Latest news with #MinusZero
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Autonomous Driving progresses, gets a few knocks too
The A of ACES (Autonomous, Connected, Shared, Electrified) global mobility megatrends stood out for its dramatic proposition of turning a car into a robot. That also explains why it attracted the maximum hype among all the megatrends. However, industry players (and more the CEOs than the CTOs in them) discover that it's an easier said than done proposition, leading to quite a few dropping their autonomous driving plans. Some pursue that ambition still, and try to make it move on the roads. A couple of Indian start-ups are also in the race. We bring you a mix of stories which also reflect the mixed performance of the evolving Autonomous Driving tech, in this week's edition of the ETAutoTech newsletter. But first, we are delighted to announce the new season of ETAuto Technology Talks, which begins with a limited 'tech yatra'. In the first episode, we visit a $1.26 billion Indian engineering major with a global presence – L&T Technology Services , which is also developing new-age mobility tech at its Bengaluru hub. It is one of the examples of India's ER&D prowess, which is increasingly shining at the global stage. ETAuto embarks on a yatra, of the tech kind! ETAuto Technology Talks kicks off a brand-new season with a Tech Yatra — and the first pit stop is the $1.26B L&T Technology Services! Join us as we dive into the world of cutting-edge mobility tech with CTO Ashish Khushu and Global Mobility Head Srinivasa Rao. From EV evolution to fostering a culture of engineering and innovation — it's all here. Watch at Minus Zero unveils vision-based autopilot built for Indian roads In a landmark development for autonomous mobility in India, Bengaluru-based startup Minus Zero has developed a vision-based self-driving system tailored for chaotic Indian traffic conditions. This AI-powered solution eliminates dependency on LiDAR, offering a cost-efficient and scalable alternative. Read more Waymo gains California approval to expand robotaxi services Alphabet's Waymo has received regulatory clearance to widen its paid robotaxi operations across the San Francisco Bay Area. The move marks a major leap forward in the commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles in the U.S. Read more robotaxi catches fire in China, no injuries reported Chinese autonomous driving company confirmed a fire incident involving one of its robotaxis. The company said the vehicle was unoccupied and no injuries occurred, but the cause is still under investigation. Read more Waymo recalls 1,200 autonomous vehicles after minor crashes Following a series of low-impact collisions, Waymo has issued a recall of 1,200 self-driving vehicles for software upgrades. This raises new questions around safety protocols and regulatory scrutiny in AV rollouts. Read more Made in India | Tech Spotlight Renesas to design India's first 3nm chips; opens R&D centres in Noida and Bengaluru Renesas Electronics is set to design India's first 3nm semiconductor chips. The Japanese firm has expanded its India footprint with two new R&D centres, reinforcing India's role in the global chip innovation race. Read more MBRDI partners Tata Elxsi for SDV and software engineering Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India has teamed up with Tata Elxsi to strengthen its software development for software-defined vehicles (SDVs), underscoring the rising importance of intelligent vehicle architecture. Read more KPIT Tech expands presence in China amid global SDV push Auto software giant KPIT Technologies is ramping up its global expansion, extending its footprint in China to serve global OEMs with localized software solutions in the autonomous and SDV domains. Read more Hyundai India rolls out digital vehicle passport for connected cars Hyundai India has introduced a vehicle digital passport, enabling real-time data tracking and ownership authentication for connected vehicles. The innovation aims to enhance transparency and vehicle lifecycle management. Read more We'd love to know what you thought of this edition! Your feedback helps us shape a better experience for our readers. Feel free to share your suggestions or comments at And, don't forget to mark 18th and 19th June on our calendars, and be part of the 6th ETAuto Tech Summit! To register, click on Thank you for reading!
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Deep tech startup Minus Zero unveils autopilot for India
India based Deep tech startup Minus Zero said it has unveiled an end-to-end autopilot system 'for the first time in India' enabling navigation in dense Indian urban traffic with on-coming vehicles and narrow roads with or without lane markings. 'Tested on some of the challenging streets of Bengaluru, our vision-based system can gracefully handle unique obstacles like animals, push-karts, small two-wheelers (Yulu), etc. and their unpredictable behaviours,' the startup said in a statement. To enable such features in unstructured traffic, the company said it has taken an AI-first approach by training end-to-end foundational models that can learn navigation in self-supervised manner from large scale raw data without human labels, instead of traditionally used rule-based systems. 'With the sudden explosion of ADAS (specifically L1 & L2) systems in India over the last few years, we believe it's the right time to shift to even more advanced levels like L2+, L2++ & L3,' it said. 'Today Indian consumers are ready for more technology-rich features at a marginal increase in the price point and experience the luxury, the safety and the comfort that comes with it,' it added. While there are several working L2+ & L3 systems in developed countries like Tesla's FSD, Mercedes' Drive Pilot, GM's Super Cruise, BYD's God's Eye, enabling such autopilot systems in an unstructured traffic environment like India & other emerging countries has been a very challenging task. While 90% of the ADAS products are deployed in few developed countries, 85% of road accidents of the world come from emerging countries, with much more need for such advanced driving assistance systems, the firm said. 'At Minus Zero, we understand this unique pain point and technology shift required for building advanced autopilot systems for all the major emerging countries (starting with India),' it said. Having shown India's first fully driverless vehicle for in-campus mobility, the firm said it has now embark on its next leap of journey with a full-stack autopilot system for Indian traffic. 'Our autopilot system leverages power of bespoke foundational models and self supervised learning to navigate some highly complicated scenarios (as seen in the video) using only cameras, and without reliance on HD Maps,' the firm said. 'This is also the first time when end-to-end foundational models are being tested on Indian roads,' it said. Minus Zero is already working with a couple of large OEMs in their journey to upgrade them to these solutions and is in talks with others for the same. 'While we are still developing & validating the entire system, we aim to be ready for production in the next 2 years alongside our OEM partners,' it said.
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Business Standard
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Standard
Minus Zero unveils India's first AI-based end-to-end autopilot system
Autonomous mobility platform Minus Zero on Tuesday announced that it has unveiled an end-to-end autopilot system for the first time for navigation in the country. The vision-based system, which has been tested on the streets of Bengaluru, can navigate in dense urban traffic and identify unique obstacles like animals, push-carts, two-wheelers, and their unpredictable behaviours. The Bengaluru-based startup has taken an AI-first approach by training end-to-end foundational models that can learn navigation in a self-supervised manner from large-scale raw data without human labels, instead of the traditionally used rule-based systems, the company said in a statement. "Our autopilot system leverages the power of bespoke foundational models and self-supervised learning to navigate some highly complicated scenarios using only cameras, and without reliance on HD Maps. This is also the first time when end-to-end foundational models are being tested on Indian roads," the company said. While sharing the need for such a system, the company noted that although nearly 90 per cent of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) products are deployed in a few developed countries, more than 85 per cent of road accidents globally originate from emerging countries, which have a much greater need for such driving assistance systems. Commenting on the development and future plans, Gagandeep Reehal, co-founder and chief executive officer of Minus Zero, said, "We are already working with a couple of large OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) in their journey to upgrade them to these solutions and are in talks with others for the same. While we are still developing and validating the entire system, we aim to be ready for production in the next 2 years alongside our OEM partners." Minus Zero was founded in 2020 and has raised a total equity funding of $1.77 million in two rounds, according to data from market intelligence platform Tracxn.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Minus Zero develops vision-based autopilot for Indian roads
Bengaluru-based startup Minus Zero has announced the development of an end-to-end autopilot system designed for Indian traffic conditions . The company claims the system has been tested on dense urban streets of Bengaluru, navigating without the need for lane markings and managing obstacles such as animals, push-carts, and small two-wheelers. The system operates using a vision-based architecture and does not rely on HD maps or LiDAR sensors. Minus Zero uses foundational AI models trained in a self-supervised manner using large-scale raw data. Unlike rule-based systems that require manual input and precise environmental mapping, this approach allows the model to learn directly from unlabelled data and generalise to unseen roads and obstacles. The autopilot system fits under the 'Hands OFF & Eyes ON' category, with a safety driver required onboard during operation. Focus on emerging markets and scalable deployment The company sees its solution as suitable for emerging markets where traffic conditions are largely unstructured and road infrastructure varies. According to Minus Zero, while advanced systems like Tesla's FSD or Mercedes' Drive Pilot are operational in developed countries, the specific conditions in India present different challenges. Despite the majority of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) being deployed in developed regions, a significant portion of global road accidents occur in emerging countries, highlighting the need for context-specific solutions. Minus Zero said it is already collaborating with a couple of large automotive manufacturers in India and is in talks with others to integrate this technology. The company targets production readiness within two years in partnership with OEMs. Technology highlights and approach Shift in approach: The system is based on foundational AI models, moving away from supervised learning and rule-based systems. Hardware efficiency: The platform uses a vision-first approach, minimising dependency on expensive sensor suites. Mapless navigation: The system does not rely on HD maps, which are currently not widely available in India. Scalability: The AI models are trained to improve continuously, allowing the solution to adapt across different geographies and vehicle platforms. Full-stack development: Minus Zero has developed its own generative AI tools, simulation environments, and onboard software for deployment. 'After LLMs and AI agents for the digital world, next-gen foundational models for the physical world like autonomous driving, robotics, etc. are gaining momentum globally,' the company said in a media release. 'With India taking a strong stance in creating a foothold in the AI race, this area is an opportunity where we can build in India for the world.'
Mint
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Mint
Why is this driverless car startup changing tack to become a software designer
Five years ago, a Bengaluru-based startup was founded with the ambition to make the country's first driverless car. However, the company is now changing tack to become a software designer. Minus Zero, which raised $1.7 million seed funding from a group of investors led by Chiratae Ventures in March 2022, has launched a software designed to help India's automakers develop advanced driverless assistance (ADAS) capabilities. ADAS was introduced to help increase car safety and security on roads, helping drivers in parking, lane detection and braking, among other things. The startup is already offering the autopilot system to automakers like Ashok Leyland Ltd and Tata Motors Ltd, a top company official said. Pivot driven by policy Minus Zero's pivot comes after the government announced that India will not move towards driverless cars, which meant a lack of market for a completely driverless car in the country. 'Over the past two years, the lack of a market for completely driverless cars in the near future, especially with the Union cabinet minister suggesting that India will not go the driverless way on its roads in the foreseeable future, meant that we had to pivot," Gagandeep Reehal, co-founder and chief executive of Minus Zero, told Mint. Also Read: Race to outrun humans: How humanoid robots are closing the gap In December 2023, Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari had said that driverless cars will not be allowed in India in order to protect the jobs of drivers. India-specific AI for ADAS Speaking to Mint ahead of the launch of the software platform, Reehal said that the plan was part of a long-term product strategy—driven by industry demand and government strategies. 'When we started working on trying to make a fully self-driving vehicle, we were one among many startups around the world looking to build a Tesla alternative around the world," Reehal said. 'Today, Waymo is the only notable one left among full-sell-drive startups, that too in a limited region and solely because of the might of Google backing it." The firm claims to have developed the platform after testing in dense urban traffic in Bengaluru, helping it get accustomed to the unique nature of Indian roads. 'Over the past 18 months, we're working with ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) to collect on-road real-world testing data to build an AI model based completely on the Indian context and peculiarities," Reehal said. For instance, the company tried gauging how to map traffic in roads that do not have markings, or have very slow, unorganised traffic. ADAS growth and challenges Advanced driver assistance systems have gained prominence since being introduced to the Indian market. In 2021, India's fourth-largest automaker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd's XUV700 became the first sports utility vehicle (SUV) of the country to offer ADAS system for consumers. Since then, Hyundai Motor India Ltd and Tata Motors Ltd have also introduced the ADAS system in their cars. Through sensors and cameras, drivers get alerts and assistance with braking and lane changing on the roads. ADAS is a pack electronic technologies in vehicles that aim to reduce human error, a major cause of road accidents, by providing drivers with timely information and active assistance. However, a key challenge for the country's automakers is making the technology work on Indian roads. While developed nations such as the US have examples of fully automated cars such as Waymo and Tesla, the country is far behind the curve on this. Some evidence suggests it is growing. Hyundai's FY25 car sales included about 14% of cars with ADAS, a 7% growth from a year ago. But the problem, as some automakers highlight, is the random nature of Indian roads. Future prospects and funding 'The nature of traffic in India is completely different. While some players thought we can apply a lot of specifications of the Chinese market here, the unpredictability is quite high in the country," a senior executive at a top European car maker said. 'You cannot introduce ADAS without an off-switch for now. It's then very important to build the ADAS system within the country." Also Read: Rich south India struggles to buy cars while northern and western states surge ahead The ADAS system has levels ranging from level 0 (no automation) to level 5 (full automation). The development in the Indian market is largely focused on levels 2 and 3. Major automakers are said to be working on ADAS advancements in the Indian market to enhance operations. Mercedes Benz India is one of them. 'We are investing significant time and efforts to analyze customer feedback on the functioning of ADAS on Indian road conditions. Several India-specific advancements and adaptations are already under progress in the R&D domain at Mercedes Benz Research Development Institute," Santosh Iyer, managing director and CEO at Mercedes Benz India, said. Pilot run on Indian roads Minus Zero is already working on co-engineering pilot projects with Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors and 'one of Europe's top three automobile groups" to test its platform on their cars—that would be set to release in 2027, or 2028. This is around the same time when Minus Zero projects steady annual recurring revenue generation. A senior industry executive familiar with the matter told Mint that a large part of this claim is based on using a visual AI model to form virtual queues of cars, which in turn help vehicles understand proximities between objects in context of the surroundings. 'For instance, if you were in Delhi's Chandni Chowk, the minimum safe distance you can keep without stalling traffic is very different from the Yamuna Expressway leading to Agra. For Indian roads that are predominantly unorganised and unmarked, having the ability to do so and understand what is an obstruction and what isn't is key. Indian startups clearly have a scope of business here," the executive told Mint. Commercial viability Quantifying this, Reehal said that the scope of business can amount up to $90-100 million in annual revenue by deploying ADAS features in one variant of a bestselling car that sells 100,000 units in one full year. 'This would be a conservative estimate, but is the kind of revenue that we seek to generate within the next two years—as current projects convert into commercial deals," Reehal said. He is currently in San Francisco, California, to pursue the startup's series-A round of private equity or venture capital funding. After its seed funding of $1.7 million, the startup raised a 'small" bridge round over the past 12 months—the valuation or funding quantum of which Reehal did not want to disclose. Reehal added that he expects that once commercial contracts start coming in, the pricing of his ADAS software offering will further diversify. "We're offering the platform along with integrated hardware such as cameras and sensors, or in a stripped-down software version only, for a rough pricing of $900-2,000 per car," he added. Also Read: Automakers rush to PMO, commerce ministry as Chinese magnet crisis worsens The industry executive cited earlier concurred on the projection, adding that the current pricing is in line with present generation ADAS features. 'In the near future, the pricing will certainly go down as ADAS features trickle down into the budget segment as well. The automotive regulatory body (ARAI) will also help propagate ADAS as a crucial safety feature, and for that, Indian data and context through purpose-built AI models is necessary," he said.
