Latest news with #Qualcomm
India Today
9 minutes ago
- Automotive
- India Today
Volvo XC60 facelift to launch in India tomorrow
Volvo is all set to launch the 2025 XC60 facelift in India tomorrow, August 1. This marks the second update for the current-generation XC60, which continues to be a cornerstone of Volvo's mid-size luxury SUV portfolio. While the overall silhouette remains familiar, the facelift brings a host of subtle design revisions and interior tech enhancements tailored for the Indian On the outside, the 2025 XC60 sports a redesigned grille with diagonal slats, updated multi-spoke dual-tone alloy wheels, and reworked air vents on the front bumper. The tail-lamps now feature a smoked-out effect, adding to the SUV's visual appeal. Volvo has yet to confirm whether the new international colour options: Forest Lake, Aurora Silver, and Mulberry Red, will be introduced in Inside the cabin, the facelifted XC60 features a significant upgrade in infotainment tech, now equipped with a new 11.2-inch freestanding touchscreen system. Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon Cockpit Platform, the system offers improved image quality, a smoother user interface, and over-the-air (OTA) updates. A new mesh grille for the speakers and possibly refreshed interior trim elements further elevate the cabin experience, while retaining luxury features like the Bowers & Wilkins High Fidelity audio Mechanically, the India-spec XC60 facelift is expected to continue with the B5 AWD Mild Hybrid setup, a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo-petrol engine paired with a 48V mild-hybrid system. This powertrain produces 250bhp and 360Nm of torque, mated to an 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission driving all four current Volvo XC60 is priced at around Rs 70.75 lakh (ex-showroom), and the facelift is expected to command a slight premium. Once launched, the 2025 XC60 will continue to rival key competitors in the luxury mid-size SUV segment, including the Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW X3 and Audi over 2.7 million global units sold, the XC60 remains Volvo's best-selling model ever, surpassing the legendary Volvo 240. The updated version is expected to further cement its to Auto Today Magazine- Ends
India.com
an hour ago
- Automotive
- India.com
Qualcomm Showcases Future of Smart Mobility at Snapdragon Auto Day in India
Qualcomm Technologies made a historical milestone by organizing its first Snapdragon Auto Day in India where it introduced its revolutionary plan to transform the mobility future in the country. Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon Minister of Road Transport and Highways graced the event, a factor that led to positive government support towards next-generation technologies in automobiles. Snapdragon Auto Day was an event that united leading OEMs, suppliers, technology innovators, and policymakers and signaled that Qualcomm is driven to transform smart, connected, and secure mobility in India. The event culminated on the central stage that featured the Snapdragon Digital ChassisTM; its range of innovative platforms Snapdragon Cockpit, RideTM, Auto Connectivity, and Car-to-Cloud services with modifications to India in mind. Coming as it did soon after Qualcomm had announced that its automotive solutions are powering 350 million+ vehicles worldwide today, this move continued to reassert its firm presence in India with close partnership with auto brands including Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra, Hero MotoCorp, Royal Enfield, Ultraviolette among others. These collaborations include interconnected cockpits, telematics, intelligent two wheeler, and in-car entertainment. An exceptional one was the partnership with to feature FYI RAiDiO and Melodic Drive, the integration of vehicles as interactive musical instruments using Snapdragon-enabled advanced audio system technology. Also, Snapdragon Ride, lightning-fast cloud companion creating fully connected cars, took its premiere demo in India, further strengthening Qualcomm in its understanding of safe and smart driving. The ecosystem is also reinforced by partnerships with international firms such as Bosch, Tata Elxsi, ZF, and Valeo. India is great point towards the connected mobility and Qualcomm is positioned well in this direction, in line with what it envisions as the India vision of the future vision of making in India, of and by India, and to the world- powering fleets of tomorrow, through ingenuity, partnership, and local engineering prowess.
GSM Arena
5 hours ago
- GSM Arena
Qualcomm has a new high-end chipset on the way
Qualcomm is holding its next launch event in late September, and it's expected to unveil the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 at that time. That chip has the model number SM8850, but rumors in China have been bubbling for a while regarding the SM8845 also launching this year. This won't be the Snapdragon 8s Gen 5, as it's higher-end than that, but still a step below the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. It's unclear what Qualcomm will call it, but some are assuming it will be Snapdragon 8 Plus. It's billed as pretty much on par, performance-wise, with the original Snapdragon 8 Elite from last year, as it also uses an all-big core CPU configuration with Qualcomm's custom-developed cores. Compared to the 8 Elite, it's going to be fabbed on a newer process, and will use some of the 8 Elite 2's peripherals. So, overall it should be a very slight improvement over the original 8 Elite. Prolific Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station says the SM8845 will be used by Oppo and OnePlus as well as vivo, and the phones which will be powered by it will have very large batteries, up to 8,000 mAh. It's definitely sounding like the SM8845 will become the chipset of choice for 'flagship killer' type devices, and will nicely bridge the performance gap between the 8s series and the 8 Elite lineup. Though with it being so close in parameters to the original 8 Elite, it will be interesting to see if that SoC will be discontinued or not. Source (in Chinese)
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Qualcomm taps Indian engineering depth to shape its global automotive play
Amidst all the changes in the automotive market — electrification, connectivity, digitisation, and evolving safety regulations — Qualcomm finds India to be a growing opportunity. The company's recent Snapdragon Auto Day event in New Delhi was not just a platform to showcase its silicon and software depth. It was a reflection of how India is being positioned by Qualcomm as a co-development hub, not just a deployment market. Qualcomm positions India as a global hub for software-defined vehicles (SDVs), leveraging its strong engineering base to co-develop next-gen platforms. With OEMs like Maruti and Mahindra, it's building automotive tech in India—designed locally, deployed globally. As the world embraces software-defined vehicles (SDVs), India's approach — influenced by platform convergence, affordability, and fast-tracked digitalization — is creating a unique space for innovation. Qualcomm, with its Snapdragon Digital Chassis, believes it is well positioned to serve both ends of this market: feature-rich vehicles at scale and premium platforms with compute-heavy systems. Also check these Cars Find more Cars Maruti Suzuki Jimny 1462 cc 1462 cc Petrol Petrol ₹ 12.76 Lakhs Compare View Offers Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1462 cc 1462 cc Multiple Multiple ₹ 8.84 Lakhs Compare View Offers Maruti Suzuki XL6 1462 cc 1462 cc Multiple Multiple ₹ 11.84 Lakhs Compare View Offers Maruti Suzuki Ignis 1197.0 cc 1197.0 cc Petrol Petrol ₹ 5.85 Lakhs Compare View Offers Maruti Suzuki Fronx 1197 cc 1197 cc Multiple Multiple ₹ 7.54 Lakhs Compare View Offers Maruti Suzuki Dzire 1197 cc 1197 cc Multiple Multiple ₹ 6.84 Lakhs Compare View Offers Software-defined, India-calibrated For Nakul Duggal, Group GM of Automotive and Industrial & Embedded IoT at Qualcomm Technologies, India's EV growth story is more than a shift in propulsion. It's a structural shift in how vehicles are being designed. 'All new EV platforms in India today are inherently software-defined," Duggal said. 'The opportunity isn't just in adoption — it's in co-developing the platforms that power this shift." Also Read : Volkswagen to rely on Qualcomm chips for autonomous driving: Report Indian OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers and startups are increasingly embracing central compute architectures that allow for flexible hardware integration, OTA updates, and lifecycle-based feature deployment. Qualcomm's interaction with domestic players — from Mahindra to Maruti Suzuki, and from Royal Enfield to Uno Minda — speaks volumes about a commitment to customize its solutions for Indian applications. Maruti Suzuki: Democratising the digital shift One of the most significant validations of this approach is with Maruti Suzuki, and its transition toward digitalised platforms. According to Hisashi Takeuchi, MD & CEO, the company is committed to offering digital cockpit and connected solutions even in high-volume segments. From the Baleno's connected cluster, which marked the first use of Snapdragon platforms in a Maruti vehicle, to the upcoming eVitara, the company has deepened its collaboration with Qualcomm. The goal is clear: bring advanced features to the masses without diluting reliability or affordability. 'Advanced safety and cockpit features can no longer be limited to premium cars. India's buyers expect more, and we must deliver across segments," said Takeuchi. The transition, he added, is not just about technology, but also collaborative scale — working with players like Qualcomm to ensure components, software, and feature sets align with local market requirements and production volumes. For Nakul Duggal, Group GM of Automotive and Industrial & Embedded IoT at Qualcomm Technologies, India's EV growth story is a structural shift in how vehicles are being designed. (Mohd Nasir for HT Auto) Mahindra: Engineering around the chips If Maruti offers volume-based validation, Mahindra brings a sharp engineering lens to the Qualcomm story. According to Velusamy R, President of Automotive Technology & Product Development at Mahindra, the company's work on the XUV700 and the INGLO-based BEVs like the BE 6 and the XEV 9e reflects a shift from vehicle-first design to chip-first architecture. 'ADAS calibration in India cannot be copy-pasted from Europe or the US. You have to build for regional variation — from Himachal to Tamil Nadu," Velusamy said. He noted how Qualcomm's compute platforms, specifically the Snapdragon 8295, are enabling Mahindra to offer scalable feature sets, from 360-degree vision to multi-screen cockpits. 'It's no longer just about features. It's about integrating intelligence," he added. Mahindra is also collaborating with Qualcomm on zonal architecture, enabling modular software upgrades without disrupting hardware. This is critical for Indian OEMs seeking long-term flexibility in a cost-sensitive environment. From two-wheelers to V2X: A broader playbook India's mobility tale isn't just limited to passenger cars. Duggal highlighted Qualcomm's growing focus on two-wheelers, especially through partnerships with players like Royal Enfield, which is deploying bike-to-cloud platforms for diagnostics, tracking, and remote upgrades. There's also growing momentum in V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) infrastructure. Qualcomm is engaging with regulatory agencies and pilot projects to introduce non-line-of-sight communication, enabling alerts and safety protocols in dense traffic or low-visibility scenarios — particularly relevant in Indian urban and semi-urban environments. 'We see informational safety for two-wheelers as the next frontier," Duggal noted, pointing to the importance of low-latency edge compute and camera-based Rider assistance in the Indian context. From silicon to systems integration Beyond hardware, Qualcomm is now positioning itself as a systems enabler. With offerings like the Snapdragon Car-to-Cloud platform, the company enables lifecycle management — diagnostics, infotainment updates, and in some cases, predictive maintenance models. According to Velusamy R, President of Automotive Technology & Product Development at Mahindra, the company's work on the XUV700 and the INGLO-based BEVs like the BE 6 and the XEV 9e reflects a shift from vehicle-first design to chip-first architecture. (Mohd Nasir for HT Auto) According to Savi Soin, President of Qualcomm India, this shift reflects a larger repositioning of India within the company's global strategy. 'India is not just about scale. It's about design thinking and contextual engineering," said Soin. He added that Qualcomm's four India R&D centers — in Noida, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru — are working directly on automotive projects destined for both domestic and global markets. India's engineering depth, global reach Qualcomm's growing role in India is not limited to local adaptation. Increasingly, the country is becoming a core engine of Qualcomm's global automotive development. With over 22,000 engineers based in India out of 5,000 are dedicated for the automotive side, and four major R&D centres in Noida, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai, the automotive engineering teams here are contributing to core global platforms — from ADAS algorithms to cockpit UI/UX, V2X stacks, and cloud-based diagnostics. 'Our teams in India are not just customizing solutions for Indian roads — they are building global software-defined vehicle capabilities," said Soin. For instance, India-based engineers have played a critical role in Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride development, tuning safety stacks for L2+/L3 autonomy, and helping design new modular platforms that are now being scaled in Europe and North America. The flexible SoC architecture that allows for cockpit and ADAS convergence — a key value proposition for OEMs worldwide — was shaped significantly in Qualcomm India's labs. Also Read : BMW partners with Qualcomm to develop automated driving software solutions This reverse flow of innovation — solving for India first and scaling globally — is now central to Qualcomm's mobility strategy. Looking ahead: The EV-SDV crossover What Snapdragon Auto Day underscored is that India's auto industry is embracing SDVs not as an aspirational shift, but as a foundational necessity — driven by EV architectures, cost pressures, and consumer demand for digital-first experiences. And while Qualcomm's digital chassis isn't the only platform in the game, its flexible silicon, open software stack, and local co-development model make it a compelling fit for India's high-volume, high-variance market. 'This isn't about pushing products. It's about enabling an ecosystem," Duggal said. Get insights into Upcoming Cars In India, Electric Vehicles, Upcoming Bikes in India and cutting-edge technology transforming the automotive landscape. First Published Date:
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Rise of intelligent vehicles will define India's global relevance, says Nitin Gadkari
'We need futuristic technology and futuristic vision,' said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari , addressing a gathering of industry leaders, engineers and innovators at the Qualcomm's Snapdragon For India event. Applauding India's growing capabilities in embedded systems, chip design and advanced automotive electronics, the minister described the domestic auto-tech sector as one of the strongest pillars of India's aspiration to become a global manufacturing hub. Gadkari noted that semiconductor innovation is now inseparable from the future of mobility. 'Your designs, your quality, indicate that you have got the potential to make this industry world standard,' he said, referring to the increasing integration of intelligent platforms in India's automotive systems. As global demand rises for electric, connected and autonomous vehicles, India's software and chip design capabilities are finding global respect, he said. He also reiterated the government's full support for this transformation. 'Today government is with you. We will support you for developing your industry. As stakeholders, we will come together, think together, and work together.' Alternative fuels to reduce imports and pollution Shifting to the broader challenge of sustainability, Gadkari stressed the urgent need to move away from fossil fuels. 'Forty percent of air pollution is because of this industry,' he said, referring to the transport sector. He laid out a clear path forward: a transition to alternative fuels such as ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, LNG, CNG, electric, and hydrogen. With India spending ₹22 lakh crore annually on fossil fuel imports, Gadkari described this as both an economic and environmental crisis. 'This is the appropriate time that we need to find out the solution, that how we can reduce this import.' He highlighted successful efforts to produce ethanol from sugarcane juice, molasses, broken rice and corn, citing its dual benefits—reducing oil imports and raising incomes for farmers. 'When we started ethanol from corn, its price went from ₹1200 to ₹2600 per quintal,' he said. The acreage under corn cultivation has since tripled in several states, including UP and Bihar. Converting agricultural waste to clean energy Gadkari underlined the government's 'jal, jameen, jungle and janwar' model of energy transition, focused on local, agricultural, and animal waste as raw material for fuels. He pointed to Indian Oil's ethanol project in Panipat, which produces one lakh litres of ethanol and 78,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel from rice straw. Further, 400 projects are under way to produce bio-CNG from rice straw, with 80 already completed, especially in Punjab and Haryana regions responsible for seasonal stubble burning that affects Delhi's air quality. 'We are even making bio-bitumen from rice straw,' he said, citing a successful 1km test on the Nagpur–Jabalpur highway, which performed better than petroleum-based bitumen. From 'knowledge to wealth' and 'waste to wealth' Laying out a broader vision, Gadkari said, 'One important philosophy which is very important for all of you is the concept of 'knowledge to wealth' and 'waste to wealth'.' India's tech and manufacturing sectors, he said, must convert innovation, science, research, and skill into tangible economic outcomes. He also cited the use of 80 lakh tonnes of municipal waste from Delhi in road construction projects such as Dwarka Expressway, UER-II, and Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, which has reduced the height of the Ghazipur landfill by seven metres. Hydrogen is the future Gadkari devoted a significant portion of his speech to India's bold hydrogen vision. Calling it 'the fuel of the future,' he revealed that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has launched hydrogen truck trials across 10 routes, with active participation from Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Reliance, NTPC, IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, Volvo and Anand Group. A total of 37 vehicles are part of this trial, backed by ₹500 crore in government support. The National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to produce 5 million metric tonnes of hydrogen annually by 2030, saving ₹1 lakh crore in fuel imports and cutting 50 million tonnes of CO₂. Total investment in the hydrogen ecosystem is expected to touch ₹8 lakh crore, generating 6 lakh new jobs. Building talent, enabling Atmanirbhar Bharat The minister also emphasised the critical need for skilled manpower. 'We have a shortage of 22 lakh skilled drivers,' he said, announcing plans to establish 1600 driver training centres with a capital investment of ₹4500 crore, expected to generate 15 lakh jobs. Gadkari concluded with a call to action: 'Your contribution to nation-building, your contribution to creating jobs, your contribution to Atmanirbhar Bharat and exports is very, very important.' With a ₹75-lakh-crore vision for India's auto sector, he reminded the industry that while the road ahead may be challenging, it is well within reach. 'It is difficult, but it is not an impossible task.'
