There are increasing software components to vehicles, with new intelligence being added and them getting more sophisticated. SaaS is a way to deliver the software, and we are seeing more software in the automotive industry. Venkat Nathan, Founder and CEO, Nesh LIVE, talks to us about the start-up’s transition to a vehicle connectivity solutions company, their USP and more.

While we see large players like Tesla choosing to build their vehicle connectivity solutions inhouse, SaaS could be the way to go for medium to small players in the automotive OEM space to enable these solutions. However, they may need to approach companies that offer full-stack SaaS solutions for vehicle connectivity to compete with the large players.

One such company is Nesh LIVE, which provides SaaS solutions for vehicle connectivity and was selected by Stanford University as one of the promising start-ups in India under the Seed Transformation Programme in 2017, and has close to about 100,000 vehicles in its system. Moreover, the start-up has been working with vehicle manufacturers for close to five years now.

“Our solutions are deployed at leading truck, bus and off-road vehicle manufacturers. Besides this, we are also working with electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers right now,” says Venkat Nathan, Founder and CEO, Nesh LIVE. “We are working towards helping these manufacturers extract, transfer and analyse battery and vehicle data in the cloud. This in turn is the bedrock for any mobility – that bedrock is quality data, and quality data comes with connectivity right at the production line and the latest sensors supporting the extractions. So when a vehicle is born, the sensors are put in right at the time of its birth as an OEM fitment rather than leaving it to the customer to buy it as an aftermarket fitment.”

The three-dimensional way
Nesh LIVE’s specialisation is that it works with manufacturers early on and tries to integrate its products into the manufacturing line. That way, the whole ecosystem benefits from quality data. In order to build intelligent insights on data, connectivity has to have all the dimensions, from vehicle data to user-behaviour to the environment. The start-up attacks the automotive OEMs’ problems in this three-dimensional way. Doing this provides insights not just for the manufacturers but for the entire network – everyone in the chain is allowed to see and access information that they are allowed to see and access.

The rating system
“Today, we collect close to 100 million data points a day. Nesh LIVE also provides rating systems for the vehicle as a feature, based on the data they get,” says Nathan and goes on, “This rating is useful for the fleet owner.”

The rating system is provided for the vehicle and drivers, and now Nesh LIVE will be extending very similar algorithms for battery rating of electric vehicles. There are a number of applications for battery rating; for one, it helps the user understand the health of the battery. And secondly, as these batteries come up for reuse in other sectors, the grading system will help decide their afterlife in the long run. In fact, the vehicle rating system helps people anonymously compare their own vehicles within their own fleet and other fleets as well.

“In summary, we identify what data is needed and work with the automotive manufacturers. We then extract that data and send it to the cloud. Once that data is sent to the cloud, we run a lot of analytics in the cloud and then provide insights to different stakeholders,” Nathan makes clear.

Nesh LIVE’s SaaS solution – from ICEs to EVs
Some aspects of the SaaS feature are common, while some are industry-specific. “For instance, bus manufacturers want to know when the bus shows the pick-up location in advance. While all applications need to be highly accurate, the accuracy requirements in the bus segment are much higher within SaaS,” Nathan tells us and goes on, “However, in case of construction equipment like earth movers, for instance, there is greater importance to monitoring its working hours rather than accuracy of its location since it is mostly restricted to select zones. Hence, there are small variations from segment to segment. Even EVs have some variations that we are addressing right now.”

Elaborating further on this, Nathan says, “The EV industry is very interested in having a lot of analytics on battery, especially the charging and discharging cycles and health of the battery. This in turn impacts the range of the vehicle, and the range of a vehicle is dynamic. The dynamic range prediction needs to take into account, along with the driver behaviour, such as braking and speed, the usage of the vehicle, the environment, the road surface etc.”

“The SaaS offerings include the mobile app for the driver. For example, the driver gets push notifications based on what we see in terms of his/her handling the vehicle, the way he/she drives, the battery being due for service etc. Besides, we also educate and engage the user for best practices of the EV vehicle,” he adds.

From mobile applications to vehicle connectivity solutions
In fact, Nesh LIVE was initially into building mobile applications for the fleet industry when the product was launched in 2015, before venturing into vehicle connectivity solutions. However, the transition wasn’t too difficult as the two fields are very related, Nathan claims. He asserts, “When we started back in 2015, we started with applications on the phone, predominantly focused on the driver dimension. We provided the driver with an app, like Ola or Uber do today, and basically tracked the phone. The industry had just begun to explore other forms of connectivity of tracking a vehicle back then. So what started in 2015 as GPS tracking and reporting has slowly morphed into a huge vehicle intelligence and analytics platform.”

GPS tracking was, in truth, seen as a low-end commodity product back in 2015. “So when we approached large automotive suppliers with our solution, they approached it cautiously,” Nathan tells us and continues, “However, we had to really convince them that while today it is only GPS, tomorrow it will be the black box of the vehicle – like the Wi-Fi of a house – enabling connectivity and becoming the point of access to the internet.”

Therefore, while the transition for the company from a technical perspective wasn’t much, convincing customers to adopt the technology and telling them that it would morph into providing intelligence for the vehicle and improving its efficiency and safety was difficult back then. “However, we saw the perspective change after 2019. Today, the end-user wants intelligent insights,” Nathan explains.

He further adds that Nesh LIVE has also created virtual sensors that direct the load of the vehicle. “We can tell if a vehicle is travelling with or without load by algorithms. This has further increased the utilisation of the vehicle,” he informs.

Reinventing and staying ahead
While the start-up has come a long way since its inception, it has to face competition like any other organisation and industry. Nathan cites that Nesh LIVE has competition at two levels – the IoT level and the transporter level.

“The IoT-level competition is quite generic and not focused on automotive; data is collected from any industrial equipment, is processed and analytics on it is provided. It is very broad-based,” he explains and goes on, “On the other hand, Nesh LIVE is very automotive-niche; we have people with experience in automotives and we have worked with automotive companies for nearly seven years. Therefore, we have built up a lot of domain knowledge that comes in handy to provide advanced analytics.”

“At the transporter level, one will find companies providing good GPS tracking solutions to transporters. These competitors are at the transporter level, meeting their respective needs,” Nathan further explains.

Coming to where Nesh LIVE stands out, Nathan highlights, “Our start-up does not provide just for the transporters. Our USP is that we provide a lot of features for the auto manufacturer, including the dealers and service network of the manufacturer. And all of this is automated as a production line fitment at the manufacturing line. So we try to stay ahead by being domain-focused and being a very holistic end-to-end player for the ecosystem – not just for the transporter.”

But staying ahead of the competition is not enough. Nesh LIVE has also been constantly working on enhancing its SaaS platform. The start-up invests 20-30 percent into new R&D initiatives of SaaS and is continuously improving. In fact, it has customers in Canada and has ongoing trials in Dubai and the US. Moreover, it has already run some trials in Nigeria.

Cater to the automotive ecosystem
Today, it’s all about providing intelligent insights, which has been a pull from the end-users themselves. The end-users want to increase their vehicle utilisation and get more revenue out of it. What’s more important is that the software architecture has to show agility for the vehicle from the very first day. Therefore, SaaS technology will not only improve the safety but also the efficiency and operation of every vehicle, and last but not least, help cater to the automotive ecosystem.

Elektrobit, a wholly owned independent subsidiary of Continental, has announced a strategic partnership with Metoak, a Chinese provider of intelligent driving solutions, to accelerate the development and adoption of software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

The collaboration integrates Elektrobit’s EB corbos Linux for Safety Applications – an open-source operating system compliant with automotive safety standards – with Metoak’s high-performance chips and driving algorithms. The first mass production project, now in its initial phase, focuses on stereoscopic vision and multi-sensor fusion technologies for next-generation ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) controllers. Mass production is expected by early 2026.

The project marks the first integration of open-source systems with domestic chips in China’s intelligent driving sector. Elektrobit brings its global software expertise, while Metoak contributes its stereoscopic vision technology, aiming to deliver secure, cost-effective, and updateable SDV solutions for Chinese automakers.

The partnership centres around two areas:

EB corbos Linux for Safety Applications – The world’s first open-source, high-performance computing OS to meet ISO 26262 ASIL B and IEC 61508 SIL 2 safety standards. Its customisability and compliance with the UNECE R155 cybersecurity regulation make it a competitive choice for automakers. Metoak has successfully adapted the OS to its chips, reducing supply chain risks and offering a flexible solution for local manufacturers.

AUTOSAR Software and Autonomous Driving – The partners will co-develop ASIL D-certified Classic AUTOSAR software to optimise real-time communication and safety. They also plan to work on Level 3 autonomous driving algorithms and build a local ecosystem to support the ‘domestic chips + open-source system’ model.

Yaojie Lu, CEO of Metoak, said: “Partnering with Elektrobit combines the flexibility of EB corbos Linux with our stereo vision and AI technology, enabling cost-efficient and precise perception solutions.”

Maria Anhalt, CEO of Elektrobit, added: “The success of SDVs depends on openness and collaboration. We’re proud to see the industry’s first open-source safety-compliant OS entering mass production alongside Metoak.”

The partnership sets the stage for scalable, safety-certified SDV innovations in China and beyond.

Axiscades Technologies, a leading technology and engineering solutions provider, has appointed Anurag Sharma as CEO of add-solution, a Germany-based subsidiary of Axiscades specialising in wiring harness design & testing for aerospace, automotive and industrial sectors.

The German company focuses on specialised drone development and thermal management offering for Axiscades group in Europe.

Alfonso Martinez, CEO and MD, Axiscades, said, “We are excited to welcome Anurag to our leadership team. He embodies the rare blend of technical expertise and executional foresight that defines Axiscades’ ambition. The future of engineering value is being created: at the intersection of electrification, AI-driven industrial transformation and semiconductor-led innovation and he brings these talents to the table. Anurag’s track record in scaling engineering businesses gives add-solution the exact leverage needed to dominate the software-defined era. His work in EDS and cross-border industrialisation aligns with our strategy to embed deeper into European OEMs’ R&D cycles. In Europe, the sector contributes 4 percent to the GDP and is home to several leading premium car manufacturers, making it a highly attractive market. As part of our restructuring, Axiscades is doubling down on aerospace, defence and engineering services powered by Electronics, Semiconductors and Artificial Intelligence (ESAI).”

“add-solution plays a central role in this vision, bringing software-led scale and agility to these high-priority verticals. We're building a leadership team that doesn’t just respond to industry shifts it shapes them,” he added.

Sharma is an alumnus of IIT Roorkee and comes with over three decades of experience across product development, sales & business development, P&L management and successful execution of large-scale engineering programs.

He began his career with L&T and has held several senior roles across Siemens Technology, Segula Technologies, Altran India, Ansys India and Altair Engineering.

Anurag Sharma, said, “Axiscades is at an inflection point where product innovation in the domain of electronics, semiconductor and digital engineering are converging to create long-term value. The EDS (Electrical Distribution Systems) industry is undergoing a major transformation, with embedded electronic systems and 3D designs taking centre stage. As OEMs increasingly shift towards software-defined vehicles and electrification, the demand for highly specialised, domain-driven engineering services is set to rise. I am thrilled to contribute to this vision and bring together add solution’s deep expertise in EDS and component testing to give Axiscades a unique edge. The goal is to deepen global partnerships and build differentiated capabilities by delivering smarter, faster, and more integrated solutions across the value chain.”

South Korean auto major Hyundai Motor Group has opened the Hyundai Center of Excellence (Hyundai CoE) for future mobility technology at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.

It was on 3 December 2024, the automaker had announced its partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology's (IITs) to establish a collaborative research system in batteries and electrification. It had also outlined an ambitious USD 7 million investment to support the initiative.  

As part of its long-term academic-industrial collaboration Hyundai Motor Group has selected nine joint research projects which focusses on –

• Battery cells, systems and testing
• Battery management systems (BMS)
• Energy density enhancement
• Safety
• Durability
• Diagnostic technologies.

It also explores new materials and system components, driving forward innovation in battery design and performance.

The ceremony saw participation from Heuiwon Yang, President and Head of the R&D Division, Unsoo Kim, Managing Director of Hyundai Motor India and Chang Hwan Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of the Electrification Energy Solutions Tech Unit. They were joined by IIT representatives, including Prof Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi, Dean Manu Santhanam from IIT Madras and Dean Sachin C. Patwardhan from IIT Bombay.
The Steering Committee of the Hyundai CoE will be co-chaired by EVP Chang Hwan Kim and Prof Bijaya Ketan Panigrahi at IIT Delhi.

Heuiwon Yang, said, “We’re excited to work with India’s brightest minds in battery innovation. Collaborating with leading researchers and IIT professors through the Hyundai Center of Excellence for future mobility technology will help us develop technologies tailored to India while contributing to its economy and society. We see this partnership with India’s academia and industry as a foundation for building a sustainable future together.”

In addition, the Korean automaker is also expanding its Future Technology Research Program, which has been in operation since 2021. In contrast to general operation methods of academic-industrial projects, the program allows university faculty members to propose their own research topics, which are then reviewed and selected by the Group.

The initiative was earlier limited to Korean universities, which has now been expanded to include foreign faculty, including professors at IITs. At present, Hyundai Motor Group has collaborated with three IIT universities (IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay and IIT Madras), engaging around 30 professors. By December 2025, it aims to expand its reach to 10 universities in India, including non-IIT institutions, with approximately 100 professors participating.

Going forward, the OEM will also focus on technology exchange forums bringing together experts from both India and Korea; global conferences on battery and EV technologies to share insights on trends & policies and policy dialogue sessions that engage key stakeholders from the Indian government, academia and industry to discuss the future of the mobility and electrification sectors.

MathWorks, a leading mathematical computing software company, recently hosted MATLAB Expo 2025 conference in Bengaluru, which saw participation from over 800 engineers, academicians and industry leaders.

The conference served as a platform for bringing forth discussions on the best practice across industries. Through a series of engaging keynote sessions, panel discussions and technology showcase, the participants got an opportunity to understand the latest advancements spanning electrification, next-generation wireless systems, AI modelling and system simulation.

Richard Rovner, Vice-President of Marketing at MathWorks, gave a presentation on ‘From Embedded to Empowered: The Rise of Software-Defined Products.’ He highlighted the sweeping transformation brought about by software-defined architectures in modern engineering and urged organisations to adapt their development methodologies and team structures, pointing to MATLAB and Simulink as critical tools for capturing value and reducing risk in this evolving landscape.

Furthering this narrative, Dr Anshuman Awasthi, Senior Vice-President at Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI), delivered his keynote, ‘Software Development in a Connected World.’ He examined the convergence of connectivity, consumer demand, and real-time development, underscoring the central role of software in the future of mobility.

Sunil Motwani, Country Head, MathWorks India, said, “MATLAB Expo 2025 highlighted remarkable contributions by leading engineers and scientists. With a sharp focus on software-defined products and artificial intelligence, platforms like these are essential to foster collaboration, share insights and drive innovation. MathWorks remains committed to enabling professionals to connect and learn from one another.”

Beyond the keynotes, the event featured a robust technology showcase, where more than 25 demo booths offered interactive experiences led by MathWorks experts and partners. Participants had the opportunity to engage hands-on with emerging tools and technologies critical to modern engineering.

A key highlight at the event was a panel discussion featuring experts from Jaguar Land Rover Technology and Business Services India, Tata Elxsi, Nexteer Automotive, AIC BIMTECH and IIIT Bangalore. The panel addressed the rising importance of system-level simulation in the design of intelligent products that seamlessly integrate software, hardware and AI. Discussions revolved around cross-functional collaboration and the evolving skillsets needed to lead the technological transformation.

The conference also celebrated the voices of women leaders from Nexteer Automotive, EMBITEL Technologies and CEMILAC, who shared stories of resilience, innovation, and leadership. Their session emphasised the importance of inclusive work cultures, leveraging technology for empowerment, and fostering community-driven progress.

Closing out the programme was an update session titled ‘What’s New in MATLAB and Simulink,’ which highlighted recent advancements in deep learning, systems engineering, wireless communications and model-based design.