Highlights of the Month

July 2021                                                                  

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KPIT in News - Media Coverage in the last month

In the last month, more than 35 publications covered KPIT quarterly results. Features and interviews covering perspectives of KPIT Leadership got published in more than 15 renowned media publications. Following are some of the publications -

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KPIT becomes a member of the Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium (AVCC)

KPIT is now a member of the Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium (AVCC) to collaborate and contribute to autonomous driving technology and bring best practices in developing complex autonomous driving software. The other consortium members are leading OEMs, Tier 1s, and semiconductor companies, such as GM, Toyota, Subaru, Veoneer, ARM, Bosch, NXP, Renesas, etc.

KPIT’s expertise and insights from working on Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)/ Autonomous Driving (AD) development for more than a decade on 50+ vehicle production programs will help create key contributions to this consortium on software architectures, platforms, and components. 

KPIT will bring rich and practical experiences in developing autonomous driving production software. The consortium will find the best solutions around critical hardware and software platforms from KPIT.

CLICK HERE to read more

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Automobilwoche publishes the interview with Mr. Kishor Patil and Mr. Jens Tilner

Automobilwoche, a leading German automotive industry newspaper, published an article covering the interview of Mr. Kishor Patil, Co-Founder, CEO & MD, KPIT, and Mr. Jens Tillner, Managing Director & Head of Business Development, KPIT GmbH, conducted by Mr. Klaus-Dieter Flörecke.

Here are some quotes from this interview:

The automotive industry is on the way towards the software-defined vehicle. This means that the vehicle manufacturers' business model will change significantly in the next four to five years, and they will increasingly want to offer additional services. This is where we would like to support and enable our clients.

- Mr. Kishor Patil

In this center, we have brought together various departments and subsidiaries from Munich and the surrounding area. Most of our engineering specialists based in Germany work there. KPIT exists in Germany for over 15 years and has grown steadily over the years.

CLICK HERE to read more

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A perspective on the 'Regulations for Autonomous Vehicles passed in Germany'

Click on the play button to hear Dr. Manaswini's perspective

Germany became the first country to pass autonomous vehicle (AV) regulations in May-2021. While the rules remain a work in progress, it allows commercial deployment of some L4 AV use cases. Germany expects some AV use cases to start operating in 2022. A detailed analysis of the regulation can be read here.

We spoke with Dr. Manaswini Rath, Vice President and Global Head for Autonomous Driving to understand the implications of these regulations and how they relate to our work in the Autonomous Driving space.

In this video, Dr. Manaswini explains that the regulations will provide guidelines, specifications, and definitions of the autonomous feature functions. It will also provide the Operating Design Domain (ODD) against which one can validate the AV functions so that it passes the regulation requirements.

KPIT has developed millions of scenarios for the virtual validation of AVs, and all these scenarios can now be aligned to the regulation to provide assurance of coverage to our clients for Homologation readiness. Additionally, the regulation allows physical testing of AVs on specific roads in Germany. Even though 90% of AV testing is done virtually, the balance of 10% must be done on actual roads to further fine-tune sensors and autonomous features and functions, allocation of these roads will aid in this activity.

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'The ant that brought the elephant to a halt'

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, demand for automobiles across segments decreased drastically across the world. When the industry started recovering in second half of 2020, automakers didn’t increase semiconductor chip orders in that proportion. On the other hand, due to the increase in remote working, demand for semiconductors from consumer electronics, mobile, and other industries increased. By the start of 2021, though the automotive sector recovered faster than expected, semiconductor players had already moved to fulfill demands from different sectors. These resulted in a semiconductor chip shortage for the automotive industry.

Based on a study of multiple OEMs, Tier-1s, and research reports published by McKinsey, Roland Berger, and others, here's how OEMs & Tier-1s might react to chip shortage & what might be the potential impact on KPIT.

How OEMs & Tier-1s are responding/might react in near term?

Program management

• Unfreeze planning schedules and adjust run order based on availability of the most critical parts
  
• Produce vehicles without new features which are not mandatory

Supply Chain Transparency

•  Established detailed view of entire supply chain down to Tier-x
  
• Chase parts that are available in the supply chain & closely monitor parts that are in high-risk zone

Possibilities for KPIT

• Possibility to engage in BSW porting for SoP in 22 or 23, for non-critical ECUs
• Small support projects on old technology & features to integrate in the new vehicle models
• Opportunity to position and deepen engagement in classic AUTOSAR areas
• Tier-1s and OEMs can be enticed to outsource legacy work

In the long term, OEMs & Tier-1s might adopt some of the following?

• Advanced Commodity & Supplier Management: OEMs and Tier-1s should consider strategic sourcing and supplier management to mitigate risk in the medium & long term
• Partnerships: Opportunity to enforce dual sourcing & production on a contractual basis with the Tier-1 and/or Tier-n supplier
• Next Gen E/E Architectures: In the future, zonal architectures will lead to consolidation of functionality in fewer, high performance, multifunctional SoCs, simplifying chip supply
• Monitor Geopolitical Developments: Due to market protection, restriction in technology transfer & expansion in local manufacturing will create technology mismatch and decrease the global flexibility of chip supply or even might require regionalized product solutions

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‘Platform-led Software Integration for EVs to deal with multi-party development scenarios’ - Insights from KPIT Webinar Series 2020 in association with Automotive World

The Automotive & Mobility ecosystem needs to navigate the software puzzle with the right strategy, make/buy software components and invest in the right platforms. But what is the right way to do it? Only experience of 100s of production programs can promise a direction. KPIT hosted Webinar Series in association with Automotive World, where KPIT’s Subject Matter Experts shared their experience of taking software from prototype to production while navigating the multitude of software integration challenges.

In continuation to our last edition, the fifth perspective is from the webinar ‘Platform-led Software Integration for EVs to deal with multi-party development scenarios’. In this webinar, Sophia Suo, Head, Electrified Powertrain, KPIT and Geetha Srinivasan, Chief Architect, Powertrain, KPIT discussed the challenges and analyzed the software development and integration journey for EVs from prototype-to-production while offering insights into KPIT’s holistic solution.

CLICK HERE to read the perspective.

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KPIT at the International Conference on Advance Powertrain hosted by SAE India & ARAI

Nishant Tholiya, Vice President, Global Head - Electric Mobility and Conventional Powertrain, KPIT, was a keynote speaker at the International Conference on Advance Powertrain organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) India and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

In his keynote, he shared a view on -

• Electrification trends over the next decade that are driving the system and software complexity. 
  
• How to make E-mobility more sustainable and acceptable by reducing the cost and improving the quality of Hardware and Software with respect to component complexity.
  
• How KPIT, as a software development and integration partner, is helping the mobility industry handle the increased software complexity of electric powertrain components.

Other few Keynote speakers for the conference were from Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt ltd, Ashok Leyland , Tata Motors, FEV , MathWorks , ARAI

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KPIT’s article got published in MOTORINDIA– How to achieve the best Sensor Fusion for ADAS/AV vehicles

MOTORINDIA published an article on 'How to achieve the best Sensor Fusion for ADAS/AV vehicles' authored by Prashant Vora, Senior Practice Director, Autonomous Driving, KPIT.

The article talks about the different Sensor Fusion techniques, Challenges one needs to overcome, and key aspects of design strategy and validation to ensure high levels of accuracy for Sensor Fusion.

Cameras, RADAR, LiDAR, and Ultrasonic sensors are the eyes and ears of an Autonomous Vehicle (AV). They help the vehicle perceive its surroundings. This perception is critical as it ensures that the AV makes the right decisions like Stop, Accelerate, etc.

As we reach higher levels of autonomy in Autonomous Driving, the complexity increases substantially. Here, multiple sensors are required to understand the environment correctly. Every sensor is different and has its limitations which make Sensor Fusion necessary. Data from various sensors are fused to provide the best possible inputs to the Autonomous Vehicle during this process.

CLICK HERE to read more

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KPIT hosts Mobility 5K Run in Columbus & Novi!

KPIT hosted Mobility 5K Run in Columbus, Indiana and Novi, Michigan, US. KPITians and their families joined together to enjoy a morning run and shared memories while supporting a worthy cause!

More than 90 people became part of this run. These participants raised funds for the United Way of SE Michigan and the United Way of Bartholomew Co, IN. KPIT matched the donations made by employees and their families. All the KPITians had a great time with their families!

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'Sponsor a Meal’ Campaign by KPIT CSR

The second wave of COVID was challenging for the daily wagers who got infected and quarantined. To lend a helping hand, KPITians in association with Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM) came forward and organized 'Sponsor a Meal' campaign to provide free meals to isolated patients.

This initiative provided nutritious meals to the patients belonging to the marginalized and low-income segments of the society in Bangalore and rural parts of Karnataka. Also, this drive was extended to the people with physical disabilities and migrant laborers who lost their livelihood due to the pandemic.

This initiative received an overwhelming response from more than 250 KPITians and helped more than 4500 individuals. Kudos to their spirit of community service!

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