India's opportunity to shine in the new auto tech era
ETAuto commemorated India's Technology Day (11th May) with some exclusive stories which also showcase how India is progressing towards becoming a base for automotive tech of global scale. We bring them together for you in this week's edition of the ETAutoTech newsletter. Read about some key developments in the Autonomous Driving space also in this newsletter.
From Rocket Science to Road Tech
ISRO's innovations find new wheels
IN-SPACe is now facilitating the transfer of advanced ISRO technologies — including a fully indigenous 'Bharat ADAS' stack — to the automotive sector. This marks a significant step in India's quest for homegrown intelligent driving systems. By tapping into ISRO's expertise in imaging, sensors, and edge computing, the initiative aims to strengthen India's self-reliance in automotive safety and autonomous mobility technologies.
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AI is Reshaping Automotive Marketing
From predictive targeting to campaign optimization, AI is redefining how automakers engage with customers in India. A new era of personalized, data-driven marketing is here. By analyzing consumer behavior in real time, brands can now deliver hyper-targeted messages that drive both engagement and conversions.
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Daimler Truck's In-House Software Strategy
Daimler Truck is doubling down on its Indian innovation hub to build in-house software that decouples hardware from code. This shift is at the heart of its strategy for modular, intelligent trucking. By developing software-defined vehicle capabilities internally, the company aims to accelerate innovation, reduce dependencies, and tailor solutions for global markets.
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Explore the approach
Navigation Tech Firms Tap into EV and ADAS Growth
India's navigation and mapping companies are transforming into intelligence enablers for EVs and autonomous driving. HD maps, AR-based guidance, and real-time updates are becoming essential infrastructure. With rising demand for ADAS features and EV-specific routing, these technologies are evolving from simple tools to critical decision-making layers in modern vehicles.
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Robotaxis: Momentum and Setbacks
Amazon-backed Zoox is preparing for a larger US rollout by scaling up production of its autonomous vehicles, aiming to strengthen its position in the growing
robotaxi market
. Meanwhile, Tesla's attempt to trademark the word 'Robotaxi' has been blocked for being too generic, reflecting the increasing scrutiny around branding in the autonomous mobility space.
More on Zoox:
Read here
Tesla update:
Details here
NXP Unveils 3rd-Gen Radar Processors
NXP's latest imaging radar chips are purpose-built to support higher levels of autonomous driving. The technology enables better object detection and faster system response for next-gen ADAS features.
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Explore the innovation
What This Means for the Industry
This month's stories reflect a clear trend:
Software is becoming the new engine of the auto industryStrategic collaborations are key to technological leadershipIndia is steadily positioning itself at the center of global auto-tech innovation
We'd love to hear your thoughts on this edition of the newsletter! Please share your feedback or suggestions with us so we can continue improving to meet your needs. You can email your comments to sumantra.barooah@timesinternet.in.
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Mint
44 minutes ago
- Mint
Week Ahead: Inflation data, US tariffs, FII flow, global cues among key triggers for Indian stock market
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"By front-loading easing measures, the RBI has underscored its commitment to reviving domestic growth amid global uncertainties. While such a bold approach was expected to unfold gradually, this decisive action reinforces confidence in its intent to support economic recovery while managing inflation risks," said Ajit Mishra, – SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd. One mainboard IPO, Oswal Pumps IPO, will open for subscription this week, while three new SME issues will also open for bidding in the next five days. Among listings, no new IPO-concluded companies are scheduled to be debut on the stock exchanges in the coming week. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) remained net sellers, offloading ₹ 3,565 crore in equities. However, strong domestic institutional flows offset the pressure, as domestic institutional investors (DIIs) infused ₹ 25,513 crore into the cash segment, providing solid support to the broader market. 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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
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PCMC hosts workshop on steps to curb vehicular emissions
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The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
What is India's latest approach to localising EV manufacturing?
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However, this would be subject to the manufacturer investing a minimum of ₹4,150 crore over the next three years. They would also be expected to build infrastructure and facilities to enable 25% of the overall manufacturing activity be undertaken domestically (domestic value addition, or DVA) within three years, and 50% within five years. MHI specifies that a maximum of 8,000 vehicles can be imported at the reduced duty rate in a year with no carrying over of unutilised limits. The maximum duty permitted to be foregone under the scheme has been capped at ₹6,484 crore. Broadly, the objective of the overall scheme is to find a midway point where affordability for a captive market is attained, whilst also recognising that import substitution would require a layered approach and a protracted timeline. MHI calculated that an imported vehicle valued at $35,000 (₹29.75 lakh) would now be liable to pay basic customs duty of ₹4.6 lakh at the reduced 15% rate compared to ₹20.8 lakhs at the erstwhile 70% rate. Therefore, combining with IGST levied at 5% on the resulting value, the total foregone duty amount to ₹17.2 lakh with the final landing cost coming to about ₹36 lakh. Now, in line with an initial investment of ₹4,150 crore and a foregone duty of ₹17.2 lakh for each vehicle, the maker would be allowed to import 24,155 units in total. EDITORIAL | Falling short: On India's EV journey But does this help our overall ecosystem? Shouvik Chakraborty, Assistant Research Professor at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (U.S.) argues that a domestic industrial policy aligned with a vision for future could be a step in the right direction. Although he holds the current policy would bode well for India only if there is sharing of technology with domestic automakers. Further, he observes, 'Countries these days are extremely cautious about transferring technology outside (to maintain their competitive advantage). In that light, India must not become a domestic hub for producing components of a vehicle.' Dinesh Abrol, adjunct faculty at the Transdisciplinary Research Cluster on Sustainable Studies at JNU in Delhi, observes that no foreign firm has ever helped build some other country's ecosystem. He attributed China and South Korea's ability to build manufacturing setups to their focus on skilling, research and development alongside undertaking innovation projects. 'This enabled conditions for a technology transfer and prompting companies to come and invest into the ecosystem,' he states. Essential to note, China as the leading manufacturer of EVs accounted for 70% of the global manufacturing in 2024. The other set of concerns relate to the potentially increased focus on four-wheeler EVs, and their probable impact on India's ambitions to achieve Net Zero by 2070. According to data compiled by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA), EVs accounted for 7.8% of all vehicles sold in FY 2025. This was predominantly led by electric three-wheelers (at 57% in its category), followed by two-wheelers (6.1%), passenger vehicles (2.6%) and commercial vehicles (0.9%). Significantly, the International Energy Association (IEA) identified India as the world's largest market for electric three-wheelers in 2024. Sales grew about 20% YoY, it observed. Mr. Chakraborty emphasises that most Indians travel by public transport, and policies must also focus on building the same. 'Means of last mile connectivity, as bikes and shuttles, is also very important. It is not of much help if one has to walk few kilometres to avail public transport. This is not how we can fight climate change' he states. The final set of concerns relate to input costs. S&P Global Mobility observed in an analysis published March this year that high initial costs, typically 20-30% higher than ICE counterparts, coupled with India's reliance on imported components and batteries 'hinder' the growth of the EV sector. It held notwithstanding government efforts to promote localisation through varied policies, the rate was 'not increasing as expected'. DATA | Union Budget 2025: Allocation for electric mobility schemes rise by 20% What about our industrial ambitions in the EV space? Other than the impact on the ecosystem, concerns in the realm extend to costs and competitiveness. Reuters had reported in December 2023 about Tata Motors opposing Tesla's proposal to lower import duties. It had argued, according to the report, lowering duties would 'vitiate' the investment climate which was premised around expectations of the tax regime favouring locals remaining unchanged. The automaker had further held that India's EV players required more government support in the early growth stage of the industry. According to IEA's EV Outlook, domestic OEMs accounted for more than 80% of the electric cars produced domestically in 2024. Additionally, it attributed a less than 15% share of Chinese imports in the country's EV sales in 2024 to high import duties on EVs and the availability of locally made, affordable electric models. Thus, the lowering of duties prompt concerns about the potential impact (though not potentially from China) on domestic industries. According to Mr. Abrol, the policy is premised around foreign-capital and is export-focussed. He suggested the policy should instead be oriented toward building local ecosystem and spurring research and development alongside innovation. Mr. Abrol holds the lack of availability of skilled persons is due to the missing contribution of the public sector. Mr. Chakraborty further states, by nature western technologies in general are more capital-intensive than those in labour-intensive economies. 'Even if it is export-oriented, it will create jobs in an area,' he states, adding, 'However, the overall context needs to be considered in terms of how many jobs it is displacing, this is also considering that EVs have less conventional parts than a gasoline-powered vehicle.'
