When Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, recently spoke about the transformative potential of Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), a technology for autonomous driving in India, he framed it as a critical lever for safer roads, smarter traffic management and future-ready mobility. That vision is already finding concrete expression inside Samsung Electronics-owned HARMAN Automotive’s India operations, which are emerging as a global hub for software-defined and connected vehicle technologies, says Krishna Kumar, Managing Director and Automotive Head, HARMAN India.
Mr. Krishna Kumar told The Hindu that, “We’ve been preparing for software-defined vehicles for a while now. Our approach is grounded in building production-ready solutions, moving beyond concepts to deployable solutions and ready products. These are already with OEMs and help cut time to market by almost half.”
He further said, a key pillar of HARMAN’s production-ready strategy was V2X. For instance, from India HARMAN worked in partnership with HERE Technologies, a Dutch firm, to develop direct and cloud-based V2X driver assistance systems that support Euro NCAP (new car assessment programme) 2026 compliance. These systems enabled advanced road alerts—ranging from accidents and stationary vehicles to wrong-way drivers—reinforcing the safety outcomes policymakers have been advocating, he explained.
According to Mr. Kumar, HARMAN’s Ready Product portfolio spans multiple aspects of the in-car experience: Ready Care focuses on driver safety, wellness and cognitive load detection; Ready Vision is a next-generation digital cockpit solution; Ready Upgrade enables post-sale feature additions, and Ready Display enhances in-cabin visual experiences. “All these are modular, production-grade platforms designed to help manufacturers bring products to market faster by accelerating OEM timelines,’’ he added.
Connectivity, however, is where HARMAN sees a major inflection point. Ready Connect, is a pre-developed all-in-one telematics control unit (TCU) that compresses vehicle development timelines. “It offers built-in upgradability from 4G to 5G to SatCom through configurable design, reducing the total cost of OEM ownership and maximising return on investment,’’ Mr. Kumar claimed adding, by enabling ubiquitous connectivity, the TCU allowed OEMs to offer safe, secure and reliable connected experiences to consumers anywhere and anytime.
“This is completely done out of India, in fact, end to end.We build the hardware, develop the software, and manufacture it here,’’ he said, emphasizing the lead role played by India. The TCU which comprises all intelligent electronics eventually enables vehicles to stay connected even in regions with poor terrestrial networks, switching seamlessly to satellite connectivity when required.
Mr. Kumar further said, not just technology, India was also central to HARMAN’s manufacturing and OEM partnerships. Its Pune facility served as a global manufacturing hub for digital cockpits, TCUs (telematics control units) and automotive electronics, supplying to leading Indian automakers including Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra & Mahindra.
“From car audio standpoint, for Tata we integrate JBL branded audio, for Mahindra it’s Harman Kardon, and for Maruti it’s Infinity,” he elaborated. “We also develop the complete intelligent cockpit software in India. This is truly Make in India for the world.”
One standout example was the all-new Tata Sierra, which featured HARMAN’s advanced infotainment, digital instrument cluster, upgraded JBL audio system and Ready Connect connectivity—marking a new phase in the long-standing HARMAN-Tata partnership, he stated.
Looking ahead, he said, HARMAN has plans to deepen investments in software defined vehicle (SDV) platforms, V2X and immersive in-cabin experiences, working closely with multiple OEMs and leveraging collaboration with parent company, Samsung Electronics.
“With the talent, capability and product depth we’ve built—especially out of India—we’re confident we can stay ahead,” he stated.
As India accelerated toward connected mobility, HARMAN’s India-led V2X innovations were already shaping vehicles not just for local roads, but for global highways, Mr. Kumar further said.
