The Evolving Automotive Architecture: From Fragmented Systems to Integrated SDVs
Something’s changing in the automotive world—and it’s not just about going electric or adding a fancy screen on the dashboard. At the ETAuto Tech Summit 2025 in Bangalore, the real conversation was around something much deeper: a complete shift in how we build, think about, and experience vehicles.
We’re entering the era of Software-Defined Vehicles: where the code matters as much as the chassis, and updates don’t come from a mechanic, but from the cloud.
This shift? It’s a opportunity for India.
Rethinking Infotainment: From Clunky to Clean
Let’s start with something we all experience: infotainment. Today’s systems are often a mess. Too many menus. Delays. Bugs. Interfaces that feel like an afterthought - A tablet pasted on the car.
That’s changing. The future is all about integrated, intelligent, and seamless experiences. Not just cleaner UIs, but smarter systems that deliver information efficiently and instantly. Because milliseconds matter, especially when safety and real-time decisions are involved. What stood out at the summit was the clarity: infotainment is no longer an accessory. It’s a core part of the vehicle experience and it needs to work like one.
OEMs Want the Code Back
One of the clearest signals at the summit? Automakers want control of their own software.
They’re not just outsourcing code anymore. They’re building in-house teams, writing their own stacks, and creating platforms that can evolve as fast as the tech around them. That’s a big shift—for everyone. Gone are the days of multiple software layers from different vendors. The old model doesn’t work in the SDV era. Now the push is for centralized ownership, simpler systems, smarter collaboration, and faster iteration.
It’s not about building everything alone. It’s about building with purpose and owning the pieces that define the experience.
The SDV Era and Why India Is Built for It
India has something unique. Millions of software engineers. A growing base of automotive manufacturing. A generation of talent that speaks both mechanical and digital fluently. That’s rare and that matters.
In the SDV world, the vehicle is a living platform: Over-the-air updates, real-time diagnostics and features that get better with time. And at the heart of all this? Software.
At the summit, Mahindra’s strategy really resonated: Code, Cost, Customer. Leverage the software ecosystem we already have. Keep it affordable. And build with the end-user in mind. It’s not about mimicking what others are doing globally. It’s about creating what fits us and scaling that to the world.
What is made in India is made for the World!
EVs, Platforms, and Smart Architecture
As more vehicles go electric, their mechanical complexity decreases but their digital intelligence has to increase. And that’s exactly where SDVs and EVs align.
Companies like Skoda-Volkswagen are already thinking this way: one scalable platform that can support multiple brands, models, and future upgrades. It’s not just efficient. It’s strategic. Fewer components. More adaptability. Less noise, more focus. This also means more room to innovate on software, services, and customer experience. That’s where India’s strengths in integration, speed, and user empathy really shine.
It’s Not Just a Shift. It’s a Rebuild.
This isn’t just a feature update. It’s time for a full system reboot!
The car is turning into a tech product - one that evolves, updates, and adapts over time. Although tt’s a big shift but it's also a huge opportunity for us as a Nation. We have the talent. We have the drive. And we understand what this market needs because we are the market.
If we can keep building quality-first, user-first, and code-smart vehicles—there’s no reason we can’t lead in this space globally. That’s the kind of future I want to help build. Systems that solves. Code that thinks. Machines that feel like they belong here.
