As India accelerates in direction of sustainable mobility, making vital strides in various fuels, battery security, and rising car applied sciences, the Automotive Analysis Affiliation of India (ARAI) has been on the forefront of those developments, enjoying an important function in standardisation, testing, and innovation.
Advancing various fuels and standardisation
Reflecting that Indian automotive trade is reworking at a really quick tempo with new applied sciences and tendencies disrupting the ecosystem, Vijay Pankhawala, Sr. Deputy Director, Enterprise Improvement & Company Planning, ARAI, says, “We have now been acquainted with biofuels and ethanol-blended fuels. As ethanol content material will increase and various fuels like hydrogen emerge, ARAI is actively engaged in understanding the underlying gas know-how. We’re collaborating with specialists and figuring out areas the place we are able to add worth to reinforce design, growth, and technological developments in various gas purposes.”
He additional provides that standardisation, notably on fuels, is one crucial areas of labor. “The fuels must be notified or requirements need to be determined, particularly in case of bio-fuels and fuels derived from agro-products. Fuels derived from agro-products usually exhibit vital variations on account of their numerous sources. Due to this fact, there may be one type of standardisation on the gas high quality itself, and different is when it will get into as an influence supply in ICE – on emission entrance.”
ARAI is working alongside different authorities and trade our bodies in direction of defining high quality requirements for these fuels to make sure consistency in efficiency and emissions management. The affiliation additionally evaluates the influence of those fuels on inside combustion engines (ICE), assessing facets similar to security, effectivity, and environmental implications. “We’re working throughout this spectrum to know how various fuels affect each efficiency and the atmosphere. Whereas these fuels are thought of environmentally helpful, we have to examine potential exhaust residues and their influence,” says Pankhawala.
Strengthening EV battery rules and security requirements
Speaking about battery rules and security requirements, Abhijeet Mulay, Deputy Director, Automotive Electronics Division, ARAI, says, “Battery security has change into a serious focus space, particularly after the Ministry of Highway Transport and Highways (MoRTH) launched stringent rules in 2022. These mandates have aligned Indian requirements with world benchmarks, together with European Union norms.”
Mulay highlights that India has gone a step additional by introducing further security measures not discovered anyplace else on the planet. This consists of the thermal propagation take a look at for M and N class automobiles, in addition to two- and three-wheelers—a globally distinctive regulation making certain no exterior fireplace after thermal propagation, and safeguarding customers and bystanders in case of a thermal runaway within the battery system.
The implementation of those rules has considerably decreased battery-related security incidents and improved general manufacturing high quality. “Earlier, these high quality requirements weren’t obligatory in India, however now, even small battery startups should comply. This has served as a top quality filter—out of 150–200 battery producers in India, solely about 75–80% meet the stringent rules, reinforcing the function of requirements in making certain high-quality merchandise,” he provides.
Sustainability and battery lifecycle administration
Past batteries, ARAI is main efforts in sustainable materials analysis, e-waste administration, battery waste, and round economic system practices. “By collaborating with startups and innovators, we goal to develop environmentally-friendly options that may be scaled for widespread adoption throughout the automotive trade,” says Mulay.
“At ARAI, we now have a devoted sustainability group centered on new materials recycling, together with e-waste and battery waste,” shares Ujjwala Karle, Deputy Director, Know-how Group, ARAI. “We’re actively exploring how these supplies might be successfully recycled, assessing their sustainability index, and figuring out startups working on this house. Our purpose is to collaborate with them, improve recycling applied sciences, and develop extra sustainable options for the trade.” She additional shares that the proposed idea of Battery Passport, a singular identifier, akin to an ‘Aadhaar quantity’ for batteries, is anticipated to additional bolster the sustainability index of battery know-how.
Proactive strategy to rising applied sciences
ARAI adopts a forward-thinking strategy by initiating analysis even earlier than rules are formally established. “We anticipate issues and begin constructing our groups slowly and interesting with specialists internationally, buying information, conducting experiments and recording finds,” says Pankhawala. As an illustration, within the case of nano-particles, ARAI carried out research and submitted findings to the federal government to guage its influence citing the present applied sciences in market. Equally, for ADAS and cybersecurity, the place rules are nonetheless of their early phases, ARAI is proactively establishing amenities and capabilities to prepared the ground in testing and validation.
Certainly one of ARAI’s notable contributions is its work on electrical car (EV) charging requirements. “In 2017, once we licensed first EV charger, the idea of networked charging infrastructure was non-existent. Nevertheless, ARAI ensured that back-end communication protocols have been embedded within the requirements from the start. In consequence, when interoperability and connectivity grew to become crucial in 2023, India’s charging infrastructure was already outfitted with Open Cost Level Protocol (OCPP) integration,” shares Mulay.
Improvements in EV charging
At Bharat Mobility International Expo 2025, ARAI, together with CoEZET (Centre of Excellence for Zero Emission Trucking), IIT Madras, showcased an indigenously developed idea of Overhead Quick Charging System for e-trucks. “Final 12 months, the Bureau of Indian Requirements (BIS) committee tried to formulate a normal, but it surely was difficult as we could not undertake the mental property (IP) of current worldwide requirements,” explains Pankhawala. “Furthermore, these worldwide requirements aren’t instantly relevant to India, notably for vehicles, as we now have smaller cabins, completely different top specs, and distinctive environmental circumstances. With IIT Madras, we now have now developed an indigenous idea geared toward establishing nationwide requirements. This initiative is being carried out in consensus with truck producers, charger producers, and different key stakeholders.”
Enhancing car security by means of superior testing
ARAI is increasing its testing infrastructure, launching a sophisticated battery testing lab in 2025 underneath the steering of Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI). Furthermore, the affiliation is establishing state-of-the-art Excessive Vitality Impression Check (HEIT) facility for crash obstacles, making certain world-class security benchmarks for India’s roads. “This facility will give attention to complete simulation, design validation, and real-world testing, making certain that India’s highway infrastructure meets the best security requirements,” says Karle.
Moreover, ARAI extends its experience to trade gamers at varied phases of auto growth. “Many OEMs and startups strategy ARAI within the early design phases to leverage its testing and validation capabilities. By offering end-to-end help—from digital simulations to bodily testing—ARAI ensures that rising automotive applied sciences align with world security and efficiency benchmarks,” she provides.
Driving India’s autonomous mobility future
ARAI has been persistently engaged on autonomous driving and ADAS-related applied sciences, regardless of scepticism relating to their feasibility in India’s chaotic visitors circumstances. Shares Karle, “5 years in the past, many believed autonomous automobiles have been unimaginable in India. Nevertheless, we recognised early on that whereas full autonomy could also be a distant purpose, a number of by-products of autonomous car analysis—similar to collision avoidance techniques and driver help options—could possibly be instantly applied within the Indian market.”
