Netrasemi, a Kerala-based semiconductor startup building system-on-chips (SoC), has raised INR 100 million in a Pre Series A round from Unicorn India Ventures to build Edge AI for IoT products.

Netrasemi, founded in 2020 by Jyothis Indirabhai, Sreejith Varma and Deepa Geetha, has designed three SoCs, namely Netra-R1000, Netra-A2000 and Netra-A4000. Built on an effective Netrasemi DSA (Domain Specific Architecture), all three chips are high-performance ML-capable devices using the company's unique graph-stream hardware acceleration architecture. Solution providers may create sophisticated ML and vision application use cases more quickly and easily with the help of Netrasemi processors. Targeting the surveillance, smart sensors, smart infrastructure, machine vision & industry 4.0, robotics, drones and autonomous vehicles segments, Netrasemi will market its SoCs to end-user verticals such as government, industrial, BFSI, transportation and others.

Anil Joshi, Managing Partner, Unicorn India Ventures, said, “There are attractive opportunities in the Edge AI software market, and there is absolutely no denying that the AI industry has the potential to transform various sectors. The funding accelerates Netrasemi’s mission to deploy the solutions on a better scale. We believe Netrasemi will continue to sustain its momentum with its most powerful AI chip for edge devices and strengthen its position in this space. The company has witnessed remarkable progress in the last 12 months and has designed new solutions. Hence, we believe the market opportunity is huge and the company has built the right momentum to capitalise on this segment.”

Jyothis Indirabhai, Co-Founder, Netrasemi, said, “Netrasemi family of chips will be the first AI/ML SoCs from India for intelligent edge devices, with a full array of digital IPs inhouse developed. We not only own the chip but also own what goes inside. We are excited to be backed by Unicorn India Ventures and believe this funding will play a crucial step for us to fuel our continued expansion and success.”

The first day of May 2025 is set to become a landmark in the history of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as the Fastag Authentication System (FASTag) ends.

The FASTag electronic toll collection system in India, which uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, was introduced to enable seamless toll payments without stopping at toll plazas. This is set to be replaced with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) that will collect toll through a device, possibly fitted in the vehicle number plate. This system will calculate tolls through GPS and GPS-aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) as per the actual distance travelled.

This will eliminate the need to pay tolls for the entire highway if one is getting off earlier. With its introduction, toll transactions are expected to see a reduction in technical glitches, helping clear long queues faster. The government of India has received feedback for a more efficient upgrade to FAStag, the bank-based digital wallet system that has been in use since 2016.

So far, users crossing a single toll plaza multiple times a month are issued monthly passes worth INR 340, which means INR 4,080 a year. On the other hand, a yearly pass for INR 3,000 is being proposed for the whole year, allowing unlimited travel across various national highways of India. As per Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), GNSS with annual and lifetime passes for private cars is the solution to decongest Indian highways.

Though originally slated for 1 April, the launch of the new toll collection system has now been scheduled for 1 May. As per media reports, a better network of India’s satellites are being activated for it. GNSS will be in operation alongside FAStag during the initial stages, with select lanes receiving technology for the new system.

The trials with the new technology are already underway on Panipat-Hisar and Bengaluru-Mysore national highways.    

Mumbai-headquartered automotive major Tata Motors has attained a new milestone of filing 250 patents and 148 design applications in FY2025, which is also its highest ever in a year.  

The automaker has filed the patents across a multitude of disciplines such as connectivity, electrification, sustainability and safety (CESS), as well as alternative energy mix such as hydrogen-based vehicles and fuel cells.

Furthermore, vehicle systems, including battery, powertrain, body and trim, suspension, brakes, HVAC and emission control, were also part of the patents filed by the automaker.

Interestingly, in FY2025, Tata Motors filed 81 copyright applications and secured 68 patent grants during the year, which translates to 918 patents granted to date.

What’s more, Tata Motors also received five accolades and honours in FY2025, being recognised for its excellence in intellectual property rights (IPR).

Rajendra Petkar, President and Chief Technology Officer, Tata Motors, said, “Our innovation strategy is focused on delivering sustained value to customers while staying ahead of the industry shifts. This milestone reflects our continued pursuit of automotive excellence and reinforces our long-term vision of manufacturing greener, safer and more efficient vehicles. With a growing portfolio of pioneering technologies, we remain committed to supporting nation-building through cutting-edge solutions. Looking ahead, our efforts remain rooted in shaping the future of mobility, serving the evolving aspirations of our customers and communities alike.”

Japanese auto major Nissan has announced that it will launch its next-generation ProPILOT technology from the fiscal year 2027. The system, featuring Nissan Ground Truth Perception technology with next-generation LiDAR and Wayve AI driver software, will enable its vehicles to have advanced autonomous driving with collision avoidance capabilities.

Built on Wayve’s embodied AI foundation model, the technology is claimed to be designed to handle highly complex real-world driving conditions in a human-like manner.

Wayve is a global AI company has trained its foundation model on vast amounts of real-world experience using custom GenAI technology that enables point-to-point driving across urban and highway environments.

South Korean auto major Kia has officially launched its generative AI-powered voice recognition system, AI Assistant, across Europe, following successful rollouts in Korea and the United States in 2024.

The company said that the AI Assistant is designed to revolutionise the in-car experience by enabling natural, conversational interactions, helping drivers and passengers easily access vehicle features and get personalised assistance on the go.

Accessible via a steering wheel button or by saying ‘Hey Kia,’ the AI Assistant can perform a wide range of tasks, which the company claimed goes far beyond traditional voice recognition. Users can ask for restaurant recommendations, travel tips, or even child-friendly scientific explanations, such as why the sky is blue.

One of the system’s standout features is its ability to understand user intent and context, providing smart, accurate responses. The AI Assistant also helps drivers navigate in-car features and driving aids, like recommending the Highway Driving Assistant during heavy traffic.

Kia’s AI Assistant now comes standard on European EV3 models built from March 2025, with previous models receiving the update via Over-the-Air (OTA) technology. More Kia models equipped with the connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) system will receive the AI Assistant as the rollout expands.

With ongoing OTA updates, the AI Assistant will continuously improve, making every drive smoother, smarter and more intuitive.