Technical Insight
Connected Mobility Continues its Steady Growth in India; Telecom Sector Supports SOUMEN MANDAL
Counterpoint Technology Market Research
O
ver the past couple of years, the rapidly developing telecom sector has helped the global automotive industry gain necessary thrust in product development, features and in changing the overall in-vehicle environment. Connectivity features have not only made the drive pleasurable but also made the car more safe and secure. Moreover, with the transition towards 5G, the future of autonomous driving seems brighter than ever. India’s automotive market is lagging in the race to implement upgraded features and services when compared to
other automotive markets such as China, US, Japan and Europe. However, auto OEMs are offering more latest features such as embedded connectivity, advanced driverassistance systems (ADAS), shared mobility and various subscription-based services leveraging the growing 4G footprint and laying the foundation for broader adoption of advanced ADAS features when 5G rolls out.
Connectivity trends: 45% of cars will be connected by 2027
India saw its first connected car with
Source: Counterpoint Global Connected Car Tracker, Q3 2021
14 | Telematics Wire | March 2022
embedded telematics with the launch of the MG Hector in 2019. The car was capable of standalone internet connectivity, which helped the company provide more than 50 connected features as part of the package. Soon, Hyundai and Kia followed with their embedded connectivity car models Venue and Seltos respectively. The rising demand for safety and entertainment features is forcing OEMs to bring such cars. Moreover, Maruti Suzuki, which holds the lion’s share of India’s passenger vehicle market, has been providing embedded connectivity services as an add-on feature as the Indian market is very price sensitive. Connected car penetration in India reached 17% in 2021 and we expect it to reach 45% by 2027. Intersecting with the growing adoption of electrification and connectivity, the global automotive industry is transitioning towards autonomous mobility. However, autonomous mobility is still in a nascent phase in India. MG Motor is one of the few brands in India to introduce some autonomous features at Level 1 (L1) autonomy, such as in the MG Gloster. Some other models such as MG’s Astor and Mahindra’s XUV 700 are offering advanced autonomy features at Level 2 (L2). These OEMs have kickstarted the connectivity and autonomous revolution in India, pushing incumbents to go back to the drawing board. Telecom operators are also trying to gain from this momentum and
