India Autonomous Mobility: India Leads the Charge in Autonomous, AI-Driven Mobility at ETAutoTech Summit 2025, ET Auto

Published 6 days ago• 3 minute read

At the ETAutoTech Summit 2025, the tone was set: India’s not just chasing innovation — it’s building its own. The event brought together leaders from across the ecosystem to talk AI, autonomy, indigenous IP, and collaboration with unlikely partners like ISRO. Meanwhile, Tesla’s robotaxi rollout faces technical and political turbulence, even as Indian AVs quietly inch forward. From IIT Hyderabad’s TiHAN to TCS’ SDV labs in Europe — it's clear: the road to future mobility is being paved fast, and everywhere.

ETAutoTech Summit 2025: Innovation and urgency to scale indigenous capabilities take centre stage

India’s automotive industry is going full throttle on localisation — from electrification to AI-native platforms. ETAutoTech Summit 2025 became the rallying point for stakeholders who believe India isn’t just participating in the EV-autonomous revolution — it’s aiming to lead it.

ETAutoTech Summit 2025: Pawan Goenka urges ISRO-Auto industry collaboration on sensor tech

In one of the event’s key moments, Pawan Goenka called for ISRO to team up with automakers to build world-class sensor systems. From GNSS to LIDAR, the pitch is simple — space-grade precision could power the next-gen Indian autonomous stack.

Indian autonomous driving tech for India, and the world

Autonomy isn’t one-size-fits-all — and India’s proving it. With unpredictable roads and unique conditions, Indian AV developers are solving edge cases that global players can’t. This video explores how our chaos could become our competitive advantage.

Watch now

How is Tesla expected to remotely control its robotaxis, and what are its limitations?

Tesla’s approach to robotaxis involves remote operation fallback — think human drivers overseeing fleets through control centers. But real-time decision-making over networks has its risks: latency, liability, and edge-case failures remain unresolved.

TiHAN at IIT Hyderabad is building the R&D backbone for Indian autonomy. It now wants to create an industry consortium to leverage its testbeds, labs, and simulation platforms. A collaborative effort to drive standards and scale.

With new centres in Germany and Romania, TCS is doubling down on SDVs — building embedded software, cloud stacks and cybersecurity layers for next-gen cars. The global auto industry is clearly taking Indian IT very seriously.

Regulatory brakes are being applied in the US. Lawmakers in Texas want Tesla to pause its robotaxi deployment, citing safety concerns and lack of transparency. The tension between innovation and regulation is on full display.

As India accelerates toward a software-first, AI-powered mobility future, the question is no longer “if” but “how soon.” The tools are being built, the coalitions are forming, and the ambition is loud and clear. The next lap? Real-world execution — at scale.

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