India's Automotive Aftermarket Shines at ACMA Automechanika 2024

India's Automotive Aftermarket Shines at ACMA Automechanika 2024

The 5th edition of ACMA Automechanika (New Delhi) 2024, held in collaboration with Messe Frankfurt and as part of Bharat Mobility Global Expo, attracted a footfall of 35,000 business visitors. 

Bringing automotive aftermarket players under one roof at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, the three-day event along with Bharat Mobility Global Expo, which was supported by ACMA. SIAM and various other organisations with EEPC India as the coordinator, turned out to be a conglomeration of the entire mobility ecosystem. 

Displaying new technical and technological capabilities and innovations, over 500 exhibitors from more than 12 global markets made it to the event. They showcased over 10,000 aftermarket products, offering a diverse range of aftermarket solutions. 

Catering to two-wheelers, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and agricultural vehicles, ACMA Automechanika New Delhi – featuring over 1500 product categories and 10 distinct segments – served as a complete hub for automotive wholesalers, distributors, and traders dealing in parts and components.

The event also featured dedicated country pavilions from automotive powerhouses such as Germany, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Highlighting an age of collaborations, the automotive aftermarket fair complemented OEMs, which found their way to Bharat Mobility Global Expo and the suppliers of auto components to the OEMs, many of whom also have a sizeable aftermarket business. 

Unique perhaps was the presence of electric vehicle component suppliers at both the show – the ACMA Automechanika 2024 show and Bharat Mobility Global Expo. They reflected on the rising adoption of electric vehicle technology and a transition towards sustainable mobility solutions that are less emitting and more efficient. 

A Global Automotive Aftermarket Research report prepared by ACMA in collaboration with Ernst & Young and released during the event highlighted that the Indian automotive aftermarket has reached USD 10 billion in calendar year 2023 with an anticipated growth to USD 14 billion by 2028. The report covers 39 countries and narrows down its focus to 10 major export markets, identifying over USD 35 billion worth of export opportunities.

Shradha Suri Marwah, President – ACMA, and Managing Director, Subros Ltd, mentioned that the success of ACMA Automechanika 2024 is a testament to the India’s tech capabilities and innovation within the automotive aftermarket. “As we stride towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, this event serves as a platform for showcasing India's immense growth potential in the global automotive landscape,” she averred. 

Vinnie Mehta, Director General, ACMA, said that the ACMA Automechanika 2024 has once again proven to be a resounding success, showcasing the vibrancy and potential of India's automotive aftermarket on a global stage. This event, held in conjunction with the Bharat Mobility Global Expo, exemplifies the comprehensive transformation underway in the automotive industry, evolving towards a mobility-centric ecosystem.” “As India emerges as the sweet spot in the global market, propelled by robust macroeconomic fundamentals, the success of our auto industry across various segments underscores the nation's automotive prowess,” he added. 

Of the opinion that the auto component industry continues to thrive, reflecting the resilience and innovation within our ecosystem, Mehta elaborated, “ACMA remains steadfast in driving this momentum forward, fostering partnerships and paving the way for India's leadership in the global auto aftermarket."

Accenture, Google Cloud Launch Horizon Platform For SDVs With Volvo Cars

Volvo Cars

Accenture and Google Cloud have announced that Volvo Cars has signed on as the lead industry partner for Horizon, an open-source software development platform designed for car makers and automotive suppliers to build, test and deploy software on the Android Automotive Operating System.

The Horizon platform unifies cloud-native development tools, virtual testing environments and artificial intelligence workflows. Volvo Cars is migrating its global software development environment for the Android Automotive Operating System to the platform to accelerate engineering processes and virtual testing across its global development teams.

Insights gathered from Volvo Cars' deployment will be used by Accenture and Google Cloud to refine the platform and expand its generative artificial intelligence features for automotive and industrial manufacturers.

According to metrics provided by Accenture and Google Cloud, testing speeds using virtual Cuttlefish-based Android Automotive environments can improve by up to 9 times, while infotainment feature development costs can decrease by up to 40 percent. Software build times, which previously required up to two hours, can yield feedback within minutes through caching and build pipeline optimisation.

Remote access to virtual and physical device farms allows engineers to test software without requiring local physical test equipment, while virtual workbenches enable developers to set up development environments in seconds.

Gregor Zetsche, Head of Connected Experience, Volvo Cars, said, "We’re building some of the most complex products in the world, which requires a development environment built to match. As Horizon’s lead industry partner, we can directly solve our toughest engineering challenges and empower our teams to deliver new experiences faster than ever."

Juergen Reers, Global Automotive & Mobility Lead, Accenture, said, "Horizon enables a faster, more flexible and efficient way to deliver software-defined vehicle features. Its standardised, repeatable and scalable processes help deliver reliable, high-quality software products, while significantly reducing time to market. Horizon will allow Volvo Cars’ engineers to focus on what matters most: creating differentiated vehicle experiences and continuously delivering new value to drivers through software at high speed."

Henry Bzeih, Global Director for the Automotive Industry, Google Cloud, said, "Software now defines the automotive brand. Horizon on Google Cloud gives Volvo Cars the ability to move faster while releasing high-quality software and features on a cadence that matches the expectations of modern mobility. This is how next generation digital experiences reach drivers at agile speed."

Accenture and Google Cloud are working with additional automotive and industrial organisations to expand adoption of the Horizon platform across international markets.

Emerson Expands Bangalore Test And Measurement R&D Centre

Emerson

Emerson has announced the expansion of its test and measurement research and development (R&D) facility in Bengaluru, which it claims is an additional 50 percent.

The investment increases capacity at the site to develop software-defined and automated validation technologies for industrial customers.

The Bengaluru facility operates as Emerson's NI Software Centre of Excellence and represents the company's second-largest test and measurement R&D centre globally. Engineering teams at the site hold product responsibility for test software platforms, AI-enabled engineering capabilities, systems engineering technologies and radio frequency test software. The tools serve clients across the semiconductor, aerospace, defence, transportation, life sciences and manufacturing sectors.

Ritu Favre, President of Emerson's Test & Measurement business, said, "Bangalore plays an increasingly strategic role in Emerson’s global test innovation network. The site combines deep expertise in test software and AI-enabled engineering and validation technologies with close connections to rapidly evolving industries. This investment helps customers manage growing product complexity, streamline validation and bring new innovations to market faster."

The expansion provides capacity to advance automated validation workflows and integrated test platforms as hardware complexity increases across shortened product development timelines.

Emerson's investment aligns with domestic growth in semiconductors, electric mobility, and aerospace manufacturing driven by initiatives such as the India Semiconductor Mission and the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan.

Alongside the R&D centre, Emerson operates a second Bengaluru location dedicated to application engineering, calibration services, sales and customer support.

ToneTag Launches In-Car Fuel Payment Solution DrivePay With IndianOil And TATA.CARS

ToneTag

Digital payment infrastructure company ToneTag has launched an in-car fuel payment system at the Global Fintech Fest 2026.

The solution is developed for TATA.CARS under the name DrivePay and integrates National Payments Corporation of India's UPI Circle framework for Internet of Things devices to enable direct fuel payments at IndianOil retail outlets.

The DrivePay platform integrates payment capabilities into connected vehicle infotainment screens. Drivers can simply pay at fuel stations from the vehicle dashboard without using mobile applications, physical cards, or external payment terminals.

The service also incorporates IndianOil’s XTRAREWARDS loyalty scheme, automatically crediting reward points to customer accounts without requiring mobile number inputs during checkout. Following the initial demonstration at GFF 2026, deployment will begin across IndianOil outlets ahead of a wider rollout.

Vivek Kumar Singh, Co-Founder and Director – Labs, ToneTag, said, "Payments are rapidly moving beyond traditional interfaces such as cards and smartphones, and connected devices are emerging as the next frontier for commerce. With DrivePay, powered by ToneTag, we are bringing an IoT-based UPI Circle payment experience directly into the connected vehicle. This initiative with IndianOil, TATA.CARS and NPCI demonstrates how payment infrastructure can seamlessly extend into connected devices, enabling the vehicle itself to become a secure payment interface. We believe this is an important step towards a future where mobility, payments and commerce are seamlessly connected."

The project combines IndianOil's retail distribution network, TATA.CARS' vehicle hardware, ToneTag's payment processing software and NPCI's UPI transaction network. ToneTag plans to extend its connected vehicle payment systems to additional automotive original equipment manufacturers and mobility providers.

Hyundai Motor India Rolls Out Remote Immobiliser Feature For Venue SUVs

Hyundai Bluelink

Hyundai Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has introduced the Hyundai Bluelink Remote Immobiliser security feature for the Hyundai Venue and Venue N Line models.

The feature is available on the connected-car-Navigation-Cockpit equipped HX10 variant of the Venue and the N10 variant of the Venue N Line.

The security system allows vehicle owners to immobilise a parked car via the Hyundai Bluelink mobile application, preventing engine restart in scenarios involving key cloning or unauthorised access.

In cases of suspected theft, users can trigger the immobiliser remotely, locking the engine start capability once the ignition is turned off. The system operates alongside network-dependent live location tracking to assist vehicle recovery. For safety reasons, the software does not cut power or shut down an active engine while the vehicle is in motion.

The feature is being deployed via a Controller Over-the-Air update leveraging Hyundai's Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) architecture. Eligible Venue and Venue N Line models sold since November 2025 will receive the update automatically without requiring physical service centre visits. The ccNC system allows over-the-air updates across up to 19 individual vehicle controllers.

Furthermore, From September 2026, the remote immobiliser will be standard equipment on HX10 and N10 variants, with plans for phased implementation across other Bluelink-enabled models.

Tarun Garg, MD and CEO, Hyundai Motor India, said, “With Hyundai Bluelink now powering over eight lakh connected vehicles in India, we continue to strengthen our connected mobility ecosystem by delivering meaningful innovations that address evolving customer needs. Hyundai Bluelink Remote Immobiliser offers customers greater control and peace of mind by enabling them to remotely secure their parked Hyundai VENUE or VENUE N Line and respond quickly in the event of suspected theft, while incorporating safeguards that prioritise customer safety. Importantly, this feature also demonstrates the future-ready potential of Hyundai’s Software-Defined-Vehicle architecture. Through a seamless Controller Over-the-Air update, we are introducing an important new capability to eligible model variants without requiring customers to visit a workshop.”

At present, Hyundai Motor India offers the Bluelink connected car system across 11 of its 15 vehicle lines in the country, providing functions including emergency crash notifications, vehicle diagnostics, remote telemetry and voice command controls.