India's rapidly evolving mobility sector was the central focus of the 3rd EV & AutoTech Innovation Forum, held at Vivanta, Hinjawadi, Pune, which was organised by Konnect Worldwide Business Media on the theme of ‘Shaping the Future of Mobility.’

The day-long event saw over 300 participants from the automotive stakeholders including EV players, tier-1 suppliers, OEMs, policymakers and tech investors.

The event saw discussions on around the increasing demand for innovative technological features such as connectivity, high-performance computing, driver assistance/autonomous driving & enhanced safety, alongside emerging trends like EVs and stricter efficiency norms. This has led to a growing focus on the role of software in modern vehicles.

Prominent attendees included representatives from Jio, ARAI, Visteon, Harman, Varroc Connect, Tata Motors, Omega Seiki Mobility, MediaTek, Maruti Suzuki India and Stellantis India among others.

Steven Lee, Deputy Director, Intelligent Software Development, MediaTek, said, "India is the fastest-growing connected car market, with a projected CAGR of 18 percent between 2025 and 2030, according to Counterpoint. Government policies, growing presence of global OEMs, seeking alternative sourcing hubs and the rising importance of software in vehicles have together created a strategic opportunity for Indian players to enhance capabilities, accelerate growth and establish India as a global automotive hub. As the sector continues its upward trajectory, it is strategically positioned for transformative growth in the near term, driven by 5G machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity, sophisticated AI integration and premium Multimedia, surpassing traditional 4G frameworks. At MediaTek, we are leveraging our industry-leading expertise in MediaTek Dimensity Automotive portfolio to drive key capabilities including impressive AI, extensive feature integration, innate energy efficiency and leading connectivity solutions. Our collaborations with OEMs help to deliver immersive, advanced in-vehicle user experiences to reach AI defined cockpit with cybersecurity capabilities and enhanced connectivity.”

Mohan Raju, Vice-President & Vertical Head – IoT, Jio, said, “The connected vehicle ecosystem today is a rapidly evolving landscape where vehicles are not just equipped with internet connectivity but also with advanced cloud applications suites, enabling the user to interact with his environment like home, office, shopping lists etc right from the car. Also, the vice versa i.e. Home2Car is fast becoming a reality which involves the user interacting / controlling his car right from the comfort of his car. Icing on the cake - this interaction is increasingly voice commands powered allowing the user to “Speak with the car in his/ her native Indian Language”.

“We are pioneering this experiential transformation and customer preference shifts by bringing first of its kind innovative solutions in close collaboration with Auto OEMs. This approach is fundamentally changing how vehicles are designed, used, maintained and therefore enhancing the overall value and experience of vehicle ownership for the customers," he said.

At the event, the key sessions explored the convergence of AI-ML, edge computing, connected mobility and technological advancements in electric two-wheeler and SDVs. Fireside chats and panel discussions delved into EV ecosystem development, monetisation models and the critical role of telematics and over-the-air (OTA) updates in delivering a seamless in-car digital experience.

Further contributions came from clean mobility disruptors such as Micelio Discovery Studio and Exponent Energy, who presented groundbreaking models in green mobility and localised innovation.

The forum also featured a technical demo zone by Tier-1 OEMs and live vehicle showcases by Tata Motors, Skoda India, JSW MG Motor and Matter Mobility.

Ujjwala Karle, Senior Deputy Director & Head Technology Group, ARAI, said, “With close to six decades of experience in homologation and standardisation, ARAI has expertise in R&D, testing and validation. ARAI has also developed indigenous technologies in the mobility domain through its expertise and in house innovation. Mass-scaling of the technology in India can be achieved by an integrated approach and a combination of virtual and experiential verification and validation process. We are open to collaborate with the manufacturers in automotive domain in the field of R&D, technology development, testing & validation and engineering services.”

Sivakumar Yeddanapudi, Global Vice-President – Digital Cockpit and Connected Services Products, Visteon, said, "India plays a pivotal role in driving the future of global automotive innovation. At Visteon, we're proud to collaborate with MediaTek and other leading partners to accelerate the transition to software-defined, AI-powered vehicles - delivering advanced cockpit technologies that elevate the driving experience."

The day-long event, themed ‘Hello World, Disrupt the Future’, was powered by MediaTek, a world-leading fabless semiconductor company powering nearly 2 billion connected devices a year, as AutoTech partner and supported by ARAI.

Rahul Sindhwani, CEO, Konnect Worldwide Business Media, concluded, "The third edition of the EV & AutoTech Innovation Forum has reaffirmed our resolve to bring together the best minds in mobility. As electric and software-defined mobility gain momentum, the forum served as a catalyst for actionable dialogue, innovation and ecosystem-level collaboration. We are proud to build India’s most definitive platform for future-ready mobility solutions.”

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Aptiv has announced that Volvo Cars has awarded its Gen 8 radar platform for deployment in future vehicle programs, with production scheduled to begin in 2028.

The partnership centres on enhancing the perception capabilities of Volvo’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) as both companies shift toward software-defined architectures.

The Gen 8 platform is Aptiv's latest advancement in high-resolution sensing, utilising proprietary antenna and silicon designs to support AI-powered and machine learning-powered safety functions.

Key Capabilities of the Gen 8 Radar Platform:

• High-Resolution Perception: Superior angular measurement and discrimination allow the system to resolve complex driving scenarios with high precision.
• Environmental Robustness: Engineered to maintain high performance in adverse weather and challenging urban environments where traditional sensors may struggle.
• Sensor Fusion Optimisation: Designed for seamless integration with cameras and other perception layers, providing a more reliable "world model" for the vehicle's computer.
• Scalability: A modular architecture that allows Volvo to deploy the technology across various vehicle lines and global markets efficiently.

Alwin Bakkenes, Head of Software Engineering at Volvo Cars, said, “Volvo Cars has always been guided by a belief that safety should be designed around people and real‑world driving conditions. Aptiv’s Gen 8 radar platform helps us deliver even more robust perception capabilities to our advanced driver assistance systems across increasingly complex environments and driving scenarios.”

Matthew Cole, Senior Vice President, Sensors & Compute at Aptiv, added: “Volvo Cars’ commitment to protecting people inside and outside the vehicle has set the benchmark for automotive safety. Aptiv’s Gen 8 radar was designed with that same purpose in mind: delivering dependable, high-resolution perception that performs in a wide range of use cases and environmental conditions. We’re proud to support Volvo Cars as they continue advancing their safety ambitions across future vehicle programs.”

The collaboration reinforces Volvo Cars' long-term safety mission – aiming for a future with zero accidents, while positioning Aptiv as a primary technology partner in the evolution of intelligent, software-led vehicle safety systems.

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Mercedes-Benz has announced a strategic partnership with the German low-code automation provider n8n to roll out a global platform for AI-powered workflows.

The initiative is designed to move AI beyond isolated pilot projects and integrate it into everyday operations across R&D, production, sales, HR and IT.

The partnership emphasises digital sovereignty, with Mercedes-Benz utilising n8n’s self-hosted, cloud-agnostic model to maintain strict control over its data and processes within a European technology ecosystem.

The strategy categorises employees into ‘Takers’ (users), ‘Makers’ (who design workflows via n8n) and ‘Builders’ (who develop advanced software). The goal is to empower ‘Makers’ to actively shape AI-driven processes without deep coding knowledge.

n8n will act as the ‘glue’ in the Mercedes-Benz technology stack, connecting existing systems and enabling the deployment of AI agents that can resolve issues and make data-driven decisions autonomously.

The rollout follows a massive company-wide hackathon involving over 1,500 participants. The most successful use cases from this event are currently being transitioned into full-scale operational implementation.

Katrin Lehmann, Chief Information Officer, Mercedes-Benz, said, “Scaling AI takes more than technology, it’s about putting it to work in our core business. Together with n8n, we make it easy for our teams at Mercedes-Benz to turn ideas into measurable impact across our value chain and to actively shape how we operate.”

Jan Oberhauser, Founder & CEO, n8n, added, “What we are building together with Mercedes-Benz answers the question of how to move AI from pilot to production at a scale few can achieve.”

By adopting a modular and flexible low-code architecture, Mercedes-Benz aims to increase its ‘innovation velocity.’ The n8n platform allows the company to rapidly iterate on automation ideas while ensuring that the resulting workflows are governed, scalable and integrated with the brand's broader AI ecosystem. This move reinforces Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to an open, software-defined architecture as a primary factor in industrial competitiveness.

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The OPEN Alliance, a leading industry consortium, has issued a call for greater strategic alignment across the automotive sector to unlock the full potential of ‘automotive ethernet’.

According to the newly released Automotive Ethernet – Architecture Change Drives Growth report from Tech Insights, vehicle Ethernet ports are projected to triple from approximately 962,000 sockets in 2025 to 3.42 million by 2032.

Despite this rapid growth, the analysis highlights a significant ‘adoption gap’. A small group of advanced Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) currently installs 4.5 times more Ethernet ports per vehicle than the market average, leading to high variability in maturity levels across different regions and manufacturers.

The report predicts that the average number of Ethernet sockets per vehicle is forecasted to rise from 11 in 2025 to 27 by 2030. While 100BASE-T1 remains common, its share is declining, 1000BASE-T1 is expected to become the dominant speed grade by 2030 to support high-bandwidth backbones.

The demand for 10BASE-T1S is gaining traction in body and infotainment domains, while 2.5GBASE-T1 is being adopted for advanced sensors and cameras. Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) is projected to underpin nearly 50 percent of all Ethernet-equipped vehicles by 2030.

Suma Prabhakara, President, OPEN Alliance, said, “Automotive Ethernet is set for rapid yet uneven growth as new architectures, higher sensor bandwidth and emerging applications drive a near-tripling of Ethernet sockets in vehicles by 2032. As regions like China grow in overall socket share but remain internally fragmented, the OPEN Alliance’s role in reducing variability and accelerating consistent, standards‑based adoption becomes even more important. We encourage OEMs and suppliers to align with our work and share their implementation experience.”

The report warns that fragmented strategies – where different OEMs use divergent implementation methods – risk keeping the cost of developing autonomous driving and next-generation systems ‘unnecessarily high.’

The OPEN Alliance advocates for the use of its standardised test suites to ensure interoperability and prevent costly integration delays.

Additionally, the report identifies geopolitics as the top risk factor for market stability. It also notes that SERDES (Serialiser/Deserialiser) technology will continue to grow alongside Ethernet rather than being displaced by it, as vehicles require a mix of high-speed data protocols to support complex sensor suites.

Samuel Sigfridsson, OPEN Alliance Board Member, added, “The industry cannot afford fragmented approaches. Tested, standards-based implementation will prevent the costly divergence that slows innovation.”

Representational image courtesy: Pexels/AmmyK

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Bengaluru-headquartered L&T Technology Services (LTTS), a global leader in AI and Digital Engineering R&D, has entered into a strategic global partnership with Emerson, a global automation leader.

The strategic collaboration aims to accelerate system integration and product development across the industrial, transportation, semiconductor & aerospace and defence sectors.

Under the agreement, LTTS will act as a global System Integrator and technology development partner for Emerson’s NI (National Instruments) test and measurement platform. The partnership focuses on architecting software-defined, data-centric engineering environments that enhance system performance and sustainability.

As part of the understanding, LTTS will establish a dedicated CoE at its Mysuru campus in India. This hub will leverage NI hardware and software to drive applied innovation, test automation and validation workflows. The partners will co-develop solutions tailored for high-complexity sectors where resilience and engineering rigor are critical. The engagement also includes joint go-to-market initiatives and extended client support models to provide ‘lifecycle enablement’ for global enterprises.

Ritu Favre, President for Emerson’s Test and Measurement business, said, “Engineering environments are becoming increasingly software defined, data centric and interconnected. Our open, modular NI platform provides the architectural foundation organisations need to manage growing system complexity while accelerating validation and deployment cycles. Through our collaboration with LTTS as a global system integrator, we extend this platform into industry-specific implementations that help customers move from engineering uncertainty to operational confidence and leveraging the proven technology leadership of NI automated test and measurement solutions.”

Alind Saxena, Executive Director & President at LTTS, added, “Our clients in Mobility, Sustainability and Tech require engineering systems that are intelligent and future-ready. Our partnership with Emerson strengthens LTTS’ ability to architect and deploy such systems at scale.”

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