Over the last three decades, Vector has been supplying tools and services that give engineers the decisive advantage to make challenging and highly complex designs and develop automotive products as simple and manageable as possible. Today, the company is working on various fronts from e-mobility to connectivity, cyber security to ADAS and will continue to work on the new areas which will drive the future of mobility. “Vector is also working on identifying the challenges that a customer could face in the future in the context of these trends and is working as a partner with the customers to overcome these challenges,” said Chandra Nataraja, Managing Director, Vector Informatik India. Nataraja also emphasises the need of ‘real R&D development’ at the local level in India, instead of being followers and adapters.

Q) We are coming across the word “complexity” often in the automotive industry? How does Vector help in simplifying the process in engineering, design, testing, validation and calibration?

Chandra Nataraja: At Vector Informatik, more than 3,000 employees across 31 locations worldwide support manufacturers and suppliers of the automotive industry with a professional platform of tools and software components. Our solutions are used by engineers of automotive OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers and other software organisations undertaking the development of automotive electronics.

There is increased complexity in the automotive space, especially with the software running in cars, for which development teams need to have an overview of their ideas being realised into technologies. There is a lot of toolchain and structure development, not to mention the standards that are being adopted. Vector is a part of several standardisation groups and offers solutions across the complete V cycle of automotive development process, including system engineering, design, testing, validation and calibration, which helps to simplify the processes for the customers.

To elaborate further, the ECU testing tools from Vector support in the implementation of simulation and test environments in an efficient way. Regardless of the task in the development process, the Vector testing tools provide a scalable and re-usable solution from pure SIL simulations to HIL testing with functional acceptance tests – for all types of vehicles including internal combustion engine, a hybrid or a purely electric vehicle. Similarly, for calibration, we provide software and hardware solutions which cover all requirements throughout the entire development process, right from function development through bypassing and rapid prototyping solutions to test bench applications and test drives during trials and in series production.

We also offer solutions to engineers in other application areas such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous driving, connected vehicles and electric vehicles. The company puts together solutions and provides customers with toolchain to develop, test, calibrate and validate software that is being developed for such applications.

Q) What are the current trends in the automotive industry for which the company is developing solutions?

Chandra Nataraja: Vector follows automotive trends closely, with the principle for the company being that it does not develop solutions in isolation, but rather works with customers as partners.

E-mobility is one of the major trends today and for electric mobility to enter mass market, smart charging is a key solution. The term smart charging is used for charging systems of electric or hybrid vehicles according to various standards like ISO 15118, DIN SPEC 70121 and SAE J2847/2. Vector supports developers of on-board charging ECUs in the vehicle, charging stations and induction charging systems with extensive test systems and bespoke ECU software. Using Vector test solution for smart charging, customers can test on-board charging ECUs without having to operate a real charging spot. Vector also offers solutions for testing of charging stations, E-Mobility Measurement and software stack for rapid development of charging ECUs, which supports all international standards including CCS, GB/T and CHAdeMO. This helps customers develop their software quickly and cost effectively.

Another area of focus is connected vehicles, where Vector is looking at extending the domain beyond the car, at the areas where it can offer standardisation. There is a large amount of data collected from the car when talking about connectivity, and the company is looking at cloud solutions in managing this data.

This also brings us to cyber security, where OEMs and applied partners are analysing if there is enough security of information inside the automobile. Vector has developed solutions related to remote updating of software, for which its understanding of the vehicle network is helping us to see how this can be connected with the IT world.

Autonomous Driving is another trend towards which Vector is carrying out development work, in partnership with BASELABS. BASELABS has algorithms related to ADAS for autonomous driving, and with Vector’s calibration product line aligned to it, we have an entire package which supports both the development and validation of ADAS.

Our tool set for testing and calibration has been developed to accommodate future vehicle technologies, and also extend it to multiple networks in the vehicle. Apart from developing innovations based on market trends, Vector is also working on identifying the challenges that a customer could face in the future in the context of these trends and is working as a partner with the customers to overcome these challenges.

Q) With the growing penetration of electronics in vehicles, how do you see the business opportunities for the company?

Chandra Nataraja: Since last 30 years, Vector has been a capable partner in the development of automotive electronics. Satisfied and successful customers are our motivation, and we work to ensure that our customers achieve an increase in value in their work that we can also be proud of. Driven by our passion for technology, we develop solutions which relieve engineers of their demanding tasks and our focus continues to be on providing products to customers for developing embedded systems so that they can develop solutions which will drive the future of mobility.

We see the business opportunities increasing with our existing customers as they look towards future challenges and opportunities. Also, the current trends have brought in new technology players in the automotive ecosystem, and we look forward to working with them as their reliable and technically competent partner.

Q) How do you see the collaborative approach, especially with high-tech companies?

Chandra Nataraja: Presently, we are already collaborating with multiple high-tech companies in Europe and USA. We do see the potential to collaborate with Indian Tier-1s, Tier-2s and service organisations, especially in the EV space. India is poised to develop a unique ecosystem within the electric vehicle segment where all these companies will play a key role, and we look forward to working as partners with everyone who will develop the future of mobility.

We continue to explore synergies with agile companies and our technology, which can be seen in our efforts to foray into areas other than automotive where we can add value as partner to customers and collaborate to develop technology solutions.

Q) What is the role of the Indian entity in Vector’s global business?

Chandra Nataraja: Vector Informatik India Private Limited is a 100 percent subsidiary of Vector Informatik GmbH and is headquartered at Pune with offices in Bengaluru, where more than 100 technical experts and subject matter specialists support the customers in automotive ecosystem with their challenges and provide customised solutions as per their development and testing needs.

We work closely with all global and local customers based in India, those who have technical teams and presence in India – to understand their development needs and provide solutions across application areas. Dedicated support team in India is available to the customers for all technical queries’ resolution, while we also facilitate the training needs of the customer locally. We also have a test services team which supports the customers with their customised project requirements related to test systems.

Q) What significance does AUTOSAR have for Vector?

Chandra Nataraja: We see that AUTOSAR is a standard that is widely adopted across the globe and the automotive market in India has also seen good adaptation towards AUTOSAR.

Vector has many years of experience in AUTOSAR and provides a comprehensive AUTOSAR Classic solution called as MICROSAR. It consists of the MICROSAR RTE (runtime environment) and MICROSAR basic software modules (BSW), which cover all aspects of the AUTOSAR standard and include many useful extensions. MICROSAR is widely used by several OEMs globally, and in India, many customers have MICROSAR stack running in their cars as the Tier-1s have used Vector AUTOSAR solutions.

Exida, the internationally recognised specialist for functional safety, has verified and independently certifies that the AUTOSAR 4 basic software from Vector fulfills the requirements of ISO 26262 up to the ASIL D level – it is called as MICROSAR Safe. MICROSAR Safe is the result of many years of experience in the field of functional safety and it helps customers integrate safety related functions into their ECU and develop AUTOSAR-based applications as per the functional safety standard, ISO 26262.

In 2017, the AUTOSAR development partnership added a new standard to its line-up that is based on POSIX operating systems: the “AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform”. Adaptive MICROSAR is the Vector solution for vehicles with an E/E architecture based on the AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform. It complements the proven MICROSAR with basic software for the AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform, which is optimised for highly automated driving, multimedia applications and networking services.

Thus, we at Vector provide field-proven AUTOSAR solutions which are tuned to the customer needs – offering a comprehensive range of design and development tools, ECU software and services around AUTOSAR. We are committed to support customers going ahead for all requirements around AUTOSAR.

Q) What are the new areas that Vector is now focusing on?

Chandra Nataraja: We continue to work closely as partners with customers to identify the new areas which will drive the future of mobility. We spoke about the current trends earlier and Vector continues its focus around those, including e-mobility, connectivity, cyber security and ADAS.

There is good amount of work going on towards the development of new connectivity-related technologies, as well as in cloud solutions. A lot of research is being undertaken on identifying the appropriate connectivity technologies for vehicle networks.

There are many new start-ups and technology players who are coming up as new trends emerge, across India and globe. Through our subsidiary VVC Vector Venture Capital GmbH, we continue to accompany young companies in their first steps by providing required support in different ways to these new entrants.

Vector Consulting Services is another such effort from our end to add value based on benchmarks, methodology and Vector experience in different toolchains. Through Vector Consulting, we aim to support customers for optimising the engineering and product development.

Q) What are the challenges in the industry?

Chandra Nataraja: Automotive electronics has come a long way and continues to evolve with trends and technologies like connected vehicles and autonomous driving, which we discussed earlier. Thus, one of the main challenges to the automotive ecosystem is to develop vehicles which are as secured as they are connected. The idea is to think more about the abuse cases than the use cases during development, which will ensure that the vehicles on the road continue to be reliable and secured.

On the development side, standardisation at the E/E Architecture level is the need of the hour which will allow for effective implementation of use cases like customisations amongst others.

We must understand that it takes considerable time and thought to bring new technologies to fruition and the process is at times slow. We thus need real R&D development at the local level in India, instead of being followers and adapters – this will allow for faster turnaround times and quicker technology adoption within the Indian automotive industry. (MT)

As the news of a seven-seater C-segment SUV being tested by Nissan in India gathers speed (besides the news that Renault will launch the new Duster as the Bigster in the next few months), the Renault Group and Nissan have announced new strategic projects. 
The most important of these is the restructuring of the Indian Renault Nissan Alliance entity with Renault Group buying out the 51 percent stake of Nissan, making Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd (RNAIPL) its fully owned subsidiary. 
Despite this change, Nissan will maintain its presence in India with a strong focus on enhancing market coverage. RNAIPL will continue to support Nissan’s production of models, including the New Nissan Magnite in India. 
With Nissan choosing Renault Group to develop and produce a derivative of Twingo that it has designed, the restructuring of the Indian business that was until now a well-honed alliance effort with almost equal-equal investment by both the auto makers, the Renault Group and Nissan have entered into a new alliance agreement that would increase the flexibility of each of the two regarding their cross-shareholdings. This would be done by setting the lock-up undertaking at 10 percent instead of the current 15 percent. 
Nissan would be released from its commitment to invest in Ampere while continuing the agreed product projects.
 Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group, commented on the significant development: “As a long-time partner of Nissan within the Alliance and as its main shareholder, Renault Group has a strong interest in seeing Nissan turnaround its performance as quickly as possible. Pragmatism and business-oriented mindset were at the core of our discussions to identify the most effective ways of supporting their recovery plan while developing value-creating business opportunities for Renault Group. This Framework Agreement, beneficial for both parties, is the proof of the agile and efficient mindset of the new Alliance. It also confirms the attractiveness of our products with Twingo as well as our ambition to grow our business on international markets. India is a key automotive market and Renault Group will put in place an efficient industrial footprint and ecosystem.”
 “Nissan is committed to preserving the value and benefits of our strategic partnership within the Alliance while implementing turnaround measures to enhance efficiencies. Our goal is to create a more agile and effective business model that allows us to respond quickly to changing market conditions and conserve cash for future investments. We remain committed to the Indian market, delivering vehicles tailored to local consumer needs while ensuring top-notch sales and service for our existing and future customers. India will remain a hub for our research and development, digital and other knowledge services. Our plans for new SUVs in the India market remain intact, and we will continue our vehicle exports to other markets under the “One Car, One World” business strategy for India," said Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO of Nissan. 
 

Rapido, India’s leading ridesharing platform and one of the country’s youngest unicorns, has expanded its Pink Mobility initiative nationwide to create sustainable earning opportunities for women, championing employment generation, financial independence and skill development. In this direction, the company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Azad Foundation and Sakha Consulting Wings.

Through this partnership, Rapido is committed to creating job opportunities for women drivers through the platform, ensuring a fixed monthly earning opportunities up to INR 25,000 for female captains. It will also help trained women drivers with vehicle procurement, registrations, mentorship, safety training and awareness sessions. Further, it will collaborate with policymakers to address the systemic challenges faced by women drivers through joint initiatives with Azad Foundation and Sakha.

Rapido held an event at the India International Centre in New Delhi with the subject ‘EmpowHer: Driving Financial Inclusion and Empowerment’ to mark this milestone. Prominent speakers like Srinivas Rao, National Lead at Azad Foundation; Dr Arpita Mukherjee, Professor at ICRIER; Barsha Chakraborty from Breakthrough; Anjana from Sakha; Meenu Vadera, Founder of Azad Foundation; Sunaina Kumar, Senior Fellow at ORF and Executive Director at Think20 India Secretariat; Bornali Bhandari, Professor at NCAER; and Shweta Aprameya, Founder and CEO of ARTH and Co-Founder of HAPPY were among the programme's captivating panel discussions and thought-provoking fireside chats. Talks focused on important topics including establishing fair career paths, resolving safety concerns and improving financial literacy for women working in non-traditional fields.

Shravya Reddy, Chief of Staff, Rapido, said, “We are deeply grateful to the esteemed panellists and guests who joined us today, sharing invaluable insights on breaking barriers, advancing women’s empowerment in mobility and fostering financial independence. Empowering women is central to Rapido's mission, and the nationwide expansion of our Pink Mobility initiative reflects our commitment to creating a more inclusive mobility ecosystem. These discussions are critical to driving meaningful change for women in the workforce. We deeply appreciate the invaluable support from state governments, policymakers and our partners, who have enabled this growth. Above all, we are inspired by our incredible female captains whose resilience and dedication drive this initiative. Through our collaboration with Azad Foundation and Sakha, we are dedicated to offering women meaningful employment opportunities and equipping them with the resources they need to succeed. We look forward to expanding access to employment and financial independence for thousands of women across India."

Meenu Vadera, Founder, Azad Foundation and Sakha, said, "Gender equality and ensuring women are able to realise their human rights is the cornerstone for societal advancement. At Azad Foundation and Sakha, our mission is to enable women empower themselves, gain essential skills and earn sustainable livelihoods with dignity. Our partnership with Rapido reflects a shared commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable mobility sector. Together, we are proud to enable women to achieve financial independence and succeed in non-traditional roles, contributing to a more inclusive future."

Routematic, a leading corporate mobility solutions provider, has appointed Chidananda Murthy as Vice President – People and Culture with immediate effect.

Murthy has more than 20 years of experience in HR leadership positions with top international businesses. He oversaw the HR department for Walmart Global Sourcing in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan before joining Routematic. In this role, he oversaw company development, succession planning, talent retention programmes, talent evaluations and HR operations for the area. Additionally, he has successfully led workforce transformation, leadership development, post-M&A integrations and HR strategy while working with Nokia Networks, IBM, Oracle and Huawei. Murthy will oversee Routematic's people strategy, organisational culture and talent development in this capacity, promoting an inclusive and productive work environment. With a strong emphasis on long-term development and worker satisfaction, Murthy will be instrumental in propelling the business into its next stage of expansion.

Kavitha Ramachandragowda, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Routematic, said, "Chidananda's expertise in human capital management will be crucial as we scale our sustainable mobility solutions and expand our organisational footprint. His strategic leadership will not only strengthen our people-first culture but also ensure we continue to attract, retain and nurture top talent while fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and inclusivity."

Murthy said, “Routematic is at a pivotal growth stage, and I’m excited to help shape its people strategy. We are committed to fostering an empowering and inclusive culture – one that attracts top talent, nurtures innovation and drives long-term success. As we work towards redefining corporate mobility, I look forward to contributing to Routematics’ growth, well-being and transformation."

With Chinese brands like BYD, MG and Polestar gaining traction in Europe, the US electric vehicle brand Tesla has lost much of its stream since the last two months. Tesla registrations have plunged, according to a recent report of Jato Dynamics. The Elon Musk led brand saw its market share fell to 9.6 percent in February 2025 – the lowest it has been during the month of February over the last five years. Its year-to-date market share fell from 18.4 percent in 2024 to 7.7 percent this year. 

A total of 966,300 new passenger cars were registered in Europe in February 2025, marking a decline of three percent, compared to the corresponding month last year. As per the Jato Dynamics report encompassing 28 markets, sale of automobiles witnessed a decline in Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Ireland mainly. The year-to-date registrations fell by two percent to a total of 1,962,850 units.

Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst, Jato Dynamics, averred, “There are still no clear signs of recovery in the European automotive industry. Uncertainty in the domestic market is being further complicated by challenges in both China and the US.”

In February 2025, the registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) increased by 26 percent to 164,000 units – the highest volume on record for both the month of February and the period of January to February. A total of 329,700 units were registered, up by 31 percent.

 Of the opinion that Tesla is experiencing a period of immense change while pointing at an increase in electric vehicle registrations in Europe, Munoz said, “In addition to Elon Musk’s increasingly active role in politics and the increased competition it is facing within the EV market, the brand is phasing out the existing version the Model Y – its best-selling vehicle – in anticipation of the introduction of a new refreshed version.”

“During this process, brands often experience a drop in sales before they return to normal levels, once the updated model becomes widely available. Brands like Tesla, which have a relatively limited model lineup, are particularly vulnerable to registration declines when undertaking a model changeover,” he added.

The registrations of the Model Y fell by 56 percent to 8,800 units in February 2025. The registrations of the Model 3 fell by 14 percent to 6,800 units.

“The difference in volume drops between these two vehicles suggests that the decline in the brand’s overall sales is more firmly rooted in the Model Y changeover than Musk’s political activity,” Munoz articulated. “However, it will be interesting to see to what extent demand rebounds once the new Model Y hits markets across the region,” he expressed.

Chinese brands outpace Tesla for BEV sales

The difficulties that Tesla is currently facing have created opportunities for some of its competitors. In February, Chinese-owned car brands registered 19,800 new electric vehicles in Europe, outpacing Tesla which registered just over 15,700 units. In the same month last year, the former registered 23,182 units compared to the 28,131 registered by Tesla.

The best-selling Chinese-owned car brands in February 2025 turned out to be Volvo, BYD and Polestar. While Volvo recorded a 30 percent drop in BEV registrations, BYD and Polestar made substantial gains, with increases of 94 percent and 84 percent respectively. Xpeng also performed well with more than 1,000 units, closely followed by Leapmotor with almost 900 units. 

Renault Group shines

Volkswagen group continued to lead the market with share of 25.8%. Stellantis followed in second position but lost 2.6 points of share when compared to February 2024 due to double-digit drops at Citroen, Opel/Vauxhall and Fiat. Renault Group was the month’s top performer, with a 12 percent increase in volumes and a market share gain of 1.5 points. The group’s strong performance in February can be attributed to positive results posted by the Renault Clio, Dacia Duster and the new Renault Symbioz and Renault 5. 

Much of Renault’s success was found in the BEV segment, with 9,400 BEVs registered in February, up by 96 percent. The French manufacturer was only outperformed by Volkswagen, which recorded a 108 percent increase in BEV sales. Other strong increases within the BEV segment included Audi (up by 67 percent), Kia (up by 56 percent), Skoda (up by 63 percent), Citroen (up by 190 percent), Cupra (up by 179 percent), Mini (up by 804 precent) and Ford (up by 146 percent). In contrast, Tesla, Volvo, MG, Fiat, Jeep and Smart recorded a sales decline in the respective month.   

The Dacia Sandero leads again

The Dacia Sandero once again led in the ranking by model as Europe’s most registered new vehicle during the month. Meanwhile, second position was occupied by the Citroen C3, with the new generation already being widely available. The Renault Clio followed closely in third thanks to a 22 percent increase in volumes – the second best within the top 10, only outperformed by the Volkswagen Tiguan, in ninth position, which recorded a 43 percent increase in registrations.

The Tesla Model Y and Skoda Octavia have dropped out of the top ten model rankings, making way for the Dacia Duster and Volkswagen Tiguan. The best-performing models in the top 100 included the Peugeot 3008 (with sales up by 40 percent), MG ZS (up by 47 percent), Skoda Kodiaq (up by 32 percent), Jeep Avenger (up by 40 percent), Volkswagen ID.4 (up by 150 percent), Volkswagen ID.3 (up by 114 percent), Skoda Enyaq (up by 41 percent), Mini Countryman (up by 109 percent), BMW 5 Series (up by 54 percen), Fiat 600 (up by 369 percent), Audi A5 (up by 181 percent), Audi A6 (up by 74 percent), Mercedes E-Class (up by 49 percent) and Cupra Born (up by 64 percent)

Image for representative purpose only.