Tech in 2022 -7
Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India, on the  new tech directions in  passenger cars
December 26, 2021: New-age cars, equipped with advanced telematics, run on chips and semiconductors, for which there are few suppliers, and only some of the countries control a major share of global production and supplies.
The usage of semiconductors in the auto industry has gone up globally in recent times with new models coming with more and more electronic features such as driver-assist systems, navigation and hybrid-electric systems.
The new normal has set unique challenges for the industry. Currently, the domestic market is witnessing increased demand, but is also impacted by the global semiconductor shortage. The situation will remain challenging in 2022 due to unpredictable factors, global semiconductor shortage, freight cost and multiple other cost implications.
Addressing the Semiconductor shortage issue :
The COVID restrictions phase impacted semiconductor production, which in turn disturbed the supply chain dynamics across industries with high degree of automation and technology integration. Subsequent lockdowns across the globe resulted in the shutting down of major chip-making facilities in countries like Japan, South Korea, Europe and US, which ultimately led to a chip shortage and the beginning of domino effects. 

 With the usage of technology going up and the advent of IoT and 5G in India, the demand for semiconductor chips is increasing.
Digital Experiences and Car-as-a-platform
Ever since we started our journey in India, we have been delivering a seamless experience to our discerning customers and adding immense value to our stakeholders. Driven by our vision of CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric) mobility, we bring to the table cutting-edge augmented experiences. Staying ahead of the innovation curve in the automobile industry in India, MG continues to introduce industry-first features in the Auto-tech segment with Car-as-a-Platform.
i-SMART 2.0
MG  Gloster’s i-SMART 2.0 comes with over 70 connected car features for Smart, Savvy, and Sharp such as Critical Tyre Pressure Voice Alert, Shortpedia App that gives short news summaries, and Anti-Theft Immobilization via Smartphone that remotely halts the engine ignition. It also offers 3D maps by MapMyIndia which gives information around COVID testing centres as well and various other alerts like potholes and speed checks. MG customers will also enjoy the Apple Watch Connectivity and will be able to operate their Gaana app with voice control, alongside personalized welcome and greeting messages.  

 Affordable EVs

We brought to India our second car, MG ZS EV, based on the global popular platform from our home country, UK.  ZS EV’s success in the market marks the beginning of a truly collaborative ecosystem building approach to electric vehicles in India. In our endeavour to broaden access to wider customer segments, we will bring to the country the second EV, encouraged by the Government’s clarity on its EV roadmap. We are aligned to play our part in seeing that the direction meets reality sooner rather than later.  We have also led a 5-way charging ecosystem including free-of-cost AC fast-charger at residences/offices, portable in-car charging cable, DC superfast charging stations at dealerships, 24x7 charge-on-the-go facility (in 5 cities), and charging stations in satellite cities and tourist hubs.