The 4^th  edition of the International Symposium on automotive tyre technology (ISATT)  was held digitally between 14th to 15th January 2021. The International Centre organised the event for Automotive Technology of India (ICAT) in the presence of numerous dignitaries and speakers. This year's focus was on the research and development required in the tyre industry to meet the future demands of efficiency, emissions, and regulations.

This year’s edition provided opportunities to more than 300 professionals working in the tyre technology domain directly or indirectly, to come together on common platform to discuss the latest developments in the field of automotive tyre technology. Experts from automotive industry, test facilities, test equipment manufactures and research institutes from various countries apart from India shared their experience about the development of future tyre and aspects of tyre safety and performance. The seminar also focused on the latest advancements in the Indian and worldwide automotive tyre regulations.

Jayanta Roy Chowdhary, DDG (Standardization – P&M), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) spoke about the need for tyres to enhance the fuel efficiency and safety of upcoming advanced vehicles. Saurabh Diddi, Director Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) briefed about STAR rating programme for energy-efficient tyres, which will help reduce CO2 emission levels and fuel costs and benefit end-users to select the right replacement tyres. Dinesh Tyagi, Director-ICAT, shared his thought about road safety, upcoming regulations on TPMS and future technologies like airless tyres. He also informed about the availability of ICAT's test facilities for tyres as per AIS:142.

During the event, a key area of discussion was the development of airless tyres as a viable future technology in tyres. The tyre has demonstrated some key advantages such as eco-friendly, easy production compared to conventional tyres, no required groove pattern, additional space for brake, reduced rolling noise, rolling resistance, no puncture risk, limit irregular tyre wear and easy change of tread in case of tyre wear. On the 2nd day of the event, "New Policies of Tyre Trade under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat" were discussed along with other technical lectures.

S. K. Kalia, CBO-Centre2, ICAT said that ICAT's tyre test facilities are designed and developed in India adhering to technical accreditations from NABL (ISO:17025) and BIS approval. He also praised ICAT's advanced test facilities like rolling resistance and wet grip which are mandatory for STAR rating testing of tyres under the requirement of BEE. ICAT also provides additional facilities such as rolling sound emission, indoor NVH testing for tyres, and ISO tracks to tyre manufacturers to meet their testing requirements.

Dr R. Mukhopadhyay, Director & Chief Executive of HASETRI and Director of R&D, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd. opened the technical session about R & D's future roadmap R&D in the tyre industry to meet the demands of the automotive industry. Guests and speakers from various related areas such as Transport Department, Tyre Industry, OEMs, ATMA/ITTAC, DPIIT, Research Institutes, Academic Institutions, & Bureau of Energy Efficiency graced the event. Experts from India, Sweden and Oman deliberated over technical aspects, global regulations and trending tyre technology.

Other important members at the Symposium included Dr Arun Jaura, Managing Director, Michelin India Technical Centre and T. K. Thomas, Executive Director, CEAT Ltd. with the vote of thanks being given by Amit Karwal, AGM-ICAT & Convener-iSATT'21.

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Asia’s largest integrated platform for traffic management, road construction and smart mobility solutions officially opened its doors today at the Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The combined Traffic Infratech Expo, Road Infratech Expo and Parking Infratech Expo are showcasing over 300 brands under the theme ‘Enabling Responsible Infrastructure and Mobility.’

The 2025 edition emphasises innovation, sustainability and collaboration, bringing together government officials, industry leaders and technology providers to address India’s rapidly evolving infrastructure needs.

Raj Manek, Executive Director & Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings, said, “At Messe Frankfurt India, our commitment to create platforms that don’t just showcase technologies but actively drive industry conversations and policy alignment. Traffic Infratech Expo has evolved into an ecosystem where government, industry leaders and innovators converge to shape the future of mobility. This year’s edition, with its scale and focus on responsible infrastructure, reflects India’s ambition to lead in safe, sustainable and technology-driven transport solutions.”

A key focus of the expo is ‘Transforming Transportation for the Future,’ with several high-level discussions planned on supporting home-grown technology solutions.

The event will host a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) and the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) to accelerate indigenous technology development within the automotive sector.

Jayprakash Nair, Managing Director, Virtual Info System (VIS Group), said, “Over the years, Traffic Infratech Expo has become a catalyst for change in India’s transport and mobility landscape. Together with Messe Frankfurt India, we have built a platform that drives industry and government collaboration. Technology providers, product manufacturers, government associations, infrastructure, and policymakers are converging at the expo to discuss the real challenges and solutions needed. The 2025 edition is particularly significant as it not only introduces next-gen product categories but also brings multiple agencies and stakeholders to the table, reinforcing the show’s role as a driver of innovation and progress.”

The expo is supported by several key government bodies, including the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and will feature the Smart Mobility Conference to enable in-depth policy discussions. The two-day event is set to host over 20 new product launches and facilitate B2B and B2G networking.

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Cognizant hosted Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team driver Lance Stroll and driver ambassador Pedro de la Rosa at its GAR campus in Hyderabad. The visit was part of 'Celebrating Cognizant', a series of sporting and cultural activities for company associates.

Lance and Pedro met with Cognizant’s leadership team and hundreds of associates, discussing how Cognizant’s digital expertise supports the team, especially ahead of the 2026 regulations.

Lance Stroll, said, "It was a pleasure to visit the Cognizant offices in Hyderabad and meet so many of the team. Hearing first-hand about Cognizant’s technology and services was valuable and we felt incredibly welcomed by everyone we met.”

Rajesh Varrier, President – Global Operations and Chairman & Managing Director, Cognizant India, said, “Today’s celebration with Lance is a proud moment for our associates and a powerful reminder of how far we have come in shaping the future of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team through innovation. I am inspired by what we have achieved together and optimistic about the promise this partnership holds for the future.”

A fireside chat with Lance, Pedro, and Rajesh underscored the role of technology in F1 and the Cognizant partnership. The drivers engaged with associates in a Q&A session.

In addition to the visit, Cognizant hosted a virtual hackathon for nine teams from three organisations supported by its Outreach programme. Participants developed low-code or code-based solutions to make the team’s Ai.lonso avatar into an engaging digital companion for fans. The top two teams won cash prizes and met Lance and Pedro.

Cognizant began its partnership with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team in 2021. The technology company acts as the team’s digital transformation partner, improving IT infrastructure and daily operations.

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Ola Electric, one of India’s largest electric vehicle manufacturers, has announced that it became the first two-wheeler EV maker to get government certification for its in-house developed rare-earth-free ferrite motor.

The company claims that the ferrite motor eliminates its need to import rare-earth motors with permanent magnets.

The certification has been granted by Global Automotive Research Centre, Tamil Nadu, after undergoing rigorous performance verification and mandatory motor power tests as per AIS 041 that is notified by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), Government of India.

As per the company, the in-house developed ferrite motor’s performance matched that of the motors with rare-earth permanent magnet motors in terms of net power for 7kW and 11 kW variants.

Ola Electric claimed that the ferrite motor delivers efficiency, performance and durability on par with rare-earth permanent magnet motors, while dramatically lowering costs and de-risking supply chain fluctuations. The company first introduced its ferrite motor at its annual ‘Sankalp 2025’ event in August this year.

With this, Ola Electric is set to integrate the ferrite motor across its product lineup, further enhancing performance, affordability and sustainability.

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BASF and its partners are set to present two technologies at K 2025 that allow for the recycling of polyamides from end-of-life vehicles. While metal recovery from decommissioned vehicles has been standard for decades, about 200 kilograms of plastic per vehicle are often incinerated. The new technologies aim to change this, especially with upcoming requirements from the End-of-Life Vehicle Regulation (ELVR). Pilot projects show how automotive waste can be used as material and returned to a closed cycle for the car industry.

BASF developed a chemical recycling process that recycles used and contaminated plastic parts – including used oil pans from ZF Group vehicles. The core of the process is depolymerisation, where the long polyamide chains break down into their original monomers. The caprolactam monomer obtained from PA6 is then purified. This removes impurities that would have remained with mechanical recycling and potentially reduced the material's quality and safety.

The material is then repolymerised into high-quality polyamide, which is processed into a compound suitable for demanding car industry components, closing the automotive-to-automotive loop.

"What used to be considered non-recyclable is now the starting point for high-quality new products," said Martin Scheuble, Team Leader Circularity Engineering Plastics at BASF.

ZF Group processed the recycled material into a chassis component for Mercedes-Benz. Tests show that depolymerisation allows for polyamide compounds that can be used without compromising performance or other chemical and physical properties.

"This project highlights the potential of recycled plastic - even for technically demanding applications - and underlines ZF's innovative strength in establishing sustainable material cycles," said Dr. Michael Lohrmann, Director Materials Technology at ZF.

Solvent-based recycling of shredder residue

A second pilot project focuses on recycling automotive shredder residue (ASR) – a mixture of materials left after the removal of mostly metals and glass. Close cooperation with a recycling company, using new sorting and processing technology, has allowed the polyamides to be extracted from this mixture in a largely pure form.

This polyamide fraction was the starting material for a solvent-based recycling process. In this process, the polymer chain is selectively dissolved with a solvent, purified and then reprocessed into PA6 compounds.

Poppelmann manufactured and tested a chain guide rail in series production at Mercedes-Benz using this technology.

"The project impressively demonstrates that solvent-based recycling is a practical alternative for plastics that are difficult to recycle mechanically. It makes an important contribution to the holistic circular economy - from the car back into the car," emphasised Steffen Meyer, Team Leader Production Technology at Poppelmann.

Life cycle analyses (LCA) confirm that both the solvent-based and depolymerisation technologies offer substantial CO2 emission savings compared to both conventional polyamide production and traditional plastic recycling methods like thermal recovery.

BASF offers a range of recycling solutions, stating that targets are achieved only if technologies are used in a complementary manner, depending on the type and availability of waste.

Jana Kragenbring-Noor, Head of Sustainability & Environmental Protection at Mercedes-Benz, explained, "Mercedes-Benz is committed to the use of secondary raw materials in its vehicles today and in the future as part of resource conservation and circularity. To continuously increase the availability of such sought-after secondary materials, the expansion of existing and new recycling technologies is essential."

"We are continuously improving the efficiency of physical methods such as mechanical and solvent-based recycling. In addition, we are convinced that complementary technologies such as chemical recycling, which includes depolymerization, pyrolysis and gasification, are necessary to further promote the circular economy and reduce the plastic waste that still ends up in landfills or is incinerated today, as well as the potential to obtain high-quality recycled plastics," explained, Dr. Martin Jung, President of BASF Performance Materials.

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