Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela have been granted a patent for an innovative model designed to drastically improve the reliability of future vehicle-to-vehicle communication networks. The patented technology addresses the critical challenge of message congestion in high-traffic scenarios, paving the way for safer, smarter road systems in India.

The patent, titled ‘Adaptive Contention Window Optimisation in VANETs using Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning for Enhanced Performance Model,’ was filed by Dr. Arun Kumar, Assistant Professor; Prof. Bibhudatta Sahoo, Professor and Dr. Lopamudra Hota, Research Graduate, all from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at NIT Rourkela.

Their work focuses on Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs) – the foundational concept that enables vehicles in close proximity to communicate directly with one another. VANETs are essential for future functionalities like warning drivers about sudden obstacles or precipitous braking, aiding automated traffic control and assisting emergency services.

However, a core issue in VANETs is overcrowding. When multiple vehicles transmit messages simultaneously, the congestion leads to delays or lost messages, which severely compromises the system's ability to function safely.

The NIT Rourkela solution tackles this problem using artificial intelligence (AI). Their model employs multi-agent deep reinforcement learning to enable each vehicle to intelligently stagger the timing of its messages based on the real-time actions of other vehicles in the network. Instead of communications competing and colliding, the system learns to sequence and prioritise time-sensitive alerts, such as emergency warnings. This adaptive adjustment significantly reduces transmission delays, ensuring critical alerts are reliably delivered.

Dr. Arun Kumar highlighted the profound safety implications of their research, referencing the severe toll of road accidents in the country. “In 2023, India reported around 480,000 road accidents and around 172,000 deaths, many of which could be prevented using modern technologies. Our work is a step towards building safer roads and smarter cities. We envision a near future where autonomous vehicles become a reality in India, and this patent is a small step in that direction, driving the spirit of Innovate in India and Make in India,” Dr. Kumar said.

The developed model ensures that even under busy conditions, the right message reaches the right recipient at the right time, a crucial requirement for future transportation systems where vehicles must coordinate in real-time.

The enhanced communication model has broad applications across future mobility. Current VANETs use cases include:

• Electronic brake lights: Notifying drivers of braking scenarios not yet in their line of sight.
• Platooning: Enabling a series of cars to closely follow a lead vehicle using distributed acceleration and steering control data.
• Enhanced Navigation: Providing instantaneous, accurate information on current road traffic conditions.
• Emergency Response: Rapid broadcast of crucial information to vehicles in an area affected by an incident.
• Electronic Toll Collection: Providing remote access to real-time data for automated toll systems.

Prof. Bibhudatta Sahoo emphasised the practical impact of the work on national infrastructure. “The patent represents a practical step towards preparing India's road system for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. By addressing potential congestion in VANETs and providing a model for adoptive, coordinated communication, the findings lay the groundwork for safer and a more efficient traffic management. We invite researchers across institutions to join our efforts in making future autonomous vehicles and collaborate with our research lab at NIT Rourkela,” said Prof Sahoo.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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