Michelin India has announced the winners of its Michelin AI Challenge competition out of the 106 entries it received from all over India. 
Launched in collaboration with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Startup India, the competition – designed to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the Indian AI startup ecosystem while exposing the participants to global best practices – recognised Kogo.ai, Prophecy, and Zangoh.ai for their innovative contributions and for their learning opportunities to co-build on strategic projects as well as to receive mentorship. 
They were among of the top 10 participants – startups – that pitched their ideas. The winners were selected through a careful evaluation by a team of Michelin’s AI data scientists, business leaders, product managers and developers. 
With 60 percent of the 106 entries found to have come from tier 1 and tier 2 cities, highlighting diverse, innovative AI solutions that cut through the geographical barriers and speak about the nation’s talent, the competition ran for 12 weeks. It encompassed stages like outreach, applications, shortlisting and mentorship. 
The winners were selected from a round of top ten contenders who presented projects at the demo day (in September 2024) at IIT Delhi. They were awarded in the presence of Petros Sourmelis, Minister-Counsellor, Delegation of EU to India and Bhutan; Marie Khater, Deputy Head of the Regional Economic Department for India and South Asia, Embassy of France; Dr Ambica Rajagopal, Michelin Group's Chief Data and AI Officer, and Shantanu Deshpande, Managing Director of Michelin India.
The three winning teams were awarded paid pilot projects from Michelin with funding of up to INR 500,000 each. The three winning teams will be given access to global contracts and incubation support from Michelin leadership.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Porsche is set to bring a new level of entertainment to its vehicles through a collaboration with AirConsole, a leading in-car gaming platform. The new Porsche Macan, arriving later this year, will be the first model to feature a curated library of multiplayer games, transforming car rides into a shared entertainment experience.

The integration allows passengers to use their smartphones as controllers to play a variety of games on the vehicle’s infotainment screen. When the car is parked, all passengers, including the driver, can participate. While on the move, gaming is restricted to the front passenger display, ensuring the driver remains focused on the road. The system uses Porsche’s integrated screen privacy features to keep the display safe and distraction-free.

Anthony Cliquot, CEO, AirConsole, said, “Our collaboration with Porsche is a powerful signal of how quickly AirConsole is scaling in the automotive industry. In just two years since launching our in-car platform, we’ve partnered with some of the world’s most respected car brands, now including Porsche. This momentum confirms that gaming has a meaningful place in the future of mobility, and we’re proud to be leading that evolution.”

To access AirConsole, users can simply download the app from the Porsche App Centre. Passengers then connect their smartphones by scanning a QR code on the screen, with no need for additional hardware. The platform supports up to five players, allowing for both collaborative and competitive sessions.

AirConsole specialises in casual, short-session games that are optimised for the in-car environment. The growing catalogue includes popular titles like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Overcooked, and UNO Car Party!, ensuring a wide range of options for passengers.

The AirConsole platform will be available in the new Macan starting at the end of this year, rolling out in all markets where Porsche Connect is offered, with the exception of China.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Japanese automotive major Honda Motor Co, has announced that it will present a wide range of mobility products and technologies at the Japan Mobility Show 2025, scheduled from 29 October to 9 November at Tokyo Big Sight.

The company said it will display automobiles, motorcycles, power products, aircraft and concept models under its theme of ‘The Power of Dreams.’ Among the highlights will be the Honda 0 Series EV models, due for global market introduction in 2026, as well as the full-size interior mock-up of the HondaJet Elite II, which allows visitors to experience its spacious cabin.

Key exhibits will include the Honda 0 Saloon Prototype and Honda 0 SUV Prototype, both making their Japan debut. Honda will also present production models such as the CUV e:, a Class-2 electric commuter powered by swappable batteries and the Rebel 1100 S Edition cruiser with dual clutch transmission.

Beyond land-based vehicles, Honda will showcase the Honda BF350 outboard motor and the HondaJet Elite II business jet interior. The brand will also participate in programmes organised by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), including the Tokyo Future Tour 2035 and the Mobility Culture Programme.

Honda said: “The Honda booth is designed to enable the visitors to experience dream-inspiring mobility products Honda created with its original technologies and ideas while being driven by its own dreams.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Bengaluru-based design and technology services major Tata Elxsi and Japanese auto major Suzuki Motor Corporation have inaugurated the Suzuki–Tata Elxsi Cloud HIL Centre in Trivandrum, India.

The new centre is Suzuki’s first full-vehicle cloud-enabled Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) validation facility and represents the second engineering centre established under the Tata Elxsi–Suzuki partnership, following the Offshore Development Centre (ODC) in Pune.

The new facility is engineered for early-stage, full-vehicle simulation and validation through a cloud-native infrastructure. It will allow the Japanese automaker’s development and test teams to remotely access HIL infrastructure integrated with Electronic Control Units (ECUs) – reducing reliance on physical prototypes and accelerating validation cycles across R&D centres worldwide. This aligns with Suzuki’s roadmap for Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), reinforcing a shift toward software-led, scalable development.

Being purpose-built, the facility integrates Tata Elxsi’s domain expertise in automotive Verification and Validation (V&V), test automation and simulation, which it claims enables transformative advancements in development speed, quality and future readiness.

The Cloud HIL Centre is part of Suzuki’s global ‘SDV Right’ strategy for Electrical and Electronic (E/E) Virtual Development, which is set to play a foundational role in delivering continuous integration, faster release cycles and system reliability.

Katsuhiro Kato, Director and Executive Vice-President, Suzuki Motor Corporation, said, “The Suzuki-Tata Elxsi Cloud HIL Centre is a new base that leverages Tata Elxsi's expertise and deep experience to build an advanced and efficient development system. We hope that Suzuki will promote virtualisation to realise minimisation of energy and contribute to the development of next-generation mobility significantly."

Manoj Raghavan, CEO and Managing Director, Tata Elxsi, said, “We thank Kato-san and Suzuki Motor Corporation for their continued trust. This new Cloud HIL Centre builds on the strong foundation of our Pune ODC and marks a forward leap in our SDV-focused collaboration. It reflects our shared vision for sustainable and smarter mobility.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

L&T Technology Services (LTTS) has launched PLxAI, a new proprietary generative AI (GenAI) framework designed to accelerate and optimise the product development life cycle for its global clients. The framework, developed by the company's in-house experts, aims to streamline the process from initial concept to post-launch support.

PLxAI leverages both generative and conventional AI to offer a comprehensive solution for developing scalable and reusable solutions across the entire product development process. It is built with a versatile architecture that makes it adaptable for both embedded systems and software development.

A key feature of PLxAI is its ability to capture and utilise existing knowledge, including an organisation's internal or 'tribal' knowledge. This helps it provide context-aware insights that enhance product engineering. The framework also integrates smart prompting and contextual intelligence to improve every stage of the process, from initial design to final validation and aftermarket support.

LTTS has already deployed over 36 use cases of PLxAI, with an additional 35 in the design phase. These applications span various stages of product development, including:

• Concept Design: Assisting with competitive analysis and technology scouting.
• Component Design: Generating specifications, diagrams and calculations.
• Validation Planning: Automatically creating Design Validation Plans and DFMEA templates.
• Failure Mode Analysis: Generating customisable FMEA documents using organisational templates.
• Digital Twin Integration: Supporting both physical and virtual testing workflows.
• Agentic Workflows: Using proactive agents to automate multi-step engineering tasks.

Alind Saxena, President & Executive Director - Mobility & Tech, L&T Technology Services, said,“This is a proud milestone for Team LTTS. The development of PLxAI by our in-house AI experts is a testimony to LTTS’ engineering and technology capabilities. It reaffirms our deep commitment toward driving global client success across Mobility, Sustainability and Tech leveraging the power of AI and Gen-AI based offerings. The enthusiasm from our global clients has been remarkable, with deployments already underway across multiple domains.”

By accelerating innovation and optimising costs, LTTS believes that PLxAI will redefine how businesses approach product development, unlocking new avenues for growth and efficiency.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!