India’s automobile sector is accelerating on multiple fronts—record sales and a renewed commitment to data privacy. At a prominent New Delhi forum Tuesday, SIAM President Shailesh Chandra, who also helms Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle division, declared that cutting-edge innovations must operate strictly within customer data privacy guardrails.
Chandra delved into the data deluge defining today’s vehicles. Whether EVs or conventional ICE powertrains, vehicles now ferry sensitive streams like video from dashcams and infotainment-linked phone details to ecosystem partners. ‘We professionals bear responsibility for this intimate customer intelligence,’ he affirmed.
His solution? A trio of foundational guidelines. Principle one: full disclosure and consent on data usage. Principle two: precise categorization of information flows. Principle three: strategic handling—prolonged safekeeping for critical data, rapid deletion for transients.
‘Engineer privacy and security into every system,’ Chandra advocated. This demands upfront data sorting, creating inherently secure platforms resilient to modern threats.
Optimism abounds, buoyed by blockbuster November figures from SIAM: passenger vehicles leaped 19% to 412,405 units; three-wheelers advanced 21.3% to 71,999; two-wheelers rocketed 21.2% to 1,944,475 units versus last year.
Supportive government policies and robust market vibes are expected to propel this trajectory through 2026. Chandra’s vision positions data stewardship as integral to sustainable expansion, ensuring India’s auto prowess rests on ethical innovation that cherishes consumer confidence above all.