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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Cars24 has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to support India's startup ecosystem through initiatives focused on artificial intelligence, mobility, and road safety.

As per the agreement, Cars24 will establish structured programmes for early-stage founders, granting access to its infrastructure, mentor network, funding sources, market connections and technical resources. In turn, the DPIIT will facilitate national outreach and ecosystem integration via the Startup India platform, supporting knowledge exchange, co-branding and policy engagement.

The partnership encompasses five specific areas of operation: mentorship for early-stage founders via the Cars24 Founders' Fellowship, training through Mobility and Autotech Skilling Programmes, technical support and AI integration via Cars24 Labs, investor connections through Fuel by Cars24 and the organisation of an annual Innovation Challenge and Road Safety Hackathon alongside the DPIIT.

Vikram Chopra, Builder, Cars24, said, “Cars24 is proof that Indian founders can start with a difficult, everyday problem and build something on a national scale. We want to pass that possibility on. Through this partnership with DPIIT, we are backing the next generation of builders with more than advice. We want to give them access, capital, talent and a real platform to test ideas that can make India move smarter and safer.”

A senior DPIIT official commented, “Industry participation is central to strengthening India’s startup ecosystem. Collaborations of this kind, where an established market leader opens up its scale, mentorship and resources to early-stage founders, are exactly the bridge between ambition and execution that young startups need. We welcome Cars24’s commitment to mentoring, skilling and supporting product startups across the country.”

The non-binding MoU establishes a framework for ongoing collaboration between both entities to foster technology adoption and entrepreneurship within the Indian mobility sector.

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NXP Semiconductors has announced that the BMW Group will deploy its Trimension NCJ29D6 Ultra-Wideband (UWB) family across its vehicle fleet, beginning with selected 2026 production programmes.

The hardware component integrates fine-ranging capabilities with short-range radar functionality on a single chip. This allows vehicle manufacturers to utilise a single system for multiple applications, including hands-free vehicle entry and occupant presence detection.

The integration supports BMW’s Digital Key Plus feature, which enables vehicle owners to substitute key fobs with smartphones or smartwatches. The system manages locking and unlocking functions as the user approaches or moves away from the vehicle. Additionally, the technology includes in-cabin radar monitoring designed to identify motion patterns consistent with occupants or animals left inside a parked vehicle, sending notification alerts to users to align with European and Chinese NCAP assessment protocols.

Markus Staeblein, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Secure Car Access at NXP Semiconductors, said, “NXP’s proven Trimension UWB platform maximises value for OEMs, using a single system to deliver multiple new and differentiating features for drivers. Digital key and presence detection are just the beginning. OEMs will be able to deliver additional UWB-based features, such as kick sensing, intrusion alert or automatic charging, as they establish the secure hardware platform in their vehicles.”

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Envalior India, an engineering materials company formed through the merger of DSM Engineering Materials and LANXESS High Performance Materials, will inaugurate the Envalior Centre of Excellence in Electric Vehicle Technology on 5 August 2026 as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program.

The CoE located at Marathwada Mitra Mandal's Polytechnic in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, will be implemented by the BroadArks Foundation to provide vocational training in electric vehicle systems.

It plans to train 250 individuals annually through two courses: a Level 4 Certificate in EV Service, Safety & Maintenance and a Level 5 Advanced Certificate in EV Diagnostics & Systems.

The curricula align with the National Skills Qualifications Framework and carry certification support from the Confederation of Indian Industry. The programs target students from Industrial Training Institutes and polytechnics studying mechanical, electrical, electronics, mechatronics and computer science disciplines.

Training instruction covers classroom coursework and laboratory modules focused on vehicle architecture, battery management systems, charging infrastructure, thermal management, power electronics, diagnostics and workshop safety protocols. Practical assessments and industry projects form part of the curriculum structure.

Nileshkumar Kukalyekar, Business Director – South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Envalior, said, "The launch of the Envalior Centre of Excellence reflects our commitment to supporting India's transition towards electric mobility by investing in the people who will power it. Through this Centre, we aim to provide students with industry-aligned, hands-on training that prepares them for the evolving demands of the EV sector while contributing to a stronger and future-ready workforce."

In addition to student instruction, the facility is designed to support laboratory infrastructure and instructor development programs for technical education in the region.

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South Korean auto major Hyundai Motor Group has appointed Junghyun Kwon as Executive Vice-President and Head of the Autonomous Driving Development Center.

Kwon will oversee software engineering, deep learning integration, perception systems and commercialisation pathways for the group's autonomous mobility programs, reporting directly to Minwoo Park, President and Head of the Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) Division.

He joins the group following technical management roles in software development and artificial intelligence across international technology firms. Kwon previously managed autonomous driving software development and deployment at NVIDIA before directing intelligent robotics development at Samsung Electronics. His technical background covers machine learning models, computer vision systems and vehicle perception frameworks.

The executive appointment forms part of a broader recruitment sequence targeting software-defined vehicle architectures and autonomous driving systems.

Earlier in July, Hyundai Motor Group appointed Dongwuk Kim as Senior Vice-President and Head of the SDV Platform Development Center, following his work on wireless communication systems for mobile devices, robotics and vehicles at Apple and Tesla. The group also added Jeremy Ma as Senior Vice-President and Head of AVP Silicon Valley, drawing on his experience in robotics and autonomous systems at Apple, Toyota Research Institute and NVIDIA.

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