All set to conduct its International Mobility Conference in Bengaluru from October 12 to October 14, SAEINDIA (Society of Automotive Engineers India) is highlighting sustainable multi-modal mobility. Revealing the theme of the event as ‘Sustainable Multi-Modal Mobility Ecosystem’, the organisation is banking on industry leaders from diverse fields like EVs, automotive and aerospace as its members to add value. 

Venkat Raj, Deputy Director, SAEINDIA, expressed, “We are looking at 7 STGs – sustainability goals – that include affordable, safe and environmentally friendly mobility. In addition to waterways, metros, etc, more is being awaited in a sustainable way.” Celebrating 25 years in India, SAEINDIA has been increasingly getting interested in mobility engineering,” he added. 

Held in a post pandemic environment, the event, termed as SIIMC 2022 in short, is the 10th such in a row. In what is regarded as the organisation’s Indian chapter’s flagship event, the SIIMC 2022 will see over 700 mobility experts including industry thought leaders and professionals from research and development, manufacturing and services along with faculties, students and independent researchers come together and discuss trends and innovations shaping the future of mobility. 

Mahesh Babu, Patron – SIIMC 2022, and CEO, Switch Mobility India, said, “As the highest growth country in the next decade, India has to find sustainable ways to grow including in the area of mobility.” Stating that demand for mobility would have grown 50 percent by 2020, he averred, “People mobility is going to put tremendous pressure and the need therefore is to focus on public transport as a means of sustainable development. This is necessary despite the count of personal vehicles in India being much less than that in US or Europe. Consider this: India has the lowest per capita bus fleet in the world amid huge urbanisation. There is a need by people and experts to together achieve a sustainable multiple mobility platform.” 

Building on the good response received by the 9th edition, the event committee received 530 papers and ideations. Of these 150 would be selected and presented across 5 parallel sessions. There will be over 50 stalls and an exposition. The highlight of this edition will be TechHive, an event for start-ups. Expecting a footfall of 800 visitors, the event will cover topics like automotive, connected tech, SG, vehicle electronics and software, AI, electric and urban air mobility among others. 

Focusing on hyperloop, inland waterways and urban mass transport, the event, according to Dr Shankar Venugopal, Vice President – MRV, Mahindra & Mahindra, will have sustainability, democratisation, disruption and digitisation as the undercurrents. Stating that the quest for increased mobility has left an impact on the environment, Dr. Bala Bharadvaj, immediate past President of SAEINDIA, mentioned, “Our ability in terms of technology is much better. Look at unmanned vehicles, quad-copters, etc, to support mobility, monitor crops and take pictures. Such scenarios make urban air mobility promising but not without its own set of complications.” “Would such mediums help avoid traffic jams on the roads an create new ones in the air makes it exciting as emerging possibilities. No mobility works independently and that makes it important to ensure sustainable mediums through greener fuels like solar.” 
 

In a landmark development, Uber Freight, in collaboration with Aurora, has announced that fully autonomous lorries (trucks) have been completing return journeys between Dallas, Texas and Houston, Texas (approximately 386km) since April.

These driverless Class 8 trucks are transporting live, commercial freight with no human intervention behind the wheel. This event marks a significant moment as Uber Freight becomes the first logistics platform to offer shippers access to this technology on public roads.

The company shared that the haulage sector has long grappled with issues such as high driver turnover and underutilised assets. Autonomous trucking aims to ease these pressures while providing tangible benefits for shippers, carriers and consumers.

Uber Freight’s autonomous vehicle (AV) carriers have achieved notable results to date:

• Over 500,000 supervised autonomous miles covered on public roads while carrying freight over the past four years.
• The company has moved freight for more than 20 shippers across various industries.
• Goods delivered include everyday essentials such as pet food, paper products, beverages, appliances and packaging materials.

Lior Ron, Founder & CEO, Uber Freight, said, “This milestone is a clear example of what can be achieved when innovation meets logistics leadership. Working with Aurora, we are shaping a future where autonomous lorries enhance the efficiency and reliability of supply chains. This is the kind of value that shippers across the industry are seeking – and why we are dedicated to building a more intelligent and resilient freight network.”

Uber Freight started its journey in autonomous trucking in 2021 with strategic alliances to commercialise AV technology. The integration of the Aurora Driver into the Uber Freight platform has resulted in a seamless end-to-end solution where booking, tracking and load adjustments are managed digitally and efficiently.

This deep integration positions Uber Freight as the first and only logistics network to fully synchronise with autonomous lorries, ensuring freight is matched to suitable routes with minimal human involvement.

With nearly USD 20 billion in freight under management (FUM) and a substantial logistics network, Uber Freight claimed it is well-placed to scale the commercialisation of autonomous lorries. Their leadership in this area extends beyond technology to encompass collaboration and trust-building with shippers, carriers, and partners.

Through initiatives such as the Premier Autonomy Programme, which offers early access to over one billion of Aurora’s driverless miles to Uber Freight carriers through 2030, the company is enabling carriers of all sizes to improve their operations through autonomous technology.

Looking ahead, preparations are underway to support Aurora’s expansion of driverless operations to El Paso and Phoenix by end-2025, opening up new routes and opportunities for the sector.

Leading insurance technology firm RenewBuy makes strategic foray into automotive loan segment with RB Wheelz brand.

The RB Wheelz brand will provide a full suite of automotive loan products — including new vehicle financing, balance transfers and top-up loans — all accessible through RenewBuy’s upgraded digital platform. The integration is designed to offer consumers a seamless experience by combining financing and insurance under one digital roof.

The company estimates that the automotive financing market is expanding at a CAGR of 15–16 percent, which makes it an attractive opportunity for digital-first players like RenewBuy.

In the final quarter of FY25, RenewBuy disbursed nearly INR 1 billion in automotive loans. Looking ahead, the company aims to onboard approximately 10,000 customers and scale its loan disbursement to INR 15 billion in FY2026. The initial rollout will focus on four-wheelers and fleet vehicles.

Indraneel Chatterjee, Co-Founder, RenewBuy, said, “Having served consumers in the insurance space for nearly a decade, we are now expanding our footprint in the financial services ecosystem. We’re leveraging our technology and a 150,000 strong advisor network to bring loan services to consumers across metros and smaller towns. Over 75 percent of buyers in Tier II and III cities are opting for vehicle financing — a high-potential segment we aim to empower with accessible, seamless, and digital solutions.”

RenewBuy’s upgraded platform now includes a dedicated loan feature, supported by partnerships with 18 leading banks and NBFCs.

Elektrobit, a wholly owned independent subsidiary of Continental, has announced a strategic partnership with Metoak, a Chinese provider of intelligent driving solutions, to accelerate the development and adoption of software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

The collaboration integrates Elektrobit’s EB corbos Linux for Safety Applications – an open-source operating system compliant with automotive safety standards – with Metoak’s high-performance chips and driving algorithms. The first mass production project, now in its initial phase, focuses on stereoscopic vision and multi-sensor fusion technologies for next-generation ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) controllers. Mass production is expected by early 2026.

The project marks the first integration of open-source systems with domestic chips in China’s intelligent driving sector. Elektrobit brings its global software expertise, while Metoak contributes its stereoscopic vision technology, aiming to deliver secure, cost-effective, and updateable SDV solutions for Chinese automakers.

The partnership centres around two areas:

EB corbos Linux for Safety Applications – The world’s first open-source, high-performance computing OS to meet ISO 26262 ASIL B and IEC 61508 SIL 2 safety standards. Its customisability and compliance with the UNECE R155 cybersecurity regulation make it a competitive choice for automakers. Metoak has successfully adapted the OS to its chips, reducing supply chain risks and offering a flexible solution for local manufacturers.

AUTOSAR Software and Autonomous Driving – The partners will co-develop ASIL D-certified Classic AUTOSAR software to optimise real-time communication and safety. They also plan to work on Level 3 autonomous driving algorithms and build a local ecosystem to support the ‘domestic chips + open-source system’ model.

Yaojie Lu, CEO of Metoak, said: “Partnering with Elektrobit combines the flexibility of EB corbos Linux with our stereo vision and AI technology, enabling cost-efficient and precise perception solutions.”

Maria Anhalt, CEO of Elektrobit, added: “The success of SDVs depends on openness and collaboration. We’re proud to see the industry’s first open-source safety-compliant OS entering mass production alongside Metoak.”

The partnership sets the stage for scalable, safety-certified SDV innovations in China and beyond.

Axiscades Technologies, a leading technology and engineering solutions provider, has appointed Anurag Sharma as CEO of add-solution, a Germany-based subsidiary of Axiscades specialising in wiring harness design & testing for aerospace, automotive and industrial sectors.

The German company focuses on specialised drone development and thermal management offering for Axiscades group in Europe.

Alfonso Martinez, CEO and MD, Axiscades, said, “We are excited to welcome Anurag to our leadership team. He embodies the rare blend of technical expertise and executional foresight that defines Axiscades’ ambition. The future of engineering value is being created: at the intersection of electrification, AI-driven industrial transformation and semiconductor-led innovation and he brings these talents to the table. Anurag’s track record in scaling engineering businesses gives add-solution the exact leverage needed to dominate the software-defined era. His work in EDS and cross-border industrialisation aligns with our strategy to embed deeper into European OEMs’ R&D cycles. In Europe, the sector contributes 4 percent to the GDP and is home to several leading premium car manufacturers, making it a highly attractive market. As part of our restructuring, Axiscades is doubling down on aerospace, defence and engineering services powered by Electronics, Semiconductors and Artificial Intelligence (ESAI).”

“add-solution plays a central role in this vision, bringing software-led scale and agility to these high-priority verticals. We're building a leadership team that doesn’t just respond to industry shifts it shapes them,” he added.

Sharma is an alumnus of IIT Roorkee and comes with over three decades of experience across product development, sales & business development, P&L management and successful execution of large-scale engineering programs.

He began his career with L&T and has held several senior roles across Siemens Technology, Segula Technologies, Altran India, Ansys India and Altair Engineering.

Anurag Sharma, said, “Axiscades is at an inflection point where product innovation in the domain of electronics, semiconductor and digital engineering are converging to create long-term value. The EDS (Electrical Distribution Systems) industry is undergoing a major transformation, with embedded electronic systems and 3D designs taking centre stage. As OEMs increasingly shift towards software-defined vehicles and electrification, the demand for highly specialised, domain-driven engineering services is set to rise. I am thrilled to contribute to this vision and bring together add solution’s deep expertise in EDS and component testing to give Axiscades a unique edge. The goal is to deepen global partnerships and build differentiated capabilities by delivering smarter, faster, and more integrated solutions across the value chain.”