Upcoming NGV India Summit To Focus On Clean Mobility

Upcoming NGV India Summit To Focus On Clean Mobility

To be held on 11 July and 12 July 2024, the eighth edition of NGV India Summit organised by Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India at the NDMC Convention Centre in New Delhi will focus on clean mobility. 

With the theme ‘Navigating India’s Clean Mobility Transition’, the summit will get industry experts from the concerned ministries, government bodies and private companies to discuss about the environmental impact of conventional vehicles versus vehicles that are powered by greener fuel technologies.  

The discussion will also be on the progressive movement towards the net-zero target of 2070 and multiple challenges disguised as opportunities, which lie in front of India in its mission to achieve zero CO2 emissions. 

Besides the collaborative steps taken by the NITI Aayog, by the nodal government ministries and by the private industry players that are leading India’s energy transformation, the summit will also put the spotlight on the role of the mobility (automotive) sector in the way it is taking big strides towards diversifying the energy basket and reducing the dependence on petroleum imports in view of the fact that one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions is the mobility and transportation sector. Both are largely dependent on petroleum. 

Speakers of the summit will share their views through a series of curated sessions on areas like ‘Charting India’s multi-fuels roadmap in the transition towards clean mobility’, ‘Vision 2030 India: Becoming a Gas-based Economy’, ‘Expansion in gas infrastructure (CNG-LNG)’, ‘Hydrogen Infrastructure: Production, Storage and Transportation’, ‘Opportunity areas: Electrolyser, modelling fuel-cell’, ‘CNG Economics: Volatility in pricing hampering the growth of CNG segment’, ‘Opportunities in Ethanol production for sugar and agro-industry – addressing the supply-side constraint’, ‘Government schemes and policies in fostering the fast adoption of flex-fuel vehicles in India’ and ‘Waste-to-Wealth economy: An update on CBG/ Bio-CNG plant set-up projects in India’. 

The two-day event will see visitors from electrolyser and fuel cell manufacturing, OMCs, gas storage and transportation infrastructure, automotive OEMs and auto component manufacturers, technology solution providers, EPC firms, natural gas producers, oil and gas companies, transport industry, fleet owners, shared mobility, sugar and agriculture-based industries besides others, making it an unmissable summit for the Indian energy sector.

Netradyne: Enhancing Vehicle Safety With Vision

Netradyne: Enhancing Vehicle Safety With Vision

Offering vision-based, cloud-connected intelligent dash cams that integrate visual insights and provide a unique and actionable feedback on driver behaviour in real-time, Netradyne – a Bengaluru-based company – is working towards enhancing safety on the road.

With products that are capable of monitoring subtle driving patterns, from adhering to traffic rules to identifying risky behaviour, the products that Netradyne is presenting capture and process data and learn continuously from new data points.

“The first product focuses on increasing precision in safety systems with the goal of achieving near-perfect accuracy. The second major product is an advanced drowsy detection system,” informed Vinay Rai, Senior Vice President – Engineering, Netradyne.

Stating that the products enhance vehicle safety, fleet operations and are an outcome of much innovation, he averred, “Currently available in the US, they will be soon introduced in India.”

Engineered to integrate additional accessories mounted on the windshield to improve driver monitoring accuracy, a critical element in the case of commercial vehicles particularly, the products aim at creating a more reliable system capable of detecting fatigue in drivers with greater precision.  

Revealing that the company is making strides in predictive analysis using large language models and massive data sets that have been accumulated over billions of kilometres of driving, Rai said, “With a potential to predict the behaviour of various agents on the road including vehicles, pedestrians, animals and even objects, the technology, by analysing the data, can anticipate actions before they happen, providing a smoother and safer driving experience.”

An exciting development being the integration of vision-based technology into mapping systems, which is unlike the traditional crowd-sourced data that rely on surveys and can be out-of-date, Netradyne is employing real-time data that is captured by its system directly from vehicles that ply on the road.

What this does is to allow for quicker updates such as the identification of newly installed traffic signals, which are immediately processed and uploaded to the cloud.

Stating that an advanced drowsy detection system will be launched in H1FY26 in India, Rai said, “In the realm of fleet management, the company is also expanding its platform to offer more than just safety features.”

Planning to launch a comprehensive fleet management tool by early next year that will help companies monitor key metrics like vehicle location, driver behaviour and vehicle health in real-time, Netradyne is operating development centres in Bengaluru and San Diego, US.

Operating in more than a dozen countries including the US, UK, India, Australia and Canada, the company’s system has detected over a billion alerts across various regions. Pursuing a goal to provide businesses with critical insights into their fleets and help identify top-performing drivers and those in need of coaching, the company is catering mainly to a B2B market of commercial vehicles.

It is driving much of the innovation and tech development from India.

Market opportunities

With the research and development workforce in India accounting for 95 percent of the development, Netradyne – offering solutions to fleets diverse in nature – is looking at its home market in India with the confidence that the rate of adoption of driver safety systems will grow fast and steadily.

“The perception of vision-based safety systems in India is evolving, albeit slowly. India remains a cost-sensitive market, where many businesses and individuals prioritise affordability over advanced safety technologies,” Rai expressed. “There is a growing awareness about the long-term benefits of such systems, especially in terms of preventing accidents and reducing liabilities,” he said.

The change in perception is being driven by several factors, including MNCs in the commercial fleet or logistics space adopting technologies like these for safety and brand positioning. Rai averred, “While India is still several years behind developed markets in terms of safety culture and the adoption of advanced technologies, the trend is definitely moving in a positive direction. The growing awareness, both at the consumer and business levels, suggests that this shift will continue over time, even if it doesn’t happen overnight. Overall, the market for vision-based safety technologies in India is in its early stages but is showing signs of growth.” 

The company’s biggest market is the United States, which has been the focus since the company's early days in 2015. It also made a strong presence in India, UK, Canada, Mexico and Germany.

Hyundai Launches Digital Passport For Connected Vehicles In India

Hyundai Digital Passport

Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) has introduced the Hyundai Vehicle Digital Passport, a new data-driven service designed to enhance connected car experiences for its customers. The feature marks another milestone in Hyundai’s efforts to lead in smart mobility and connected vehicle technology in India.

The Digital Passport is powered by vehicle telematics and service records to create a comprehensive digital profile of Bluelink-enabled Hyundai vehicles. This digital identity provides users with access to detailed insights on service history, accident records, warranty status, malfunction indicators, and driving behaviour, all aimed at helping customers maintain vehicle health and performance.

Jae Wan Ryu, Function Head - Corporate Planning, Hyundai Motor India, said, “Hyundai has been at the forefront of connected car revolution in India. Since the launch of Hyundai Bluelink in 2019, HMIL has sold over 700,000 connected cars in the country. Heralding new possibilities in data analytics driven by Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs), we are offering the Hyundai Vehicle Digital Passport as a value-added service for Hyundai customers with Bluelink enabled cars. HMIL becomes the first Hyundai Motor Group entity worldwide, to launch this service. This transformative service generates a holistic digital vehicle scorecard, and we are hopeful that vehicle analytics generated by this will encourage customers to drive responsibly and follow maintenance schedules proactively leading to safer mobility. We further envisage this service will serve as a useful tool while buying or selling pre-owned Hyundai vehicles, inducing transparency in the decision-making process.”

Offered at an introductory price of INR 399 per quarter, the service aims to improve the overall ownership experience. Key benefits include:

  • Data-backed transparency: Genuine OEM-sourced insights for enhanced trust
  • Peace of mind: Intuitive vehicle diagnostics to support proactive maintenance
  • Personalised recommendations: A detailed seven-page report with individual scores and suggestions
  • Simplified ownership: A single digital dashboard for performance tracking and service planning

The launch of the Digital Passport further strengthens Hyundai’s push toward data-driven, connected mobility solutions, aligning with global trends in automotive technology and digital services.

Renesas Strengthens India Semiconductor Push with Startup and Academia Partnership, New Offices in Bengaluru and Noida

Renesas India

Tokyo-headquartered semiconductor major Renesas Electronics Corporation has expanded its presence in India’s chips ecosystem through new partnerships, infrastructure and strategic investment in local talent. The Japanese semiconductor giant announced two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, aimed at fostering innovation through startups and academic institutions.

The MoUs, signed with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the MeitY’s Chips to Startup (C2S) programme, focus on supporting local startups and promoting industry-academia collaboration in VLSI and embedded semiconductor systems.

The announcement coincided with the inauguration of Renesas’ newly expanded offices in Bengaluru and Noida. These facilities will serve as key innovation and R&D hubs, as the company ramps up operations across India.

Under the first MoU, Renesas will support Indian startups by providing product engineering resources, including Renesas development boards and Altium Designer – industry-leading PCB design software. The second MoU focuses on academic collaboration, offering development tools, educational training and cloud access to Altium 365 to enhance experiential learning for students and foster next-generation engineering talent.

The C2S programme involves over 250 academic institutions and around 15 startups, creating a broad base for indigenous semiconductor innovation.

Malini Narayanamoorthi, India Country Manager and VP, MID Engineering, Analog & Connectivity Group, Renesas, said, "The inauguration of our expanded offices marks a significant milestone for Renesas in India. It reflects our unwavering commitment to innovation, excellence and the nurturing of local talent. By building products in India, for India and the world, we continue to drive growth and deliver meaningful impact across the Indian market. We are proud to sign two MoUs under the MeitY C2S programme, focused on advancing research, fostering innovation, and nurturing product-focused engineers. These strategic collaborations align with the Make in India initiative, aiming to strengthen local design and manufacturing capabilities and empower homegrown talent to drive the future of industry."

Renesas also inaugurated its new offices in Bengaluru and Noida – two of India’s key semiconductor hubs. The new Bengaluru facility, now the company’s largest site in India, brings together approximately 500 employees, including engineers from recently acquired Altium and Part Analytics. The facility features state-of-the-art labs and collaborative spaces designed to harness India’s engineering talent for global innovation.

The Noida office integrates engineering and business functions, with a strong focus on high-performance computing and automotive SoC development through the company’s R-Car platform. This site is set to play a pivotal role in Renesas’ global product development strategy.

Going forward, Renesas aims to generate over 10 percent of its global revenue from India by 2030 and plans to expand its local workforce to 1,000 employees by end-2025. This follows recent strategic moves, including a collaboration with CG Power and Stars Microelectronics on an OSAT facility in Gujarat and an academic partnership with IIT Hyderabad.

Greaves Electric’s Aero Vision Concept Recognised At CII Design Excellence Awards 2024

Greaves Electric

Greaves Electric Mobility, a leading player in the electric two-wheeler and three-wheeler segment, has announced that its Aero Vision concept was recently recognised among the Top 50 Designs at the 14th CII Design Excellence Awards 2024 in the Mobility Design category.

Inspired from the Arctic Tern, India’s advancement in space technology, sci-fi design and architecture were the key inspirations for the Aero Vision electric commercial vehicle.

The concept electric three-wheeler focusses on providing smart, sustainable and affordable three-wheeler mobility solutions for consumers.