Reactions to the Union Budget 2023 have been fast and thick coming. They are appreciative of the Government’s focus on carbon-free environment. On the focus in salaried middle-class who would see a relative rise in their disposable income. If that would materialise into a rise in vehicles sales or be spent towards the high cost of groceries and other such essentials, including the school fees of their children is something that will be clear over a period of time. Time will also tell if the positive intentions of the budget will actually inspire the people of the country to fulfil their aspirations by purchasing a personal set of wheels whose cost has continued to rise and is considered by many to be today at an exorbitant level. While the higher initial acquisition cost of EVs is understandable, that of the fossil-fuel powered vehicles is getting hard to justify even if it were to be adjusted against inflation, mentioned an industry observer. Automotive prices are getting well beyond the purchasing power of a larger section of the aspiring population in India, he added. The overall ownership cost of an automobile has also risen quite some in the last two years. A major chunk of the operating costs is now accounted for by the record high fuel prices. The cost of CNG too is claimed to be high and proving detrimental to the business, according to a transporter who recently bought a few CNG trucks for its fleet in a bid to offset the high operating costs of a diesel vehicle. 

Expressing that he thinks of the Union Budget 2023 to be growth-oriented, Shivaji Waghmare, CEO, Fuji Electric India Pvt Ltd, expressed that it strikes a balance between economic growth and social welfare. “It is great news that the budget has provided INR 350 billion priority capital investment towards energy transition and net zero objectives, and energy security,” he added. Appreciating the move to extend customs duty exemption to the import of capital goods and machinery required for manufacturing of lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells for batteries used in EVs, which would reduce the production cost and lower the cost of EVs, Waghmare said, “The manufacturing credit guarantee scheme for MSME is another laudable step. Youth have to be skilled to compete in Industry 4.0 and a lot of measures are being taken to make Indian youth market-ready,” he elaborated. 

Mahesh Babu - Chief Executive Officer, Switch Mobility Ltd, averred, “The government’s focus on infrastructure with enhanced capex of INR 2700 billion for roads and highways and the budgetary allocation for vehicle scrappage will certainly accelerate the growth of the CV market in India. In the EV sector, the government’s move to provide customs duty exemption for import of specified capital goods and machinery required for manufacture of lithium-ion cells for batteries is a welcome move, that will play a vital role in making local cell manufacturing cost competitive in the long run.” 

Kapil Shelke, Founder and CEO, TORK Motors, mentioned, “The changes in the income tax slab structure have enhanced the purchasing power of the populace. This move will encourage the adoption of cleaner, cost effective means of travel for their daily commute and the availability of FAME-II subsidy will further boost the sales of electric vehicles in the coming fiscal. Additionally, the extension on customs duty on the import of capital goods and machinery for developing lithium-ion cells would also enable EV manufacturers to localise their products in the long term, leading towards reduction in the cost of an electric vehicle for the consumer in the years to come, particularly for a brand like ours that are 95 percent indigenously manufactured in India." 

Venkatram Mamillapalle, Country CEO and Managing Director, Renault India, expressed, “The Union Budget brings cheers to the automobile industry as it will positively give push to sales. The budget has laid special emphasis on vehicle scrappage policy, which will not only boost sales but will also enable in achieving clean and green environment for overall sustainable development. The customs duty exemption being extended to capital goods and machinery required for the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries used in EVs is a boost for companies that are or would be manufacturing EVs vehicles locally. It will also help reduce the cost of EVs.” 

Anirudh Bhuwalka, CEO, Blue Energy Motors, said, “The government’s focus on green mobility will provide a boost to the automobile sector and other segments which are in line with the mission to provide green solutions. The exemption on the excise duty on GST on compressed biogas and import of capital goods and machinery for batteries used in electric vehicles will propel the growth in the segment and enable industry players to further enhance their productivity. The collective efforts of the government and industry players will help the government achieve its vision to become Net-Zero by 2070.” 

Nemin Vora, CEO, Odysse Electric Vehicles, mentioned, “With the budget announcement completed, we can see the emphasis on this year's budget on wider adoption of Electric Vehicles for public as well as private use. The introduction of the National Hydrogen Mission in India is a huge step towards making the country greener and more sustainable. Government's decision to increase the income tax rebate limit on personal income from INR 500,000 to INR 700,000 in the new tax regime is a welcome step for the middle-class citizens. This step is likely to help the sector as more disposable income with salaried customers may give supplementary push to demand for personal vehicles.” 

Sohinder Gill, Director General, Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles, averred, “After passing through a difficult period of lack of good quality” Made in India” EV components for the last 2 years, the local supply chains are beginning to take shape and the increase in customs duty on SKD/CBU is therefore timely as it will further incentivise the local suppliers because of the relative price advantage. There are still many a parts of EV componentry such as lithium cells, permanent magnets for electric motors, semiconductors, etc., that will need to be imported and we expected rationalisation of customs duty on such essential imports help keep the EV prices in check. The continuation of the customs duty-free status for machinery used to produce lithium-ion batteries could result in some stabilisation in battery pricing.” 

Satyakam Arya, Managing Director and CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, said, “The FY 2023-24 Union Budget shows consistency and an intent for growth. The 33 percent increase in capex outlay underlines the fact that the budget is pro-growth and the increase is to step up on the 7 percent growth achieved in the previous fiscal. Main highlights which stood out for us as a commercial vehicles manufacturer was the eye on digitalization by leveraging 5G, which can help optimize costs and improve efficiency in the sectors it is implemented; the INR 195 billion outlay for green hydrogen development is a step in the right direction for the future of heavy-duty trucks and largely, the logistics industry; INR 350 billion for renewable energy transition projects is also an interesting initiative but how this pans out in the medium term will mark its significance; the PM Awas Yojana that is planned for boosting rural housing would create more jobs and bring more projects for the CV industry.” 

Dr Anish Shah, Managing Director and CEO, Mahindra Group, expressed, “This is an outstanding budget as it is disciplined, growth-oriented, inclusive and sustainable. The steep increase in capex, to the tune of Rs 10 trillion will ensure the continuum of cyclical recovery. Capex spending is good because it has a higher multiplier effect: every Rupee spent on capex has a multiplier of INR 3 as compared to just about INR 0.9 for revenue expenditure. That apart, higher capex also creates jobs in the hinterland. The focus on core infrastructure, including increased funding for railways and clean energy, as well as the government's ambitious plans for the agricultural sector, will help to improve rural incomes. It is encouraging to see the government setting the pace for climate action by announcing a ‘green budget’ that will pave the way for a greener, cleaner planet.” 

Kunal Chandra, Co-Founder, Astro Motors, mentioned, “We are pleased to see the Government's continuing efforts to stay committed to green energy initiatives, making it one of the key points in this budget. The reduction of duties on lithium-ion cells from 21 percent to 13 percent will further boost the domestic manufacturing in India and make it cheaper for Indian consumers to own electric vehicles. The Monterey support in these growth sectors will definitely increase the adoption of electric vehicles at a faster pace and help us on our journey to achieve carbon neutrality." 

Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, averred, “The Union Budget 2023 should drive demand as it focuses on boosting consumption by increasing the disposable income of taxpayers. Further, an increased capital expenditure on infrastructure, particularly roads, should also create demand for the automotive sector. The change in basic custom duties is however going to impact the pricing of some of our select cars like the S-Class Maybach and select CBUs like GLB and EQB, making them dearer. However, as we locally manufacture most of our models, this will not affect 95 percent of our portfolio.” 

Ketan Mehta, CEO and Founder, HOP Electric Mobility, said, “A largely all-encompassing inclusive budget offers something to cheer about for all sectors; emphasis on rural development – where resides the real ‘Bharat’, and Green sustainable climate consciousness is growth focused for a bright future. The Budget will drive economic growth, create jobs and attract investments. Pushing investments in sectors such as agriculture, fishery and cattle, and supporting procurement of components for electric vehicles, and focus on clean energy and fuels like Hydrogen will significantly enhance the prospects of segments that were in need of attention.” 

Of the opinion that an exceptional budget has been presented by balancing the need for sustaining rapid growth, while maintaining an eye on fiscal prudence, Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice-President, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “An outlay of INR 10 trillion towards capex which represents 3.3 percent of the GDP and a 33 percent Y-o-Y increase will definitely contribute to a robust economic growth. While doing so, the Government has aimed at a fiscal deficit target of 5.9 percent for the upcoming year with a clear glide path to bring the fiscal deficit below 4.5 per cent of GDP by 2025-26.” “The Budget which not only focuses on inclusiveness, youth empowerment and skill development, but also aims to give impetus to “Green Growth” with sufficient outlays for supporting the recently announced National Green Hydrogen Mission, doubling of allocation for FAME 2 scheme and for providing viability gap funding for Battery Energy Storage System (BESS),” he added.

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Delhi NCR-headquartered electric vehicle company Omega Seiki Mobility (OSM) has partnered Electra AI to integrate battery health monitoring across its fleet operations.

The collaboration incorporates Electra AI’s analytics platform into OSM’s electric commercial vehicles. The technology enables real-time tracking, predictive maintenance and state-of-health diagnostics for battery packs. The data metrics aim to support warranty management, optimise vehicle uptime, assist financing assessments and provide residual value tracking for secondary market sales.

Uday Narang, Founder and Chairman, Omega Seiki Mobility, said, "The next phase of EV growth in India will not be driven solely by new vehicle sales, but by the creation of a credible and thriving secondary market. Battery health is the single biggest determinant of an EV's residual value, and until that can be measured transparently, the used EV market will remain constrained. Through our partnership with Electra AI, we are bringing unprecedented visibility into battery performance, enabling buyers, financiers, and fleet operators to make informed decisions with confidence. This will help improve resale values, unlock greater access to financing, and accelerate the adoption of electric mobility by ensuring that EVs remain valuable assets throughout their lifecycle."

Vivek Dhawan, Chief Strategy Officer, Omega Seiki Mobility, said, “As electric mobility scales, the industry must move beyond selling vehicles and focus on delivering intelligence that improves asset performance throughout its life. By integrating Electra AI's advanced analytics into our ecosystem, we will gain deeper operational insights that help enhance fleet productivity, reduce unplanned downtime, strengthen warranty management, and support data-driven product development. This collaboration represents an important step towards building a smarter, more efficient, and technology-led mobility ecosystem that creates tangible value for customers, partners, and stakeholders alike."

Fabrizio Martini, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Electra AI, stated: “Vehicle makers like OSM are being asked to put more capable, more affordable EVs on the road every year — and to stand behind them with confidence. Our AI Brain for Batteries platform gives them the real-world intelligence to do exactly that: design better vehicles, offer stronger assurance to their customers, and keep fleets running. That’s what battery intelligence is for — turning data into trust across the whole ecosystem, from the OEM to the financier to the operator.”

The deployment aims to support commercial fleet operators across India by reducing maintenance delays and improving total cost of ownership visibility.

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Hyundai Motor India, in partnership with Radio Mirchi, has launched the Hyundai Traffic Quality Index, a standardised traffic rating framework designed to convey real-time road conditions across seven major Indian cities. The initiative operates across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata.

The system translates live traffic inputs, on-ground reports and official traffic police advisories into a numerical scale from 1 to 10. The ratings are categorised into three colour-coded tiers: 1 to 3 represented in green for light traffic, 4 to 7 in yellow for moderate traffic and 8 to 10 in red for heavy congestion. Updates are broadcast over Radio Mirchi’s audio network to inform drivers during commutes without requiring direct interaction with mobile devices.

The system processes real-time location data alongside updates regarding road closures, diversions, and civic works. Hyundai Motor India and Radio Mirchi plan to expand the index to additional urban centres in subsequent phases of the project.

Virat Khullar, Head of Marketing, Hyundai Motor India, said, “At Hyundai, our commitment to road safety has always extended beyond the vehicle itself. For over three decades in India, we have continuously invested in technologies and initiatives that make mobility safer and smarter. With the Hyundai Traffic Quality Index, we are taking that commitment a step further by empowering commuters with actionable information. We believe informed and technology enabled decisions lead to safer roads, calmer driving behaviour and better commuting experience. Our vision is for Hyundai Traffic Quality Index to evolve into a daily utility that millions of Indians rely on, much like they check the weather or the Air Quality Index before stepping out.”

Yatish Mehrishi, Chief Executive Officer, ENIL, said, “Radio has always been a trusted companion for people on the move. With the Traffic Quality Index, we are taking that relationship a step further by making traffic information simpler, more consistent and more useful for everyday commuters. Our presence across cities, supported by our RJs, on-ground teams and real-time local insights, gives us a unique understanding of how people experience their daily commute. TQI brings these insights together in an easy-to-understand format that can help people make better decisions on the road. We are delighted to partner with Hyundai to build a public utility that can make urban commuting smarter and safer. It is a strong example of how media, technology and local intelligence can come together to solve an everyday consumer need.”

ACP Ravindra Pandit of Delhi Traffic Police, added, “The Hyundai Traffic Quality Index is a commendable initiative that empowers us to keep commuters informed about congestion, diversions, and other traffic-related issues on specific routes. By receiving timely and accurate updates, motorists can make informed decisions and opt for alternate routes, reducing inconvenience and easing congestion. Timely dissemination of reliable traffic information benefits both the public and traffic authorities, making overall traffic management more efficient and commuter-friendly.”

Anil Patil, Regional Transport Officer for Mumbai West, commented, “Understanding and managing traffic more effectively has become increasingly important today. TQI will help us better understand traffic conditions, improve awareness among citizens, and provide valuable support in making traffic management more efficient.”

IPS Manoj Patil, Additional Commissioner of Police for Pune City, said, “Traffic Quality Index can give the traffic police a different kind of study and analysis. Especially because it will include inputs and suggestions coming directly from citizens. So, we will get an independent understanding of the actual traffic situation. I feel this can be extremely useful for us while planning future traffic management as well as infrastructure projects. So, I really welcome this initiative If we are able to measure the traffic quality index in this manner, it will definitely have an overall impact on our deployment and the way we manage traffic.”

Dr B. Shamoondeswari, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) for Greater Chennai Police, said: “Just like AQI helps us understand air quality, TQI will help us understand traffic quality. It’s a great initiative that can make people more aware, help manage congestion, and contribute towards smoother traffic movement in our cities.”

ACP A. Krishnaiah of LB Nagar Traffic Police in Hyderabad noted: “The Hyundai Traffic Quality Index is a valuable initiative that helps commuters stay updated on traffic congestion, diversions, and other route-related issues. Access to timely and reliable traffic information enables motorists to plan their journeys better and choose alternative routes when required. This not only reduces travel inconvenience but also helps ease traffic congestion. Overall, the initiative supports both commuters and traffic authorities by making traffic management more effective, responsive, and commuter-friendly.”

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Open-source autonomous driving software company TIER IV has joined the Next-Generation Edge AI Semiconductor Research and Development Programme, led by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). The initiative focuses on the development of a software-defined system-on-chip (SoC) designed for Level 4 autonomous driving applications.

As part of the programme, a team led by Professor Yoshihiro Kawahara at the University of Tokyo is researching physical AI chip design based on specific use cases. Concurrently, TIER IV is developing the logic design for an AI chip aimed at processing inference for end-to-end autonomous driving systems. TIER IV plans to open-source the resulting logic design, compiler, and software toolchain to allow semiconductor manufacturers and developers to modify and build upon the hardware architecture.

The project focuses on developing hardware architectures tailored for Transformer AI models, which process sensor data from cameras and point clouds for perception and motion planning.

The chip design incorporates dedicated circuits for matrix multiplication and attention mechanisms, aiming to reduce power consumption from external memory transfers. To maintain software adaptability, TIER IV is integrating the Tensor Operator Set Architecture (TOSA) as an intermediate representation layer between AI frameworks such as PyTorch and the chip hardware.

The initiative also applies formal verification techniques to mathematically trace numerical consistency during AI model compilation.

Shinpei Kato, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, TIER IV, said, “Advances in AI have been accelerated by powerful computing platforms, including GPUs, which have enabled rapid progress across the industry. As Level 4 autonomous driving moves toward broader deployment, we believe the next step is to complement these platforms with computing architectures designed for real-world and real-time requirements. Through this initiative, we are introducing a software-defined and open approach to AI chip design that combines power efficiency, adaptability, transparency and verifiability. In particular, the ability to understand how an AI model is transformed for execution and to verify the correctness of that processing will be increasingly important as autonomous driving systems are deployed in safety-critical environments. By extending the open-source philosophy behind Autoware from software to AI chip design and related toolchains, we aim to create an open ecosystem in which automakers, semiconductor manufacturers and developers can build upon the technology and continue advancing their own systems. This represents an important step toward a scalable, adaptable and reliable computing foundation for Level 4 autonomous driving.”

Professor Yoshihiro Kawahara stated, “In physical AI applications such as robotics and autonomous driving, GPU power consumption has long been a major bottleneck for deployment on battery-powered devices. This project aims to fundamentally overcome this constraint through a functionally differentiated chip design backward-mapped from specific use cases. I look forward to TIER IV developing chips responsible for high-level decision-making – specifically, the high-level behavioural layer that handles the thinking process essential for end-to-end physical AI and autonomous driving. As the leading force behind Autoware, the global standard open-source software for autonomous driving, TIER IV is democratising design, with an approach spanning application requirements to hardware. This enables applied researchers to shape their ideal semiconductors. This initiative, supported by an open ecosystem, has the potential to lay the foundations for a steady stream of Japanese startups creating high-value semiconductors.”

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American automotive supplier Stoneridge, Inc. has announced details of its EVO ECU Platform, which will debut at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover, Germany.

The electronic control unit (ECU) is engineered for commercial vehicles, buses, coaches and off-highway applications to consolidate system architecture and support software-defined capabilities.

The platform replaces multiple individual control units with a centralised processing architecture designed to manage vehicle data, enable remote software updates and facilitate diagnostics.

The ECU is developed in collaboration with technology partner Renesas Electronics using its R-Car system-on-chip technology and the hardware is built to withstand operating conditions involving temperature variations, vibration and dust exposure.

Christian Leblanc, Global Vice-President of Product and Project Management, Stoneridge, said, “Commercial vehicles are becoming increasingly connected and intelligent, but traditional vehicle architectures were not designed to support the pace of innovation happening today. EVO provides a scalable platform that helps simplify integration, improve vehicle performance and give our customers the flexibility they need to adapt as technology continues to evolve.”

“Fleet customers were at the centre of our development process. EVO helps enable faster troubleshooting, fewer service interruptions and the ability to continuously improve vehicle capabilities throughout the vehicle lifecycle,” added Leblanc.

The software structure was developed alongside Green Hills Software to segregate safety-critical operations while allowing system updates. Additionally, Stoneridge partnered with indie Semiconductor to produce the platform's image processor, supporting camera integration and driver assistance systems.

Natalia Noblet, President and CEO, Stoneridge, said, “Our industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by increasing connectivity, automation and evolving regulatory requirements. EVO represents our commitment to helping customers navigate that transformation with a flexible platform designed to support innovation today and tomorrow.”

Aish Dubey, Vice-President and Head of the HPC SoC Division, Renesas Electronics, commented, “Stoneridge’s EVO ECU Platform demonstrates how commercial-vehicle manufacturers can modernise vehicle electronics for demanding operating environments. Our collaboration brings together Stoneridge’s commercial-vehicle expertise and Renesas’ R-Car system-on-chip, power-management and programmable mixed-signal technologies to create a scalable, automotive-grade foundation for connected and software-defined commercial vehicles.”

The system has undergone field testing within the Stoneridge Innovation Truck demonstrator vehicle, which will be exhibited alongside the platform at the Hanover trade show.

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