Rapido has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Transport Department of the Government of West Bengal to enhance urban mobility in the state. Currently executing one lakh rides per day across West Bengal, Rapido, as per the MoU will invest INR 1.5 billion towards initiatives such as electric mobility, women’s safety and to create road safety awareness. 
A significant portion of the INR 1.5 billion, which is INR 1.3 billion, will be directed towards the development of urban electric mobility by deploying electric vehicles across Kolkata and other parts of the state. Rapido will also work on building the necessary infrastructure to support a seamless transition to sustainable transportation in line with West Bengal’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions and improve last-mile connectivity.  
As per the MoU, Rapido will also focus on ‘Pink Mobility’ initiative, a programme that is designed to provide safe and reliable commuting options for women. The company will introduce a dedicated fleet of pink-coloured two-wheelers and four-wheelers, driven by women captains. To further encourage women’s participation in the transport sector, Rapido will also provide financial assistance worth INR 120 million over the next three years to enable women captains to own and operate their vehicles.
As part of the arrangement, Rapido has also pledged INR 50 million towards road safety and awareness campaigns. This will include quarterly driver training programmes in collaboration with government-accredited training centres, public awareness campaigns on traffic regulations and helmet distribution drives. Rapido will also work closely with the Transport Department to support state-led road safety initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to creating a safer commuting environment.

Image for representative purpose only. 

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AVL Mobility Technologies, Inc. has joined forces with Ansible Motion to integrate its AVL VSM software with Ansible Motion’s Driver-in-the-Loop simulators. This combination accelerates virtual development, allowing automotive manufacturers and suppliers to significantly cut down on both the time and expense associated with testing and validation.

The AVL VSM platform serves as a versatile real-time simulation tool capable of modelling individual components, entire systems and full vehicles. It enables engineers to evaluate vehicle dynamics and safety under realistic conditions while considering how various attributes and systems interact. This supports a more cohesive approach to optimising vehicle characteristics early in the design process. When paired with an Ansible Motion simulator, users can conduct virtual test drives to refine chassis dynamics, powertrain behaviour and advanced driver assistance systems.

To demonstrate this integrated solution, AVL has installed an Ansible Motion Theta Seat simulator at its Ann Arbor, Michigan, Technical Centre. This setup allows customers to experience the combined VSM and simulator capability firsthand. The impact is amplified when leveraged alongside AVL’s existing Software-in-the-Loop, Hardware-in-the-Loop and Virtual Test Bed technologies within the facility’s Advanced Mobility & Simulation Lab, enabling a seamless transition from virtual models to further development.

Gary Newton, Vice President – Business Development, AVL, said, "By combining AVL VSM with Ansible Motion Driver-in-the-Loop simulators, manufacturers can move critical decisions to the front of the development cycle, dramatically reducing physical prototypes and test iterations. This tool combination can have an enormous impact on timeline and budget. Imagine validating 70+ track scenarios per day in multiple conditions, surfaces and drive events. The result isn’t incremental improvement; it’s months saved and millions preserved."

Salman Safdar, Business Development Director, Ansible Motion, said, "Through our continuing collaborative efforts with AVL, we’re developing new ways to conduct subjective and objective evaluations of qualified concepts much earlier in the vehicle design cycle. Connecting our simulators seamlessly with a feature-rich simulation environment like AVL VSM elevates the virtual vehicle development process for manufacturers seeking to shorten development times, realise cost savings and reduce environmental impacts."

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German technology company AUMOVIO has been awarded the Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA) in the ‘Innovate!’ category for its internally developed AI Hub.

The platform, recognised by Microsoft Germany and Roland Berger, integrates artificial intelligence into industrial workflows to assist with tasks ranging from code optimisation to predictive maintenance.

The AI Hub functions as a centralised system that allows employees to deploy and create specialised AI agents. These agents automate routine activities and provide decision-making support across various corporate functions.

Current deployments and use cases include:

• Software Engineering: Monitoring compliance with internal coding standards and guidelines.
• Procurement: Analysis and assessment of commercial contracts.
• Manufacturing: Diagnostic support for maintenance teams to identify technical failures.
• Scale: Over 1,500 AI agents are currently active, serving 21,000 employees globally.

The system integrates with standard office software and engineering tools. It features a built-in code interpreter for dataset analysis and utilises standardised protocols to interact securely with internal applications.

AUMOVIO developed the platform in-house, transitioning from a proof of concept to a company-wide rollout in under 18 months. This internal approach allows the company to maintain control over system architecture, data protection and the integration of emerging AI technologies into industrial environments.

Recent updates to the platform include secure access to local machines and internal servers, enabling agents to provide closer support for daily operations.

Jean-François Tarabbia, Member of the Executive Board and Head of Architecture and Network Solutions, AUMOVIO, said, "Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing how industrial companies operate. With the AUMOVIO AI Hub, we have created a platform that brings AI directly into our employees’ daily workflows. By combining advanced AI capabilities with deep industrial expertise, we enable our teams worldwide to access relevant information faster, handle complexity more efficiently, and automate routine tasks to create more room for innovation."

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Israel-based autonomous software technology company Mobileye has announced that a US automaker will integrate the Mobileye Driver Monitoring System (DMS) into its future vehicle models.

The programme utilises the EyeQ6L system-on-chip (SoC), with production scheduled to commence in 2027. The agreement expands an existing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) partnership and is expected to encompass millions of vehicles.

The platform unifies interior sensing, including DMS and Occupant Monitoring (OMS), with exterior road perception on a single chip. This integration allows the system to evaluate driver engagement by correlating eye gaze with real-world road conditions.

Key technical objectives include:

• Hardware Consolidation: Running driver monitoring and ADAS perception on one SoC to eliminate the requirement for a separate Electronic Control Unit (ECU).
• Contextual Awareness: Distinguishing between general distraction and active driver engagement by monitoring whether attention corresponds with specific road events.
• Alert Precision: Reducing false alerts and refining takeover requests for higher levels of vehicle autonomy.

The system is designed to meet Euro NCAP 2026 scoring requirements and prepare for the Euro NCAP 2029 protocol, which is anticipated to shift the industry benchmark from basic eye tracking to detection of meaningful engagement.

Nimrod Nehushtan, EVP of Business Development and Strategy, Mobileye, said, “The next generation of intelligent driving demands richer context from every part of the vehicle – the road ahead, the cabin, and the interplay between them. At the same time, automakers are looking to scale advanced driving features across their lineups without the cost penalty of additional hardware or complex system integration. Mobileye DMS delivers on both – running context-aware driver monitoring on a single ADAS chip and ECU platform. This combination is something Mobileye is uniquely positioned for, and we look forward to helping our customers deploy at scale.”

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The Centre of Excellence in Advanced Automotive Research (CAAR) at IIT Madras, in partnership with the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), is establishing the Advanced Automotive Translational Research Centre (AATRC). The facility will be located at the Tamil Nadu Knowledge City in Tiruvallur.

The project involves an investment of around INR 2 billion over the next five years. The centre will occupy 40,000 sqft of research and laboratory infrastructure dedicated to translational research and product development for next-generation automotive technologies.

Technical focus areas for the AATRC include:

• Powertrains and Electronics: Electric powertrains and automotive power electronics.
• Energy Storage: Battery technologies and electric vehicle (EV) charging systems.
• Digital Architecture: Software-defined vehicles and industry-ready innovation.

According to data released by IIT Madras, the initiative expects to achieve several benchmarks within its first five years of operation:

• Product Innovation: Development of 40–50 automotive products.
• Enterprise Support: Provision of testing and validation infrastructure for 150–200 start-ups and MSMEs.
• Employment: Creation of 50–70 high-skill direct jobs and approximately 2,100 ecosystem-linked employment opportunities.

The collaboration follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the State government and IIT Madras in January, aimed at positioning India as a hub for EV and automotive technology.

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