Cherokee development vehicle displayed at Stellantis' Investor Day in May, applying the same core AI driving software across three vehicle architectures without model-specific software re-engineering.

Announced in May 2026, the strategic partnership between Stellantis and Wayve focuses on supervised automated driving software for highway and urban environments. Stellantis targets its first commercial product launch using the technology in North America in 2028.

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