Despite initial anticipation, there is an absence of a compelling business case for autonomous vehicles, said Kishor Patil, CEO and MD, KPIT Technologies.
Speaking at CNBC-TV18 and Moneycontrol’s AI Alliance Pune, Patil also highlighted the high cost of autonomous technology and the prevalent culture of individuals driving themselves, as other impediments to adoption of autonomous vehicles.
“There is no business case actually… there is a naturally high cost of autonomous vehicle and there is no clear logic to having it,” Patil said.
KPIT Technologies specialises in product engineering solutions to automotive and transportation industries. The company is engaged in making software-defined vehicles with embedded software, AI, and digital solutions.
In a discussion on software services in an era of Gen AI, moderated by deputy executive editor of Moneycontrol, Chandra R Srikanth, acceleration of autonomous vehicles and their impact on engineering, research, and development (ERD) companies such as KPIT was touched upon.
Patil explained that there is a necessity of extensive data for understanding the capabilities and limitations of autonomous technology. Patil further said it is important to test the data for advance autonomous levels.
ADAS, or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, is typically used as metric to understand the level of an autonomous car, encompassing a range of safety technologies integrated into vehicles to assist drivers in various driving tasks. These systems are usually categorised into different levels, ranging from Level 0 (no automation) to Level 5 (full automation).
And without a compelling business case and rigorous testing protocols, widespread adoption of autonomous cars is unlikely.
Nonetheless, Patil said autonomous vehicles in the public mobility space such as small trucks operating within the city can be introduced quickly. “And there are many startups in India, which are focusing on that, and I hope we can come up with a better truck than Tesla,” Patil said.
Another hurdle is the testing process for autonomous vehicles, which poses unique challenges. Unlike traditional vehicles, which undergo rigorous testing on roads, autonomous cars require specialised testing environments due to safety concerns.
“So the testing becomes very, very critical. And that is the biggest opportunity which is for engineering,” Patil said.
On KPIT selling its information technology (IT) business in 2019, Patil said the decision was successful in hindsight as it has grown into a much bigger company than what it was.
He said the strategic decision was taken to bet on something that will transform the company and which aligns with its strengths. "We let go the 70% of business to focus on 30% and I'm very happy that 4-4.5 years after COVID, we are bigger than what we were."
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
