India Among The Top Five Manufacturing Destinations

India Among The Top Five Manufacturing Destinations

As per a recent post on X (earlier Twitter) by China’s official newspaper Global Times where it shared a list of world’s top 10 nations in terms of their manufacturing output, India ranked among the top five with a manufacturing value add of USD 456 billion. 

Not forgetting to underscore China as the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, the post is of importance because of the nation where it originates from. China is not only a neighbour of India, it is also the largest trading partner with USD 118.4 billion two-way commerce in FY2023-24, according to the economic think tank GTRI’s data.

China’s per capita GDP USD 12,174 in 2023 as compared to the per capita of India at USD 2,239 USD. Against this economic difference, it is interesting that China’s newspaper has in its post acknowledged India’s rising manufacturing prowess. 

This is certain to change the way India as well as its manufacturing sector is perceived. There are tailwinds and plenty of headwinds the Indian manufacturing sector continues to experience. Its performance is however a reflection of its abilities and grit. 

The manufacturing sector in India is emerging as an integral pillar of the country’s economic growth. The key industries that are contributing to its stellar performance are auto, chemicals, consumer durables and engineering. 

The manufacturing sector’s consistent performance as also indicated by the PMI figures. With government policies and changing world markets – not to exclude geopolitical and regulatory challenges for industries like auto in particular – an important factor is the rise of respective sector, there’s clearly more to be done. 

With that, it wouldn’t take long to move up the ladder. 

HCLTech Launches NVIDIA-Powered Verification And Validation Platform For Software Defined Vehicles

HCLTech Launches NVIDIA-Powered Verification And Validation Platform For Software Defined Vehicles

HCLTech has introduced an artificial intelligence (AI) verification and validation platform utilising NVIDIA simulation tools, agentic systems and open models.

The offering targets vehicle manufacturers and tier-1 suppliers to automate software validation workflows and accelerate release cycles. Built on a simulation-first operating model, the platform connects requirements, test creation, execution, analysis and compliance reporting.

The system integrates HCLTech's engineering expertise and validation model with NVIDIA Omniverse, Cosmos, Alpamayo, NuRec and Isaac Sim technologies to generate scenarios in virtual environments, reducing reliance on physical testing.

Additionally, the platform utilises the NVIDIA Agent Toolkit to orchestrate AI agents powered by Nemotron open models across the validation lifecycle.

Pankaj Tagra, Chief Growth Officer and Global Head of Mobility, HCLTech, said, “Automotive software is evolving faster than traditional validation processes were designed to handle. Frequent software updates, increasingly complex vehicle systems and the need to demonstrate compliance across changing configurations can make validation slow, fragmented and difficult to scale. Powered by NVIDIA, HCLTech’s V&V for Auto is designed to help organisations shift from periodic, labor-intensive testing to continuous, intelligent validation, using simulation and AI to make software release decisions with greater speed and confidence.”

Dr. Sebastian Scheurle, EMEA Industry Lead of Automotive Enterprise, NVIDIA, said, “Validation now sets the pace for software-defined vehicles. With NVIDIA Omniverse, Cosmos and Nemotron at its core, this solution leverages world-class simulation and AI capabilities to support automakers in their journey towards moving more testing into simulation, covering rare and safety-critical scenarios earlier and releasing software with greater confidence.”

HARMAN Wins Driver Safety Solution Award For Ready Aware Platform

Harman Ready Aware

HARMAN has received recognition from the AutoTech Breakthrough Awards, marking the fourth consecutive year the company has been honoured by the market intelligence organisation. The Ready Aware platform received the Driver Safety Solution designation for 2026.

Ready Aware operates as a software-defined vehicle-to-network solution that integrates infrastructure feeds, vehicle telemetry, cloud analytics and digital twin data to provide contextual in-vehicle warnings.

The system processes information regarding road conditions, weather, traffic hazards and signal timing to deliver alerts beyond the driver's line of sight. The architecture works with existing 4G and 5G cellular hardware and vehicle cloud environments, enabling automakers to deploy software updates without hardware modifications. The platform supports Euro NCAP compliance requirements and offers over 15 safety use cases, including intersection warnings, red-light notifications and hazard alerts.

Bryan Vaughn, Managing Director, AutoTech Breakthrough, said, “HARMAN Ready Aware is redefining vehicle safety from reactive intervention to proactive awareness. Almost a quarter of U.S. traffic deaths and roughly half of injuries are related to intersections. Cameras and sensors can be limited by physical occlusions and, on their own, may not have access to information about upcoming signal changes or other traffic conditions. Ready Aware’s software-defined model connects the intelligence already present in cities and connected vehicles, then delivers it to the driver as a timely, contextual alert. Ready Aware turns infrastructure data, vehicle telemetry and cloud analytics into actionable driver awareness—available today, scalable tomorrow, and quickly deployable.”

The system uses a cloud analytics and scoring layer named the Confidence Engine to filter data feeds, reduce false alerts and prioritise notifications to minimise distraction. Automakers can integrate the software via client-to-cloud or cloud-to-cloud configurations to support subscription services and feature monetisation.

Suman Sehra, Global Head of Connectivity Product and Portfolio Management, HARMAN, said, “Ready Aware gives automakers a flexible way to move connected vehicle safety from reactive intervention to proactive awareness. By transforming real-time road intelligence into timely, contextual alerts, Ready Aware helps drivers anticipate hazards before they come into view while giving automakers a scalable foundation to continuously enhance safety through software. This recognition reflects HARMAN’s vision for safer, more informed mobility.”

ITMS

Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has announced the second phase expansion of its Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) in Gurugram under its corporate social responsibility initiative, allocating approximately INR 750 million to the project.

The expansion will see the installation of 1,000 additional radar-integrated cameras across 70 junctions and nine road stretches covering 65 kilometres in the city. Combined with the initial phase, which deployed 400 cameras across 23 junctions, the completed network will encompass 1,400 cameras across 93 junctions and 13 road corridors.

Implemented in partnership with the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority and the Gurugram Police, the automated system detects traffic offences including speed limit violations, red-light jumping, helmetless riding, triple riding and wrong-side driving. The camera units record registration plate details and transmit data directly to the Integrated Command and Control Centre for enforcement processing.

Sibash Kabiraj, Commissioner of Police, Gurugram, said, "We appreciate Maruti Suzuki’s continued support in strengthening Gurugram’s traffic management infrastructure through its CSR initiative. The expansion of the Integrated Traffic Management System will further strengthen our ability to monitor traffic violations, enable timely enforcement, and encourage greater compliance with traffic regulations."

P C Meena, CEO of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority, said, "GMDA is committed to building a robust, technology-driven surveillance network to strengthen traffic management and road safety across Gurugram. The expansion of CCTV coverage in collaboration with Maruti Suzuki India Limited and Gurugram Police will enable more effective traffic monitoring, strengthen enforcement of traffic rules and promote greater road discipline. Connecting the CCTV network with GMDA’s Integrated Command and Control Centre will further enhance real-time surveillance, improve coordination among enforcement agencies and facilitate quicker action against traffic violations, contributing to safer roads for all commuters."

Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer of Corporate Affairs, Maruti Suzuki India, said, "We are pleased to further strengthen our partnership with GMDA and the Gurugram Traffic Police in advancing road safety through technology-driven interventions. This advanced tracking system addresses issues like riding without helmets, triple riding, red-light violations, over-speeding, and wrong-side driving. These violations highlight a critical road-safety challenge, as human error continues to be the leading cause of road accidents in India. The findings reinforce the need for sustained, collaborative efforts to improve compliance with traffic regulations and foster safe road behaviour. Improving road safety requires a combination of responsible driving, robust driving license testing and effective traffic enforcement. We are committed to working alongside authorities in these areas to build a safer mobility ecosystem."

Volvo Cars Partners NVIDIA To Develop Autonomous Driving Technology

Volvo Cars - NVIDIA

Swedish automotive company Volvo Cars has expanded its technology partnership with NVIDIA to integrate the computing firm's Hyperion sensor and compute architecture into its next-generation vehicle platform.

The system combines Volvo's vehicle safety architecture with NVIDIA's hardware, Halos operating system and Alpamayo Stack driving software. The technology is designed to navigate highway environments, urban traffic and parking scenarios, laying the foundation for the gradual introduction of eyes-off and mind-off driving capabilities. The system will make its commercial debut in an upcoming production model as part of Volvo Cars' vehicle development roadmap.

Hakan Samuelsson, President and CEO, Volvo Cars, said, "Volvo has been synonymous with car safety for almost 100 years. By working with NVIDIA, we bring together two distinct strengths: industry-leading safety knowledge and world-class AI technology. That combination gives us a unique opportunity to create safer and more attractive cars for our customers."

Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO, NVIDIA, said, "Accelerated computing has transformed the car into an intelligent machine that can understand the world around it. Volvo has spent nearly a century protecting people on the road. Together, we’re combining Volvo’s extraordinary vehicle safety systems with NVIDIA Hyperion and Halos to build a new generation of cars that make driving safer and more effortless."

The agreement marks a continuation of the collaboration between the two companies, which established their initial development partnership in 2017. The deployment of NVIDIA's computing stack will support Volvo's transition toward software-defined electric vehicles across its global product lineup.