The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, has been a cornerstone of the Indian automotive industry's progress for nearly six decades. It has played a pivotal role in introducing sustainable and safer automotive technologies while supporting industry and government initiatives to elevate Indian standards to match global benchmarks.

Since its establishment on 10 December 1966, ARAI has transformed from a testing agency into a comprehensive research and technology deployment organisation. Today, it provides integrated services across three key domains: Research and Development (R&D), Certification and Skill Development.

On its 58th Annual Day, ARAI highlighted its contributions to the mobility sector, showcasing its role in promoting safety, innovation, and sustainability. Recent advancements include the launch of state-of-the-art facilities such as the Airbag Deployment Facility, Advanced Accelerated Sled, Advanced Photometry & Optics Laboratory and the Advanced Noise Vibration & Harshness Developmental Centre.

The institution is also equipped with world-class facilities to evaluate vehicle safety under New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) protocols, aligning Indian standards with global benchmarks.

The upcoming Mobility Research Centre (MRC) in Takwe aims to further enhance ARAI’s capabilities. Proposed facilities include an ADAS Smart City Test Track, Cylinder Test and Certification Centre, Hydrogen Test Facility, and a High Energy Impact Test (HEIT) Facility, which will be the first of its kind in India and Asia, accredited to ISO 17025. Additionally, the MRC will empower local cylinder manufacturers to test products domestically, supporting the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. At ARAI’s Chakan Centre, an Advanced Battery Safety Testing Facility is being established to ensure compliance with evolving safety standards for electric vehicles in India.

In recent years, ARAI has undertaken a variety of R&D projects in emerging areas such as electric vehicles, autonomous driving and advanced engine development. Key projects include:

• AC/DC Charging Stations and LEV AC Charge Points
• Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS)
• Battery Management Systems
• Drive-by-wire Platforms
• Advanced engines such as a 600 hp unit and BS-VI-compliant HCV CNG engines
• Lightweight aluminum extrusion profiles
• Ergonomic dummy kinematics assessment under the SIZE India project
• Hydrogen PEM-based electric three-wheelers for extended range

To support alternative energy solutions, ARAI has established an Alternate Fuel Centre, focusing on fuels such as methanol, hydrogen, HCNG, ethanol, LNG, biodiesel and bio-CNG, among others.

Dr. Reji Mathai, Director of ARAI, commented, “At ARAI, our continuous focus is on addressing the evolving needs of the automotive industry. Transformation has been the cornerstone of ARAI’s journey. Beyond the automotive sector, we are expanding our services to aerospace and railways. Platforms like TechNovuss, ARAI-AMTIF (a Section 8 company), and our Technical Support Cell provide vital support to MSMEs and startups. Skill development is a key priority for us, with ARAI Academy offering diverse programs for students and professionals. Through flagship events like SIAT and initiatives like Mobility Hackathons and BAJA, we aim to foster innovation and disseminate research knowledge.”

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Innoviz Technologies, a leading LiDAR tech supplier, has announced the launch of the InnovizTwo Ultra Long-Range (ULR) LiDAR. This new automotive-grade sensor is said to be engineered to provide high-fidelity, real-time spatial awareness at an infrastructure scale, specifically designed to meet the demands of emerging Physical AI systems.

The ULR variant extends the InnovizTwo product line and the SMART family, utilising the same production tools and processes as the standard InnovizTwo to ensure a smooth manufacturing ramp-up. First samples have already been delivered to select customers.

The InnovizTwo ULR is a Class 1 eye-safe sensor that significantly pushes the boundaries of long-range 3D sensing. It has a claimed upto 1 km range detection, up to 667 pts/deg² (High-resolution 3D point cloud), a 120 deg x 24 deg with ±5 deg digital panning field of view. It uses Power over Ethernet (PoE) for streamlined SMART deployments, connectivity and is resistant to dust, rain and extreme temperatures.

The sensor is designed to address critical gaps in industries where ultra-early detection and high-inertia movement require extensive reaction times.

• Autonomous Heavy Trucks: Kilometre-scale perception is essential for the long stopping distances and high inertia of heavy freight.
• Perimeter & Border Security: Enables early detection of humans, vehicles and animals over vast areas with lower false-alarm rates than traditional radar.
• Drone Detection: Fine angular resolution allows for the tracking of small, low-reflectivity aerial targets that typically evade cameras and radar.
• Infrastructure & Smart Cities: Supports city-scale digital twins and long-range traffic prediction to manage congestion and incidents upstream.
• Aviation & Port Safety: Single-sensor monitoring for foreign object debris (FOD) across entire runways and taxiways.

Omer Keilaf, CEO and Co-Founder, Innoviz Technologies, said, "With the InnovizTwo Ultra Long-Range LiDAR, we are extending the boundaries of what our LiDAR can do in the field. Physical AI systems require precise, real-time 3D understanding of the world, not probabilistic inference alone. The combination of kilometre-scale range, extremely high-resolution 3D sensing, and the durability of an automotive-grade LiDAR gives operators across a wide range of industries a tool that performs reliably in harsh conditions, day or night."

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L&T Technology Services (LTTS) has announced its financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, reporting a 14 percent increase in revenue to INR 109 billion.

The company also confirmed its sixth consecutive quarter of large-deal bookings valued at approximately USD 200 million, bringing its total TCV (Total Contract Value) for the year to over USD 850 million.

As part of a strategic realignment to focus on Engineering Intelligence (EI) and higher-margin core segments, LTTS has divested its SWC (Smart World and Communication) business. This pivot aligns with the company's ‘Lakshya 31’ 5-year plan, which targets a 13–15 percent CAGR through the integration of AI, digital and engineering technologies.

The company demonstrated resilience across key metrics, supported by stabilisation in the mobility sector and strong scaling in sustainability projects.

For Q4 FY2026, the revenue came at INR 28.57 billion, while net income came at INR 3.46 billion, an EBIT margin of 15.2 percent.

During the year, the company’s total patent count reached 1,706, with over 235 patents specifically in AI. The workforce strength stood at 23,830 employees at end of FY2026. L&T Technology Services also achieved ‘Partner-level Supplier’ status with John Deere for the 6^th time, Creative Partnership Award from the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) and Engineering Innovation Award from Newmar Corporation.

Amit Chadha, CEO & Managing Director, L&T Technology Services, said, “We recalibrated our portfolio to focus on profitable growth business, driven by forward-looking technologies. We believe we will continue to grow faster than the industry supported by strong core capabilities and execution discipline. Our approach to Engineering Intelligence, where engineering converges with AI and digital technologies, is delivering higher-value solutions and differentiated outcomes for our clients.”

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American tier 1 supplier BorgWarner has announced a significant 7-year contract extension with a world-leading off-highway manufacturer to supply 8 distinct families of controllers.

The agreement, which runs through December 2032, reinforces BorgWarner’s role as a primary propulsion partner for diverse heavy-duty applications, including construction machinery, marine platforms and stationary power systems.

The contract covers a comprehensive suite of control units designed for both traditional and electrified powertrains:

• Engine & Machine Controllers: Engineered to manage efficient combustion, minimise emissions in large diesel engines and precisely direct hydraulic and mechanical actuators for heavy equipment.
• Power Module & BMS Controllers: Designed for the OEM’s electric machines and battery management systems, supporting the industry's shift toward electrification.

This extension builds on a partnership spanning several decades. By supplying a broad portfolio that ranges from conventional diesel sensor management to advanced battery monitoring, BorgWarner continues to position itself as a versatile Tier 1 supplier capable of supporting the ‘multi-pathway’ technology transition in the off-highway sector.

Dr. Stefan Demmerle, President and General Manager, BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems, said, “BorgWarner has an outstanding relationship with this leading off-highway manufacturer, a customer we have been supplying critical parts to for several decades, and we are thrilled to continue to grow with them as their volumes increase for various market segments and applications. This contract expansion validates our position as a trusted, long-term propulsion partner that is agile enough to support them and provide tailored solutions as they expand into new, emerging markets.”

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Nexteer Automotive has announced that its Electro-Mechanical Brake (EMB) is ready for mass production following extensive development and validation. First introduced as a concept at Auto Shanghai 2025, the EMB completes Nexteer’s Motion-by-Wire portfolio, allowing the company to offer integrated steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire solutions.

The EMB system has undergone a year of rigorous testing, including simulations, bench tests and extreme winter performance validation. According to the company, more than 20 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have tested the product, with several projects now moving into technical co-development.

Nexteer is leveraging its historical expertise in steering to create a unified chassis control ecosystem. This approach offers several advantages for modern vehicle architectures:

• Software-Defined Safety: Nexteer’s ‘braking-steering fusion’ software provides cross-domain redundancy, a critical requirement for Level 3 and higher autonomous driving. The software features open interfaces for rapid integration into OEM-specific architectures.
• Hardware Efficiency: By platformising actuator modules – including motors, sensors, and ASIL-D microcontrollers – Nexteer is reusing hardware components across steering and braking systems to reduce costs and development timelines.
• Global Supply Chain: The company is utilising high supplier overlap between its steering and braking divisions to achieve economies of scale through centralised procurement.

Jun Li, Senior Vice-President and APAC Division President, Nexteer Automotive, said, “The integration of Nexteer’s Steer-by-Wire and EMB isn’t just a simple ‘1+1’ — it’s a natural evolution rooted in the fundamentals of mechatronics, and a key enabler for achieving both safety and cost-effectiveness in high-level autonomous driving. Choosing Nexteer means more than just picking up two components — it means getting a complete, proven, production-ready, and cost-effective chassis motion control solution.”

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