In India's complex and evolving regulatory environment, software-driven adaptability is important, not an option. A quiet yet radical shift is underway in the mobility environment of India. Even in meeting rooms, test labs, startup accelerators, and even public transport offices, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are no longer buzzwords, they are silent drivers of transformation. During a recent CXO panel discussion at the Etauttech Summit in Bengaluru, industry leaders gathered to explore urgent questions – is AI/ML in the driver's seat of tomorrow's Mobility?
Digital momentum
Dr. Tapan Sahoo, Head – Digital Enterprise (de) and Information & Cybersecurity, Maruti Suzuki Suzuki (MSIL) reflects how dramatically the automotive industry has changed over the past two or three years. The pandemic is accelerating digital transformation, reshaping consumer journeys and increasing digital touchpoints. “It's all digital,” he said, adding that MSIL responded by opening the door to innovation, especially from startups.
He highlights in MSIL's structured programme that supports startups from incubation stages to live pilots. “India added over 2,000 deep technology startups last year. The challenge is not innovation, but creating playgrounds where these ideas can be tested at scale.” However, expanding automotive innovation is not easy, he warns. “We need serious investments in R&D, tier 1, 2 and 3 capabilities. What we're looking at in Japan, Germany or China is the result of decades of investment. We need to decide where we want to win.
Software-Defined Vehicle Migration (SDV)
Switch Mobility CEO Mahesh Babu gives a clear picture of how software is rebuilding product development. “Hardware is not the only vehicle architecture today. It spends an equal amount of time pre-defined software architectures to promote much of functionality and adaptability.”
In India's complex and evolving regulatory environment, software-driven adaptability is important, not an option. Babu cites an example of a bus that uses route-specific algorithms. “Bus on one route in the city may require completely different software from the same bus several kilometers away,” he cried. This is where Digital Twinning appears. Simulate actual performance and fine-tune AI-powered systems.
He sees great potential in converging India's IT capabilities and automotive ambitions, but there is a need for a change in mindset. “We have markets, challenges, people. If we can't build AI and ML solutions here, where can we do it? This is an opportunity to lead globally.”
Collaboration, not competition
Ujiwara Kararu, Senior Deputy Director of Arai, brings the conversation back to the importance of ecosystem collaboration. “Everyone has a role to play, whether it's OEMs, startups, governments, suppliers, and no one can win alone,” she talks about the work being done during the development of Arai's new digital twin lab and Indigenous Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and solutions.
However, she points out that collaboration only works when data becomes shared knowledge. “We can each interpret the same data differently. It's a differentiator, but only if the data is available and the role is clearly defined.”
From assistants to colleagues: The rise of genai
“AI started out narrowly, but now it has evolved into a wider, more inference system. Genai is not replacing us, solving design and engineering problems in real time,” said Dr. Caleb Munigeti, head of enterprise.
He emphasizes that true transformation comes from the bottom up. “Algorithms imported from countries like Europe and the US will not work due to Indian constraints, such as the complex supply chain or infrastructure reality. Tier 2 and 3 suppliers need to invest in algorithm innovation.
AI across the value chain
Sanjeev Kulkarni, a billion CEO, shares focused on the role of AI in operations and risk management. From route planning to predictive maintenance, “AI can dramatically improve efficiency, especially in energy use and fleet reliability,” he says.
Vinod Palakkil, senior director and head indirect business at PTC, adds that today's vehicles are software-defined and highly coded systems, a dramatic change that focused only on mechanical design a few years ago. “AI now drives everything from design to sales, simulation to diagnostics,” he says.
Gautham Hedge, technical director at Ultraviolette, added that AI is a development that is rapidly tracked across supplier quality, inspection, marketing and more. “The goal is to seamless integration between functions, with AI being glue.”
India stands on the cusp of a mobility revolution, powered by intelligence, both artificial and human. The challenge isn't whether AI/ML should promote the future. The question is, are we ready to ride in the passenger seat and collaborate on this journey together?
