Altair has announced the launch of the Altair Material Data Centre, a modern, comprehensive, and high-fidelity material database for simulation. The centre includes accurate data and data lineage for metals, plastics, and composites, and directly connects with the company’s and other major solvers.

One of the most important decisions in product development is the selection of materials for production. The company has been investing significantly in the area of material modelling for several years and recently acquired M-Base, a leading international supplier of material database and material information systems with a focus on plastics.

The launch of the Altair Material Data Centre, now combined with M-Base’s plastic material database, allows the company to provide the critical comprehensive material information and infrastructure needed to predict and optimise product performance through simulation. It enables designers, engineers, and scientists to explore materials – including structural, fatigue, fluid/thermal, electromagnetic properties, as well as manufacturing process specific data – in a standalone application or through the interface of Altair simulation and optimization tools.

The Altair Material Data Centre offers comprehensive material information management system – access to materials data for metals, polymers, and composites, including data sheets, raw data, and solver cards with full traceability back to the supplier source, ensuring valid assumptions and consistency across teams. Customers can seamlessly access the Altair Material Data Centre as a SaaS solution hosted by Altair or privately to manage proprietary information within the solution. It has a simple web-based interface to intuitively browse, search, view, and compare material data.  Through an open API, the Altair Material Data Centre can integrate with any desktop/solver for non-disruptive workflow. Strong relationships with material manufacturers ensure accurate, high-quality, and up-to-date material information. In addition, material experts can collaborate on the material curation process before it is published in the Altair Material Data Centre for enterprise-wide domain specific access. (MT)

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The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) will host its 19th biennial Symposium of International Automotive Technology (SIAT) from January 28-30, 2026, at the PIECC in Pune. This year's event is themed ‘Innovative Pathways for Safe and Sustainable Mobility,’ continuing a legacy of bringing together key players in the automotive sector.

ARAI, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, has organised this flagship event since 1985. Over the years, it has become a platform for policy formation, with previous editions attracting notable figures like Former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and automotive industry veteran & Padma Shri Dr. Pawan Goenka. The event receives consistent support from the Ministry of Heavy Industries and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

SIAT 2026 is expected to be a major hub for innovation and discussion, with over 2,000 research abstracts already being received, highlighting strong interest from the global research community.

The three-day event will feature 64 technical sessions, three keynote speeches and two expert panel discussions. Topics will cover a wide range of automotive technologies, including e-mobility, hydrogen fuel cells, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and alternative fuels.

In addition to the symposium, the SIAT Expo 2026 will run concurrently, providing a platform for global companies to showcase their latest products and innovations. The previous SIAT in 2024 drew over 2,000 delegates and 7,000 visitors, with dedicated areas for hydrogen technology, ADAS demonstrations and a special pavilion for Indian startups and small and medium-sized companies.

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Pune-headquartered global product engineering and digital services company Tata Technologies has launched ‘WATTSync’, its secure and scalable digital battery passport solution, which it claims advances sustainable engineering from mining to recycling.

The solution is targeted to improve transparency, efficiency and environmental impact, by providing OEMs, battery makers and recyclers with end-to-end traceability.

WATTSync captures and validates battery data from mine to mobility to recycling. It provides a live, shared view of materials, performance, carbon footprint and recovery status. It enables automated compliance reporting against evolving regional rules, which is secure and provides role-based access for suppliers, auditors and regulators on the same digital platform.

The solution connects PLM, MES, ERP and cloud data lakes to build a digital thread for each battery. AI monitors health and anomalies, flags issues before they impact customers, and simplifies audits with guided checks and multilingual assistance. Blockchain safeguards data integrity. Deployment is cloud-agnostic for speed and scale across regions.

Tata Technologies stated that with starting February 2027, EV and industrial batteries sold into the EU will require a digital battery passport. Some automakers have already started, showing how transparency can build market confidence and resale value.

On the other hand, India has announced its intent to roll out a battery passport regime to improve safety, traceability and exports. Many other countries are in the process of announcing their regulatory scope and timelines. WATTSync helps global customers move early and move confidently.

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Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, is reporting strong adoption of its new Digital Key feature, with a 33 percent enrolment rate. The company sees this as a sign of a growing appetite for tech-driven convenience in cars.

Launched in September 2024 with the Hyundai Alcazar and later in the Hyundai Creta Electric in January 2025, the feature allows drivers to use a compatible smartphone, smartwatch, or a special NFC card to replace their physical car key. Users simply tap their device on the car door handle to lock or unlock the vehicle and place it on the wireless charging pad to start the engine.

The company notes that 35 percent of users are actively sharing access to their Digital Key with family and friends, which is helping to increase the feature’s popularity.

Unsoo Kim, Managing Director, Hyundai Motor India, said, "At Hyundai Motor India, innovation is driven by purpose, offering meaningful solutions that elevate customer experience. As the first OEM to launch connected car technology in India back in 2019, we remain committed to democratising premium features for Indian customers. The enthusiastic response to Digital Key reaffirms our belief in creating technology that adds real value to everyday life."

Using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, the Digital Key can be set up through the Hyundai Bluelink app. Owners can securely share the virtual key with up to three other users or seven linked devices at a time, and they can revoke access at any point. This eliminates the need to carry a physical key and reduces the stress of losing it.

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Irish American automotive supplier Aptiv has opened its new technical centre in Chennai to accelerate the development of advanced vehicle technology in India. The new facility is set to host up to 500 engineers by 2026, focusing on software-defined vehicles, advanced safety and user experience technologies.

Spanning over 34,000 square feet, the new Software, Advanced Safety & User Experience (AS&UX) Technical Centre will be Aptiv's fourth technical facility in India. It will feature advanced labs and test infrastructure, with a specific focus on AI/ML-powered systems for next-generation Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) and in-cabin perception. The move highlights Aptiv's commitment to supporting local automakers and tapping into India's growing automotive market.

The inauguration was attended by senior leaders from both Aptiv and Mahindra & Mahindra, including Javed Khan, Aptiv's Executive Vice-President and President of AS&UX, and R Velusamy, President of Automotive Business (Designate) at Mahindra.

Javed Khan, said, “We are proud to expand our presence in India with the launch of our new technical centre in Chennai. This centre will strengthen our ability to localise AI/ML-powered ADAS and advanced interior sensing technologies for the Indian market, reflecting our confidence in India’s engineering talent and bringing us closer to our customers – so together, we can build a safer, smarter future here in India.”

The new centre will spearhead the development of key technologies, including advanced ADAS perception tools, in-cabin sensing, and software-defined infotainment platforms. It will also contribute to Aptiv’s cloud-native architecture, leveraging integrated hardware, software and edge technologies from Wind River.

This expansion reinforces Aptiv’s existing presence in India, where the company already employs over 13,000 people across eight manufacturing plants, four technical centres, and a tooling centre. The new Chennai facility is expected to play a crucial role in advancing the company’s mission to enable intelligent, software-defined systems for the global automotive industry.

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