The Autonomous BAJA SAEINDIA 2024 (aBAJA) kicked off with great fanfare, marking the first day of the one-of-a-kind student competition centred on autonomous all-terrain vehicles (AATV).

This 3-day competition (from 4 to 6 October 2024) is hosted by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Pune, and marks a milestone for BAJA SAEINDIA as autonomous vehicle technology was introduced to the engineering competition. Five teams from throughout the country compete in the event, each of which must complete a unique set of tasks meant to evaluate the performance of their vehicles and teamwork.

Pre-event preparation tests were carried out at ARAI, Kothrud, Pune, from 30 September to 3 October, in the run-up to the tournament. Among these were comprehensive technical examinations, in which vehicles' electrical, mechanical and autonomous systems were carefully assessed to make sure they complied with competition regulations. Assessments of team preparedness and safety briefings were also conducted. To help teams test and improve their autonomous vehicles and make sure they matched the competition's rigorous requirements, trial run tracks were built up for the dynamic events such as Object Detection, Classification and Tracking (ODCT) and Remote Driving System (RDS).

On the first day, static events like the design evaluation and business presentation took main stage. These occasions gave the teams a chance to showcase their creative approaches and intricate designs, emphasising the intricacy and foresight required to create autonomous systems. Teams will test their vehicles' capabilities in real-world scenarios on the second day, which is expected to feature exciting activities that highlight engineering ingenuity and expertise.

Highlighting the significance of hosting the event at ARAI during the welcome address on behalf of ARAI, Ujjwala Karle, Joint Convener, Phase 3 of aBAJA SAEINDIA 2024 & Deputy Director, Technology Group, ARAI, said, “It is an honour for ARAI to host Phase 3 of aBAJA SAEINDIA 2024. This event highlights our commitment to bridging academia and industry. It is inspiring to witness students exhibit the passion and boldness necessary to tackle the complexities of the automotive landscape. BAJA SAEINDIA serves as a vital ‘Introduction to Industry’ (i2i), providing hands-on experience with real-world challenges. Furthermore, initiatives like the iNTELLIMOBILITY Ideathon empower participants to address pressing mobility issues with innovative solutions. We at ARAI are proud to support BAJA SAEINDIA and wish all participants great success in this year’s event.”

Emphasising the importance of technological innovation in shaping the future of mobility, the Chief Guest for the event, Umesh Shah, Managing Director, Autoliv, said, “aBAJA represents a confluence of creativity, engineering, and technology. It is through such initiatives that we inspire the next generation to think beyond conventional solutions and tackle real-world problems with courage and a spirit of innovation. I congratulate the participants for taking up this challenge and encourage them to bring forward their passion and ideas that will shape the mobility landscape in India and beyond. The efforts of the organising committee and all those involved in this competition are commendable. Their dedication ensures that aBAJA continues to be a platform where emerging engineers are not only tested but also encouraged to innovate and grow. I wish all the participants the very best in their endeavours and extend my best wishes to BAJA SAEINDIA as they continue to break new ground with aBAJA SAEINDIA 2025."

Shahkar Abidi, Assistant Editor at Autocar, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. Stressing the importance of continuous learning and practical exposure for engineering students, he said, “Autonomous driving and intelligent mobility are no longer just concepts; they are the future. BAJA SAEINDIA has always been ahead of the curve in providing hands-on experiences to students, and aBAJA is a testament to this vision. The passion and drive I see among these students will surely propel them to become future leaders in the automotive industry.”

The grand inaugural ceremony also saw the presence of esteemed dignitaries from both industry and academia, including Ganesh Rao, Director of R&D at Continental; Shantanu Sonar, DGM at Daimler Truck Innovation Centre India (DTICI); Dr P Rajalakshmi from TiHAN, IIT Hyderabad; Balraj Subramaniam, Chairman of the Organising Committee of BAJA SAEINDIA and Saurabh Chitnavis, Joint Convener of aBAJA SAEINDIA 2024.

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  - Dr Kamal Vora October 06, 2024 06:55 AM

  Autonomous BAJA SAEINDIA 2024 is a great initiative of SAEINDIA and I would like to congratulate BAJA Committee members, ARAI, Ajeenkya DY Patil University and all the sponsors & supporters for this initiative. The registration of BAJA SAEINDIA 2024 with early bird incentive starts on 6th Oct 2024 from 8 to 10 pm. For sponsorship or registration, please contact vorakc04@gmail.com

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Volvo Cars has earned the highest possible rating for software-defined vehicle (SDV) capabilities from S&P Global Mobility, standing alone among legacy automakers as the only one to achieve a Level 5 designation. This top-tier ranking underscores the company’s capacity to enhance nearly all aspects of a vehicle throughout its lifespan, delivering greater long-term value to customers. Through over-the-air (OTA) updates, Volvo can introduce new safety functions, accelerate charging speeds, extend driving range and refine the overall user experience.

The transition to software-defined vehicles represents a transformative leap for Volvo, empowering its cars on the road to continuously evolve and setting a new benchmark for safety. As part of its most significant technological overhaul in nearly a century, the company now leverages real-world data to generate insights that inform the development of future safety and driver assistance systems.

Central to this capability is HuginCore, Volvo’s internally developed core system. Featuring a sophisticated electrical architecture, a central computing platform, zone controllers and integrated software, HuginCore is the foundation of the company’s three software-centric models: the EX90, ES90 and EX60. This architecture enables scalable enhancements, faster innovation cycles and superior experiences across the entire vehicle lineup.

S&P Global Mobility, a premier provider of automotive intelligence, offers the comprehensive data and expert analysis that informed this evaluation, assisting the industry in making more informed, lower-risk decisions.

Håkan Samuelsson, CEO, Volvo Cars, said, “Years of focused engineering efforts and investments have given Volvo software capabilities that only a select few in the industry have achieved. This has enabled us to deliver a step change in customer experiences and development speed.”

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Marelli has developed an AI-driven System Test Generation (STG) Agent in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The tool automates the creation of system test cases from engineering requirements, addressing a traditionally labour-intensive phase of the automotive validation cycle.

The STG Agent was developed alongside the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center and utilises Amazon Nova foundation models, Amazon Bedrock Knowledge Bases and the Strands Agents framework.

The system is designed to integrate with existing requirement management tools and automotive engineering workflows. By automating the analysis of system requirements, the tool identifies expected behaviours and generates structured, traceable test cases to verify that product features align with customer specifications.

As vehicle platforms transition toward software-defined architectures, engineering teams must manage increasing volumes of data and specifications. The STG Agent aims to reduce validation time for new vehicle functionalities, improve consistency in product behaviour across global programmes and accelerate product development for vehicle manufacturers.

Daniele Russo, Head of System Performance Optimisation in Marelli’s Electronics Engineering team, said, “The STG Agent represents an important step forward in how we validate solutions for software-defined vehicles. By combining our engineering expertise with advanced AI capabilities from AWS, we significantly accelerate validation cycles and ensure consistent quality across global programs. This solution enables us to support our customers faster and more efficiently, strengthening the foundation for the next generation of software-defined vehicles.”

Giulia Gasparini, Country Leader of AWS Italia, commented, "Marelli's approach to automating system validation demonstrates the transformative potential of generative AI in automotive engineering. By leveraging Amazon Nova foundation models and Amazon Bedrock, companies are setting new standards for how software-defined vehicles are developed and validated. This solution shows how advanced AI can accelerate innovation while maintaining the rigorous quality and safety requirements that define the automotive industry."

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Nawgati, an Indian fuel-tech company, has been named the title sponsor for the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Petrol Dealers Association Pune (PDAP). The association represents over 900 petroleum dealers within the Pune district.

The AGM is scheduled for 21 March 2026 at the Hotel Westin Koregaon Park, Pune. The event includes an industry exhibition designed to showcase technological solutions and services within the petroleum retail value chain.

Attendees will include senior bureaucrats, officials from oil marketing companies and representatives from dealer associations across Maharashtra. The gathering focuses on the convergence of digital innovation and existing fuel retail infrastructure.

Nawgati is utilising the platform to highlight Aaveg for Dealers, an operating system developed for fuel retailers. The platform integrates several operational functions into a single interface: real-time accounting and inventory management, sales intelligence and automated invoicing, digital contracts and credit control systems.

The company currently operates across India and has established subsidiaries in the UAE and Sri Lanka to scale its connected fuelling ecosystem.

Vaibhav Kaushik, Co-Founder & CEO, Nawgati, said, “The Petrol Dealers Association Pune AGM is bringing together stakeholders who are directly involved in these discussions through this Annual General Meeting, and Nawgati is pleased to support a platform that encourages meaningful exchange within the sector, as such conversations are important in shaping practical solutions that benefit both dealers and consumers.”

Aalaap Nair, Co-Founder, Nawgati, added, “Through Aaveg for Dealers, we are introducing an all-in-one operating system designed specifically for modern fuel retailers. It brings together real-time accounting, inventory management, and sales intelligence into a single, seamless platform. By enabling greater control over credit, customers, and cash flow, supported by smart insights, automated invoicing, and digital contracts, Aaveg is simplifying operations and helping dealers run more efficient, scalable fuel businesses.”

Dhruv Ruparel, President of the Petrol Dealers Association Pune, stated, “The Annual General Meeting serves as an important forum for the dealer community, as it gives us a platform to engage on operational and industry-related developments. Nawgati’s association this year as the “title sponsor” reflects the increasing role of tech-led solutions in fuel retail, which is strengthening these operations. We are looking forward to constructive discussions that support the sector’s continued progress.”

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Japanese technology company TIER IV and Isuzu Motors have announced the deployment of Level 4 autonomous buses using the Nvidia Drive Hyperion computing platform. The technology will be integrated into Isuzu ERGA electric and diesel models, featuring the Nvidia Drive AGX Thor system-on-chip (SoC) to provide safety and performance redundancy.

The autonomous transit vehicles combine TIER IV’s Level 4 software stack, based on the open-source Autoware platform, with Isuzu’s vehicle architecture and Nvidia’s AI compute. The objective is to create high-capacity public transit solutions capable of scalable deployment.

The system is designed to be hardware-agnostic and fail-operational, addressing operational requirements for public services and national challenges such as driver shortages.

Shinpei Kato, Founder and CEO, TIER IV, said, “This collaboration marks a definitive milestone for autonomous transit. By fusing Isuzu’s legendary engineering with NVIDIA’s Thor AI compute, we have built an unmatched foundation for Level 4 transit driven by Autoware. Unveiling this Level 4 autonomous bus deployment at Nvidia GTC 2026 proves that when you combine world-class hardware with the power of the Autoware ecosystem, safe and scalable public transit is no longer a goal – it is a reality.”

Hiroshi Sato, Senior Executive Officer and Vice-President, Engineering Division, Isuzu, commented, “Our partnership with TIER IV and Nvidia represents a significant leap in commercial vehicle intelligence. Deploying Level 4 autonomous driving on both our ERGA EV and diesel models ensures that we provide versatile, sustainable, and highly efficient solutions for any fleet. We are bringing Isuzu’s world-renowned reliability to the autonomous age, ensuring safe and high-performance transit at scale.”

Rishi Dhall, Vice-President of Automotive, NVIDIA, added, “The transition to highly automated commercial transport demands fail-operational, high-performance computing without compromise. TIER IV and Isuzu are frontrunners in the public transit vertical, utilizing Nvidia Drive AGX Thor on the Drive Hyperion platform in the Isuzu ERGA to power TIER IV’s Autoware-based Level 4 software stack. Their scalable solution addresses critical real-world needs, such as Japan’s national driver shortage, while delivering the operational rigor necessary for essential public services.”

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