NASSCOM Proposes Tech Superhighway for India and Europe Mobility

India and Europe need to build a technology superhighway for mobility to shape the future of the automotive sector. Speaking at the ELIV 2026 congress in Baden-Baden, Germany, NASSCOM Vice Chairperson Kishor Patil made this recommendation on Thursday.

Partnership Strengths

Mr. Patil explained that Europe offers deep automotive engineering expertise, established research and development capabilities, and decades of manufacturing leadership. India brings strong software and artificial intelligence capabilities, engineering talent at scale, and a growing domestic market. Together, both regions could account for 23.1 million new car sales by 2035, which is nearly one in four cars sold globally. They also hold the potential for more than 7.5 million combined vehicle exports.

Industry Transformation

The automotive industry is moving through a fundamental transformation driven by software and engineering. Mr. Patil pointed to India's $315 billion technology industry in fiscal year 2026 and its 2,117 multinational technology and research centres as proof of the available ecosystem. The partnership should move past traditional supplier roles into joint research, product ownership, and intellectual property creation.

Context

Global vehicle manufacturing is rapidly shifting away from hardware-only models toward software-defined and AI-enabled platforms. International collaboration helps regions combine distinct strengths like European vehicle design and Indian software talent to compete effectively.