High-tech driver assists may not have an easy drive in India

While automakers world over are touting their progress in advanced driver assist technology and self driving cars, it seems like India is a long way from getting the tech here.  First, our infrastructure, or the lack thereof is to blame. Artificial Intelligence used to run advanced driving assist and driverless cars needs proper road infrastructure to detect the way ahead. In India, there’s no proper system of road signs or speed limits, which would make life for a car with advanced driver assist very difficult.

While managing cost remains a key challenge and priority for OEMs, this new technology knocking on the door proves to be a new challenge in minimising cost, while continuously innovating to stay on the bandwagon.

Indian customers, on the other hand, are willing to pay for cosmetic upgrades, features and modifications, but not for safety tech like ABS and airbags. “The willingness to pay for safety is poor in India,” said Sri Krishnan V, VP, engineering unit, Robert Bosch Engineering & Business Solutions on the sidelines of the NASSCOM Summit held last month. This is despite the steady increase in the number of road fatalities in India. In the wake of this statistic, it is safe to assume that even if advanced driver assist technologies are brought to India, they might not find too many takers unless it is made standard or mandatory.

Automatic emergency braking, however, may take less than ten years to come to India, Krishnan said.

While some driver aids such as self parking cars are trickling into the mainstream, systems that require a higher interaction with the environment may take a long time to become a reality.

Ruchika Shah