India Proposes Mandatory V2V Safety Tech for All New Cars and Bikes From 2028

V2V Safety System Proposed From 2028: Cars and Bikes in India May Soon Talk to Each Other

India is preparing for a major shift in automotive safety, one in which cars, motorcycles, buses and trucks could continuously exchange information with nearby vehicles to prevent accidents.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed making Vehicle-to-Vehicle, or V2V, communication systems mandatory across newly manufactured vehicles from October 1, 2028. The proposal covers vehicle categories L, M and N, bringing two-wheelers, three-wheelers, passenger vehicles, buses, trucks and other goods vehicles within its scope.

Unlike conventional safety technologies that react after a danger becomes visible to the driver or the vehicle’s sensors, V2V communication can warn vehicles about hazards beyond the driver’s direct line of sight.

The proposal could therefore represent one of the most significant changes to India’s vehicle-safety ecosystem since the introduction of airbags, ABS and electronic stability control.

What Is Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication?

Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication allows nearby vehicles to wirelessly exchange real-time information such as:

• Vehicle speed

• Location and direction of travel

• Braking status

• Acceleration or deceleration

• Lane-change movement

• Potential collision trajectory

Each V2V-enabled vehicle periodically transmits small packets of information. Nearby vehicles receive this data and compare it with their own position, speed and direction.

If the system identifies a potential collision, it can warn the driver through an audio, visual or haptic alert. More advanced implementations could eventually communicate directly with braking, steering or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.

The key advantage is that V2V communication does not depend only on cameras, radar or direct visibility. A vehicle could receive a warning from another vehicle hidden behind a truck, approaching from a blind intersection or travelling around a sharp curve.

Key Details and Proposed Timeline

The draft amendment proposes a two-stage rollout.

October 1, 2027: AIS-230 Compliance Begins

Vehicles belonging to Categories L, M and N that are manufactured on or after October 1, 2027 and are already equipped with a V2V communication system would have to comply with the AIS-230 automotive standard.

This stage does not require every vehicle to have V2V. It standardises systems that manufacturers voluntarily install before the wider mandate takes effect.

October 1, 2028: V2V Fitment Proposed for All New Vehicles

From October 1, 2028, all newly manufactured vehicles in Categories L, M and N would have to be fitted with V2V communication systems meeting AIS-230 specifications.

The categories broadly cover:

• Category L: Two-wheelers, scooters, motorcycles and three-wheelers

• Category M: Passenger vehicles, including cars, SUVs and buses

• Category N: Goods vehicles, including light commercial vehicles and heavy trucks

The draft was issued as an amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. The government has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders before finalising the regulation.

Major Safety Benefits of V2V Communication

V2V could address several situations in which conventional driver-assistance systems have limited visibility.

• Sudden Braking Ahead

A vehicle several cars ahead may brake sharply even though the driver cannot see it because of traffic or a large vehicle blocking the view. A V2V-equipped vehicle could transmit an emergency braking message through the traffic queue, giving following vehicles additional time to slow down.

• Blind Intersection Collision Warning

At an uncontrolled junction, two vehicles approaching from different directions may not be visible to each other because of buildings, parked vehicles or roadside structures. By exchanging location and speed data, V2V systems could identify the collision path before either vehicle enters the intersection.

• Wrong-Way Vehicle Alerts

Wrong-side driving remains a serious problem on Indian highways and urban roads.

A V2V system could identify a vehicle moving against the permitted direction and warn approaching road users, even before the wrong-way vehicle becomes visible.

• Unsafe Lane-Change Warning

When a driver attempts to change lanes, V2V data could indicate whether another vehicle is rapidly approaching the intended lane. This could complement conventional blind-spot monitoring, particularly where sensor range or visibility is restricted.

• Forward-Collision Risk

Vehicles could continuously calculate their relative speed and distance. If the gap is closing too quickly, the system could issue an early warning.

• Emergency-Vehicle Approach

Ambulances, fire engines and police vehicles could transmit priority messages to nearby road users. Drivers may receive an alert before they hear the siren, allowing them to create a clear path sooner.

• Warning Beyond Blind Curves

A broken-down vehicle, accident or traffic queue located around a blind bend could send warnings to approaching traffic.

This application could be particularly valuable on Indian highways and hilly roads.

A Shift From Passive Safety to Active Network Safety

Traditional vehicle safety has developed through multiple stages.

Seatbelts, airbags and crumple zones are primarily designed to protect occupants during a collision. ABS, electronic stability control and autonomous emergency braking attempt to avoid the crash by controlling the individual vehicle.

V2V introduces another layer: network-based accident prevention.

Instead of every vehicle independently trying to understand its surroundings, vehicles collectively share information about what is happening on the road.

This could make safety systems more effective in situations where cameras are affected by darkness, fog, heavy rain, visual obstructions or poor road geometry.

V2V will not replace radar, cameras, ultrasonic sensors or driver attention. It is expected to complement these systems by providing information that onboard sensors cannot independently detect.

The government has similarly indicated that V2V is expected to support proactive accident prevention and complement ADAS technologies.

Inclusion of Two-Wheelers Could Be Transformational

One of the most important elements of the proposal is the inclusion of Category L vehicles.

Many global connected-vehicle discussions initially focused on passenger cars and commercial vehicles. India’s proposal extends the potential mandate to motorcycles, scooters and three-wheelers.

That is particularly relevant in India because two-wheelers form a significant portion of the country’s vehicle population and frequently share road space with cars, buses and heavy commercial vehicles.

A connected motorcycle could alert a car approaching an intersection that a rider is present but hidden behind another vehicle. Similarly, a truck driver could receive a warning about a scooter travelling alongside the vehicle in an area with limited visibility.

V2V could also potentially improve the detection of:

• Motorcycles approaching at high relative speeds

• Two-wheelers hidden in a vehicle’s blind spot

• Riders crossing at uncontrolled intersections

• Sudden braking by scooters in dense traffic

• Two-wheelers travelling on the wrong side of the road

However, installing communication hardware on price-sensitive commuter motorcycles and scooters will be one of the most challenging aspects of the policy.

Massive Opportunity for Automotive Software and Telematics

The V2V proposal is not merely a hardware regulation. It could create an entirely new automotive software and electronics ecosystem in India.

Every compliant vehicle may require some combination of:

• A V2V communication module

• Positioning and navigation hardware

• Telematics control units

• Secure vehicle identity certificates

• Collision-prediction software

• Driver-warning interfaces

• Data-processing controllers

• Antennas and radio-frequency components

• Cybersecurity and authentication systems

• Diagnostic and software-update capabilities

This may benefit automotive software companies, semiconductor suppliers, telecom technology providers, Tier-1 component manufacturers, mapping businesses and cybersecurity specialists.

India already has a large automotive engineering and software-development base. A mandatory V2V rollout could encourage suppliers to localise communication modules, embedded software, vehicle-security platforms and connected-mobility applications.

It could also accelerate the wider transition towards software-defined vehicles, in which vehicle functions continue to evolve through software rather than remaining fixed at the time of production.

Policy Impact on Vehicle Manufacturers

The proposed deadline gives manufacturers slightly more than two years to prepare for mandatory fitment, subject to the draft being finalised without major changes.

OEMs will have to integrate V2V systems into vehicle electrical and electronic architectures, conduct validation tests and secure type approval.

The process could involve:

• Redesigning electronic architectures

• Integrating communication modules with existing ECUs

• Updating instrument clusters and warning systems

• Validating performance across different road conditions

• Ensuring interoperability between different brands

• Training dealership and service personnel

• Establishing diagnostic and repair procedures

• Managing software and security updates throughout the vehicle lifecycle

The challenge will be greater for manufacturers whose entry-level vehicles currently have limited connected-car hardware.

OEM Cost Pressures

Mandatory V2V hardware is likely to increase vehicle production costs.

The exact increase will depend on the final AIS-230 requirements, localisation levels, semiconductor prices and whether a vehicle already has compatible telematics

hardware.

Premium cars with connected platforms, digital instrument clusters and advanced electronic architectures may require fewer changes. Entry-level motorcycles, scooters, hatchbacks and commercial vehicles could face a proportionately greater cost burden.

For mass-market manufacturers, even a relatively small additional cost per vehicle becomes significant when multiplied across millions of units.

OEMs may initially absorb part of the expenditure, offset it through localisation or pass

it on through higher prices. Shared platforms and high production volumes should gradually reduce the cost of the technology.

The government may also need to consider whether phased implementation, localisation support or tax incentives are necessary for highly price-sensitive vehicle categories.

Interoperability Will Be Critical

V2V can only deliver its full safety benefit if vehicles from different manufacturers can communicate reliably.

A motorcycle made by one company must be able to exchange safety messages with a car, bus or truck manufactured by another brand.

AIS-230 will therefore need to define common requirements for:

• Communication protocols

• Message formats

• Transmission frequency

• Minimum range and latency

• Vehicle positioning accuracy

• Security certificates

• Authentication

• System testing

• Driver-warning behaviour

• Compatibility across vehicle categories

Without interoperability, the market could become fragmented into closed manufacturer-specific networks, greatly reducing the value of the system.

Cybersecurity Becomes a Core Safety Requirement

Connecting vehicles also creates new cybersecurity risks.

A malicious or compromised device could theoretically transmit false information about its speed, position or direction. Fake emergency-braking warnings could distract drivers or reduce confidence in the system.

More serious attacks could attempt to impersonate emergency vehicles, generate phantom traffic hazards or overwhelm the communication network.

OEMs and regulators will therefore need to ensure that every message comes from a trusted device without publicly revealing the permanent identity of the vehicle.

This will require:

• Cryptographic authentication

• Secure communication certificates

• Protection against vehicle impersonation

• Certificate revocation mechanisms

• Detection of abnormal messages

• Secure storage of encryption keys

• Continuous vulnerability monitoring

• Secure software-update systems

India is separately working on automotive cybersecurity and software-update requirements under AIS-189. Those proposals require manufacturers to establish cybersecurity governance, risk assessment, incident monitoring and secure software-update processes across the vehicle lifecycle.

The V2V and cybersecurity frameworks will therefore need to function together rather than as independent regulations.

Privacy and Vehicle-Tracking Concerns

V2V systems may repeatedly transmit information related to vehicle location, speed and direction.

Although this information is necessary for collision avoidance, the system must be designed to prevent it from becoming a permanent tracking mechanism.

Strong privacy protection would require frequently changing digital identifiers rather than continuously transmitting a vehicle’s registration number, owner identity or permanent identification code.

The final regulatory framework will need to clearly establish:

• What data a vehicle may transmit

• How long data may be stored

• Whether historical movement information can be retained

• Who can access stored information

• How law-enforcement access will be regulated

• Whether users can view or delete non-safety data

• How consent requirements will apply

India’s data-protection framework and automotive regulations will need to work together to ensure that improved road safety does not create uncontrolled vehicle surveillance.

What Has the Industry Said?

A formal industry-wide reaction to the newly reported MoRTH draft is yet to emerge. Because the proposal is still open for stakeholder feedback, detailed responses from vehicle manufacturers and industry associations are expected during the consultation process.

However, India’s broader V2X regulatory debate has already attracted significant participation.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India released a consultation paper on the regulatory framework for Vehicle-to-Everything communication on April 30, 2026. The consultation closed on June 4, 2026.

Submissions were made by organisations including:

• Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers

• Automotive Research Association of India

• 5G Automotive Association

• Cellular Operators Association of India

• ASSOCHAM

• Bosch Global Software Technologies

• Qualcomm India

• Harman International

• Ericsson India

• Reliance Jio

• Bharti Airtel

• Vodafone Idea

• Tata Communications

• C-DAC

The range of participating stakeholders indicates that V2V deployment is not purely an automotive issue. It also involves spectrum allocation, telecom policy, semiconductor hardware, road infrastructure, cybersecurity and data governance.

Industry stakeholders are broadly expected to seek clarity on the selected communication technology, spectrum availability, interoperability, certification requirements, cybersecurity obligations, implementation costs and the feasibility of equipping low-cost two-wheelers.

V2V Versus V2I and the Wider V2X Ecosystem

V2V is only one part of the broader Vehicle-to-Everything ecosystem.

V2X can include:

• V2V: Vehicle-to-Vehicle

• V2I: Vehicle-to-Infrastructure

• V2P: Vehicle-to-Pedestrian

• V2N: Vehicle-to-Network

• V2C: Vehicle-to-Cloud

The government is reportedly expected to introduce Vehicle-to-Infrastructure applications at a later stage.

Under V2I, roadside equipment installed at traffic lights, bridges, toll plazas, work zones and accident-prone locations could send alerts directly to vehicles.

For example, a traffic signal could communicate how much time remains before it turns red. A bridge sensor could warn vehicles about ice, flooding, structural restrictions or an accident ahead.

The long-term objective is therefore larger than allowing two vehicles to communicate. It is to create an intelligent transport network connecting vehicles, roads, traffic-management systems and public infrastructure.

Challenges on Indian Roads

V2V has significant potential, but implementation in India will be complex.

The system must operate reliably across:

• Congested urban traffic

• Mixed traffic involving cycles, pedestrians and animal-drawn vehicles

• Roads with poor lane discipline

• Weak or missing road markings

• Tunnels and dense high-rise environments

• Rural and remote regions

• Extreme heat, dust, rain and flooding

• Vehicles with long service lives

• Aftermarket modifications and repairs

Another challenge will be the transition period.

V2V becomes more useful as the number of equipped vehicles increases. During the initial years, new V2V-equipped vehicles will continue sharing roads with millions of older vehicles that cannot transmit safety messages.

Onboard cameras and radar will therefore remain essential for detecting non-connected vehicles, pedestrians, animals and other road users.

India has proposed mandatory V2V communication systems for all newly manufactured Category L, M and N vehicles from October 2028.

Auto Punditz View

India’s proposed V2V mandate could become a landmark road-safety reform.

Its greatest strength is that it attempts to address risks before they become visible to the driver. It could be especially useful at blind intersections, on highways, around large commercial vehicles and in situations involving vulnerable two-wheeler riders.

Including Category L vehicles makes the proposal particularly relevant to Indian road conditions, but it also creates a difficult cost and implementation challenge.

The success of the policy will depend less on the announcement itself and more on the details of AIS-230: the communication standard, spectrum framework, cybersecurity architecture, privacy safeguards, interoperability rules and testing procedures.

The government must also ensure that alerts are accurate and prioritised. Excessive or unreliable warnings could result in drivers ignoring the system altogether.

If implemented carefully, V2V could move India from a model in which each vehicle protects itself to one in which every connected vehicle contributes to the safety of the entire road network.

The cars, motorcycles, buses and trucks of the future may not merely detect danger. They may warn each other before an accident has a chance to occur.