Bengaluru, Aug 6
For the first time, the Society of Automotive Engineers India (SAEINDIA) will have a dedicated platform for automotive startups at the 10th SAEINDIA conference to be held in Bengaluru from Oct 12-14.
At TechHive, startups will displace their products and ideas. It will be in two phases – technology demonstration and product demonstration. After a screening process, ten startups will be selected to present their ideas and raise funds from the stakeholders, said Munirathinam Dhananjayan, organizing chair and managing director of Focus Group.
“The idea is to help startups with the required knowledge and tools to market their ideas. This platform will see participation from stakeholders, incubators, angel investors, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs),” said Dhananjayan. So far, 40 startups have registered for the event.
The automotive society has chosen the sustainable multi-modal mobility ecosystem as this year’s theme. “With the rapid increase in passenger and freight mobility, a sustainable, multi-modal shift will play a vital role in enhancing energy efficiency. The integrated use of different forms of transport will determine our travel not only between cities but even within the cities and societies,” said Mahesh Babu, CEO, Switch Mobility India, and Patron SIMC2022.
Electric mobility infrastructure
According to Bala Bharadvaj, immediate past president of SAEINDIA, sustainability is not only about batteries, wheels, and vehicles, but the interconnection among all the factors. India’s road infrastructure is a limitation that needs to be addressed by people and organizations outside the automotive industry. “As a country, we need to have conversations with city planners, organizations managing lakes, buildings, basically people outside of the automotive industry to develop a better infrastructure system to support electric vehicles,” he added.
Recycling and reuse are two other areas that should prioritise, according to Shankar M. Venugopal, vice president, technology innovation and KM Dean, of Mahindra Technical Academy. He said, “There is a need for a circular economic framework, where what comes in does not go out, but instead gets recycled into the system. India needs to prioritize recycling and reuse to become a global player in electric mobility.