HERE Technologies, the leading location data and technology platform, has revealed in its latest survey titled ‘Safer cars, safer roads’ that the concern over road safety is increasing in India, leading to a growing demand for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The survey was conducted in September 2024 with an aim to gather comprehensive insights into road users' perceptions and experiences regarding road safety and determine the standing of ADAS in India.

According to the survey, which involved a representative sample of 1,300 road users across India, safety remains the primary reason for ADAS adoption, influencing 78 of respondents, while technological reliability (58 percent) and ease of use (56 percent) are the other factors at play. The survey also reveals widespread acceptance of automated driving technologies in India, with 87 percent of the respondents voting in favour of ADAS to enhance road safety and 79 percent putting trust in these technologies as far as making safe decisions on the road is concerned. Government involvement was also praised by the respondents, with 87 percent wanting the government to consider ADAS as a point when drafting road safety standards.

The survey further highlights that 91 percent of respondents believe ADAS is crucial for enhancing both road and driver safety but also points out that nearly half of the respondents (49 percent) currently do not have ADAS-equipped vehicles. The positive part is that 82 percent of respondents indicated their willingness to purchase ADAS-equipped vehicles.

According to the survey, 54 percent of the respondents have been involved in a road traffic accident in the past two years. Alarmingly, out of the 91 percent of respondents who drive two-wheelers, 80 percent reported feeling unsafe on India’s roads. Further, 49 percent of respondents felt Indian roads to be relatively safe, whereas 98 percent acknowledged the risk of accidents, signalling a huge contrast between the perception and reality of road safety concerns. The top three causes of accidents are reckless driving, poor road conditions and distracted driving, according to the survey.

Abhijit Sengupta, Senior Director & Head of Business for Southeast Asia and India, HERE Technologies, said, “Our survey highlights growing road safety concerns in India at a critical time when both automakers and policymakers are recognising the urgency of enhancing road infrastructure and technology to improve safety standards. Government initiatives aimed at boosting road safety, alongside the need to support the efficient movement of goods on the logistics front, have made this a crucial time for change. While there is an overwhelming desire for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for safer driving, many road users are still not driving ADAS-equipped vehicles, revealing a significant gap between awareness and adoption. HERE Technologies is committed to bridge this gap with location intelligence, including real-time traffic, alternative route features and more, to tackle challenges like wrong-side driving and traffic congestion for both everyday drivers and commercial transporters. Our efforts align with government initiatives and aim to shape effective safety standards in partnership with policymakers and automotive OEMs.”

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Ola Electric has introduced the S1 X+ 5.2 kWh electric scooter, featuring the company’s indigenously developed 4680 Bharat Cell. The company claims that the launch marks the first time this cell technology has been integrated into a mass-market product. The e-scooter is available at an introductory price of INR 129,999 until 15 April.

The S1 X+ 5.2 kWh utilises an 11 kW mid-drive motor and an integrated motor control unit, providing a claimed top speed of 125 kmph and an IDC range of 320 km. It features a brake-by-wire system and front disc brakes. The use of the Bharat Cell reflects the company's strategy of vertical integration, which encompasses cell development, battery pack engineering and vehicle manufacturing.

Currently, Ola Electric’s portfolio includes the Gen 3 S1 scooter series and the Roadster motorcycle range. The S1 Gen 3 line-up consists of the S1 Pro+ and S1 Pro in various battery configurations, while the mass-market segment includes the S1 X+ and S1 X variants. The Roadster series is offered in X+ and X configurations with battery capacities ranging from 2.5 kWh to 9.1 kWh.

“With S1 X+ 5.2 kWh, we are taking our 4680 Bharat Cell to the mass market at scale. The same technology platform we built for our most advanced products is now powering a scooter designed for much wider EV adoption. This is exactly what vertical integration enables - the ability to innovate deeply, scale quickly, and bring our best technology to more and more customers, faster. S1 X+ 5.2 kWh is where performance, range and scale come together, and is another important step towards making EVs accessible to every Indian,” the company said in a statement.

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Bosch and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have announced an expansion of their strategic collaboration to include Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). This move builds upon their established partnership in cockpit solutions and aims to address the automotive industry's requirement for scalable technology in automated and connected vehicles.

Bosch stated it has now delivered more than 10 million vehicle computers globally using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms.

The extended agreement includes new production programmes for ADAS that utilise Bosch’s vehicle computer architecture powered by the Snapdragon Ride platform. A central component of this collaboration is the development of platforms that combine cockpit and ADAS functions on a single system-on-chip (SoC).

This integration is designed to align with the strategic shift towards software-defined vehicles, allowing automakers to reduce architectural complexity, power consumption, and manufacturing costs.

The Bosch ADAS integration platform is designed as a modular computer capable of fusing data from multiple sensors to create a 360-degree environment model. This system supports a range of functions from entry-level assistance, such as lane keeping and distance regulation, to higher-level automated driving. The joint engineering efforts have already secured several design wins in the East Asian market, with the first vehicles featuring these consolidated platforms expected to enter the market in 2028.

By migrating from numerous individual control units to a small number of high-performance computers, the partnership provides a path toward centralised vehicle architectures.

These solutions are engineered to meet safety standards up to ASIL-D while enabling consumer features such as hands-free driving and intelligent automated parking across various vehicle segments.

Christoph Hartung, Member of the Bosch Mobility business sector board, said, “By combining leading-edge compute technology with our system integration expertise – hardware, software, and safety – we enable automakers to meet the rising demand for personalised, safe and comfortable driving experiences. The growing success of our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies underlines a central value Bosch brings to the industry: we provide the robust, high-performance computing platforms that form the backbone of today’s software-defined vehicle.”

Nakul Duggal, EVP and Group GM, Automotive, Industrial and Embedded IoT, and Robotics, Qualcomm Technologies, said, “Our collaboration with Bosch spans the full spectrum of vehicle compute – from high‑performance cockpit systems to scalable automated driving solutions and emerging centralised vehicle architectures – all powered by Snapdragon Digital Chassis automotive platforms. ADAS is where performance and safety must scale in the real world. By expanding our work with Bosch into production-ready ADAS platforms, we’re helping automakers bring advanced driver assistance across vehicle lines more efficiently, with a clear path to centralised compute.”

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wipro 3D to create a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for additive manufacturing. The facility will be located at the Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI) in Bidadi, Bengaluru. The partnership is intended to facilitate skill development and the integration of 3D printing technologies into production environments.

The centre will provide students with exposure to industrial applications of additive manufacturing, including rapid prototyping and the development of production aids. Wipro 3D will provide technical expertise and training modules covering internships, apprenticeships and workshops. The curriculum will also incorporate digital manufacturing and resource optimisation as part of an emphasis on Industry 4.0 technologies.

By leveraging these manufacturing capabilities, the initiative aims to reduce lead times and improve assembly line efficiency. The TTTI, which focuses on vocational education in trades such as mechatronics and welding, doubled its intake to 2,400 students in 2023. This collaboration aligns with the institution's objective to build technical talent for the automotive sector.

G Shankara, Chief Strategy Officer, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, "Our Human Resource Development philosophy at TKM follows core principles of Toyota such as, Continue the Quest for Improvement, Show Respect for People, under which we thrive hard to develop individuals in the Latest Technology of the New Age Era of automotive field. We are also committed to nurturing skilled talent and strengthening India’s manufacturing ecosystem. This collaboration will play an imperative role in nurturing future-ready talent, while contributing meaningfully to the Government’s Skill India Mission.”

Yathiraj Kasal, Business Head and General Manager, Wipro 3D, added, “This association reflects our commitment to strengthening India’s manufacturing ecosystem through capability building and innovation, while creating industry-relevant learning experiences.”

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TomTom has introduced Unified Speed Restrictions, a new service providing updated speed limit data for global regulatory compliance and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The service is designed to help vehicle manufacturers exceed the minimum requirements of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) regulations.

The service integrates multiple static and live data sources into a single output. By combining various inputs, the system provides continuous updates to vehicle software to ensure speed limit identification remains accurate across different driving environments.

Data sources utilised include:

• Unsigned speed limits: Based on regional road classifications.
• Roadside sign recognition: Camera-based detection of physical signs.
• Probe data: Aggregated information from connected vehicles.
• Variable speed limits: Real-time data from electronic overhead gantries.

Beyond safety compliance, the service supports automated driving functions by providing data for predictive path planning and smoother vehicle manoeuvres.

The solution is available as an API or pre-integrated within the TomTom ADAS SDK. The SDK is modular, allowing manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers to incorporate the data into existing software stacks without vendor lock-in. This architecture is intended to reduce development costs and accelerate the deployment of predictive assistance features.

Manuela Locarno Ajayi, SVP of Product Engineering, TomTom, said, “Accurate and trusted speed information is foundational to road safety, regulatory compliance and automated driving at scale. With Unified Speed Restrictions, we are equipping automakers with a globally consistent, future‑ready foundation that reduces complexity, enabling higher levels of automation.”

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