As India’s auto industry races toward a connected future, its leader is hitting the brakes on reckless data practices. Shailesh Chandra, President of SIAM and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles CEO, told a Delhi audience Tuesday that all innovations must honor strict data privacy and security protocols.
The culprit? Explosive data generation in vehicles, spanning EVs to ICE stalwarts. Personal nuggets—from dashcam visuals to phone numbers in infotainment—cascade to multiple stakeholders. Chandra stressed, ‘This profusion of customer details obliges us to act with professionalism and care.’
He prescribed three pillars: crystal-clear communication and consent on data capture and application; methodical data segmentation; and judicious retention policies—archive what’s vital, expunge the ephemeral.
‘Privacy-first design is non-negotiable,’ he hammered home. Systems must incorporate classification and safeguards intrinsically, preempting risks in an interconnected world.
These tenets shine brighter amid sizzling sales data. SIAM reports November as a pinnacle: 412,405 passenger vehicles sold (19% up); 71,999 three-wheelers (21.3% gain); 1,944,475 two-wheelers (21.2% surge) year-over-year.
Continued policy support and market enthusiasm promise endurance to 2026. In threading innovation with integrity, Chandra charts a course where data respect fuels long-term triumph, safeguarding the trust that powers industry growth.