Год: 2025

India’s electric vehicle (EV) industry is entering a decisive new phase, one where algorithms, not just batteries and chargers, are beginning to determine performance, profitability, and adoption. From predictive maintenance to hyper-local charging intelligence and advanced battery-life analytics, AI is rapidly transforming the country’s EV ecosystem into a data-driven, interoperable network.

During a media roundtable with the Bolt Earth leadership, it became clear that EVs in India are now software-defined machines, and AI is the glue holding together a fragmented landscape of chemistries, OEMs, and charging standards. Bengaluru-based Bolt Earth claims to be India’s largest EV charging network.

Reinventing Charging Through Data Science

Bolt Earth CEO Raghav Bharadwaj told AIM that they have already adapted to the shift toward AI-driven infrastructure. “We control the entire charging stack, hardware, software, and operations. What that allows us to do is give the best charging experiences to customers,” he said.

The company’s fast-growing network of chargers feeds real-time data into a proprietary back-end system, enabling the data science team to predict charger failures before they occur.

Bharadwaj said that they monitor the data from their chargers in real-time, and use analytic detection software to gauge potential chargers that could have issues in the future. “We’re able to send technicians to make sure the chargers are constantly working.”

Bolt Earth is also developing APIs for utility companies that provide unprecedented visibility into where EV charging demand is emerging, a capability that will become essential as EV adoption grows. This is a crucial step toward avoiding grid overload, especially as EV density rises.

Vasudha Madhavan, founder and CEO of Ostara Advisors, an investment firm deeply involved in climate and mobility technologies, emphasised the rising importance of this AI-driven “handshake” between mobility and energy.

“When you have increased demand for energy from mobility, you want to be able to manage the load at different times of day and adapt to high-priority loads. Software and AI can do this very effectively,” she told AIM.

AI as the Universal Battery Brain

India’s EV ecosystem is notoriously fragmented, chargers vary by connector type, batteries vary by chemistry, and OEMs follow different data practices. Yet, Ashwin Shankar, founder of BatteryPool, believes AI can unify this landscape.

“We see ourselves as being a unifying layer across the different fragmented players in the ecosystem,” Shankar said. “Different OEMs, different chemistries, but if you have a product that can understand the chemistry and how to best manage it, that can be a unifying product.”

BatteryPool’s smart chargers use embedded algorithms to detect the type of battery being charged and automatically adjust the “charging recipe.”

“The charger understands which battery it is charging… and sets the appropriate charging recipe to charge that battery back,” Shankar explained. “An NMC and an LFP battery behave very differently at high temperatures, and the charger can throttle charging to ensure longevity.”

Intelligence Tuned to Indian Conditions

India’s climate is unforgiving: high temperatures, steep humidity shifts, and unpredictable usage patterns degrade batteries faster than in Western markets. AI is beginning to correct that.

“When you have batteries that come back in the heat of summer in a city like Jaipur, you want to understand what chemistry the battery is and charge it in a way that ensures longevity,” Shankar said.

India’s EV future will rely on AI models tailored to local road conditions, heat cycles, and driving habits, which local startups are well-equipped to provide.

Prediction as a Financial Engine

Madhavan highlighted how AI-driven data transparency is reshaping financing across the climate and mobility sectors. “We have seen AI being used in the financing of EVs… Even in green financing, you can have AI applications. These help track usage of the EV and create better intelligence for financial decisions.”

BatteryPool has taken AI beyond asset management into fintech territory through its innovative pay-as-you-go battery program, which allows drivers, especially gig and fleet workers, to pay for their batteries daily.

Because BatteryPool tracks battery usage continuously, the company can build a real-time “pseudo credit score” for drivers. “If a driver is not using his battery pack, we know he’s unlikely to be earning money and unlikely to be able to pay,” Shankar said. “We have a smart way of preempting or predicting a potential default case.”

This dramatically reduces the cost of financing for low-income users. “Customers who avail financial products through BatteryPool get them at a lower cost compared to vanilla financing,” he added.

A Data Problem and a Data Opportunity

Despite all the progress, India’s charging and battery data ecosystem is still young. “The market is very nascent,” Bharadwaj noted. Even one lakh chargers remain a small number, he said adding, “there’s only so much you can do with limited data.” He predicts the real AI breakthroughs will arrive after 2027 or 2028, once the volume of data packets dramatically increases.

Shankar agrees that shared data standards could accelerate this shift. “Creating common standards for how battery data is accessed can significantly help in building products that work across the industry,” he said.

Madhavan stressed the need for standardised data collection across mobility, energy, and infrastructure. “Creating common standards for how data is accessed can significantly help in building products that work across the industry,” she said.

The Inevitable Rise of the Software-Defined EV

Hardware deployment is still necessary, but the long-term value will come from intelligence. “At some point, you’re going to finish deploying the hardware, and all the advancements are going to come from software,” Bharadwaj said. “Just like smartphones, today, the biggest difference between one phone and another is software.”

Shankar echoed this from a startup’s vantage point: “We’ve always seen ourselves as a tech-first company… Every week, we think about the next IP or next edge we can build.”

EVs, he added, are becoming “software-defined vehicles,” where AI influences everything from route optimisation to battery swapping operations to customer support.

Speaking on this shift in the broader climate tech landscape, Madhavan said, “AI is influencing almost all sectors: mobility, storage, energy management. You can now use AI inside the vehicle, at the grid level, or even to improve component design.”

AI is no longer an add-on in India’s EV industry; it is emerging as the critical infrastructure that will determine reliability, efficiency, affordability, and long-term sustainability.

The post How Data and Intelligence Are Wiring India’s Electric Vehicle Future appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

Karnataka is preparing for a transformative leap in its technology landscape. The state government recently announced an investment of ₹967 crore in incentives under the new IT Policy for 2025-2030.

Positioned at the intersection of rapid global tech shifts and India’s own deep tech boom, the new policy is designed to attract large-scale investments in AI, quantum computing, cybersecurity, and other emerging technologies, with an intentional tilt toward expanding innovation ‘beyond Bengaluru’.

“To retain leadership and position the state as a preferred global destination for innovation and investment,” the policy aims to increase the Gross State Value Added Product (GSVAP) from 26% to 36%, boosting software exports to ₹11.5 lakh crore, and creating more than nine million jobs by 2030.

Beyond Bengaluru

The updates in the policy are also a deliberate push to nurture emerging tech cities outside the capital. Hubs like Mysuru, Mangaluru, Belagavi, Hubballi, Tumakuru, Kalaburagi, and Shivamogga are positioned as nerve centres of Karnataka’s digital economy.

Speaking to AIM at the Bengaluru Skill Summit, Nirmal Bhardwaj, founder of The Bengaluru Angels, and managing director of Resurgent, insisted that the government look into emerging hubs such as Mysuru and Tumakuru, as connectivity from Bengaluru is relatively easier.

This simplifies the process for startups and established companies to establish headquarters in these regions, which can efficiently accommodate talent and infrastructure, he said.

Complementing this, on November 6, the state cabinet approved the new Startup Policy for 2025-2030, which aims to establish 25,000 startups within five years, including 10,000 outside Bengaluru.

With a budget of ₹518.27 crore, the startup policy focuses aggressively on deep technologies such as AI, blockchain, quantum computing, and semiconductor design, signalling a united policy framework across IT and startup domains.

To elevate Karnataka as a global hub for frontier technologies, the state is building foundational infrastructure for innovation, another big up for startups.

Among the flagship initiatives is Technoverse, a series of integrated tech campuses that will function as innovation ecosystems featuring R&D laboratories, digital testbeds, immersive demo zones, and plug-and-play facilities for startups.

A statewide Digital Hub Grid will support this physical infrastructure, connecting innovation clusters across Karnataka into a single digital fabric, ensuring equitable access to advanced resources regardless of geography.

A significant catalyst within this infrastructure framework is the establishment of the Centre for Applied AI for Tech Solutions (CATS), backed by a dedicated ₹50 crore investment. The centre is envisioned as a springboard for AI-driven product development, research translation, and industry collaboration.

Financial Support

Recognising the high operational burden that early-stage startups face, the IT Policy offers one of the most comprehensive incentive frameworks in the country.

The government addresses this directly by offering rental reimbursement, covering 50% of rent, up to ₹10 lakh for companies with up to 100 employees and up to ₹50 lakh for units with up to 500 employees. This move is expected to enable startups to establish themselves in prime or semi-urban locations without prohibitive overheads.

To propel innovation, the policy offers the Advanced Innovation and R&D Incentive, which allows companies to reclaim 40% of eligible R&D expenditure, capped at ₹5 crore, and claimable once per unit.

Intellectual Property incentives further encourage innovation, with reimbursement for both domestic and international patent filing fees. For startups targeting product maturity, such support reduces risk and accelerates time-to-market.

Strengthening the Talent Pipeline

The policy also recognises that a thriving startup ecosystem is built on a skilled, adaptable workforce. Its Internship Cost Reimbursement programme helps reduce the barrier between academic talent and industry needs.

Startups can reclaim up to half of the stipend paid to interns, up to ₹5,000 per month, for up to 100 interns, thereby creating a structured pipeline of future-ready talent.

The Skilling Cost Reimbursement initiative supports startups in deep tech domains by reimbursing 20% of skilling expenses, up to ₹36,000 per graduate, with an additional 20% available if the candidate is hired under the Nipuna scheme. This targeted support enables companies to cultivate talent affordably, aligning them with cutting-edge technologies.

Bhardwaj emphasised the importance of talent and skill development. His concern resonated with the policy’s goals: “We have [over 300] engineering colleges in Karnataka, and I hope… all the students across these colleges build their skills, which are marketable to the rest of the world.”

Additionally, talent relocating from Bengaluru or other states can qualify for a 50% reimbursement of relocation costs, up to ₹50,000 per employee. These measures not only help startups expand but also distribute talent more evenly across Karnataka.

Creating a Business-Friendly Environment

The state is enhancing business-friendliness in emerging cities by addressing utility and property costs. For IT and ITeS companies outside Bengaluru, the government will reimburse 100% of electricity duty for the first five years and 30% of property tax for three years, easing the burden on early-stage firms.

The policy promotes the creation of green IT and ITeS parks, offering 20% support for eligible capital expenditures, capped at ₹5 crore, to encourage sustainable infrastructure development.

Additionally, Karnataka Udyog Mitra will act as a single-window agency for approvals, simplifying the process. Self-certification for labour laws will minimise compliance burdens, enabling startups to focus more on innovation.

The policy also supports events on emerging technologies through cost reimbursements, helping industry associations and startups showcase advancements and attract investments.

The post Karnataka Eyes a Leap in Emerging Tech with New IT Policy appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

Zoho has announced a major upgrade to Zoho One, bringing AI-driven intelligence, a redesigned user experience and deeper native integrations across its 50-plus applications. The company said the update will enable easier, faster and more secure collaboration inside organisations.

Hariharan Muralimanohar, global head of marketing for Zoho One, said the platform has moved from an app-based model to a unified system. As per the company, Zoho One currently serves more than 75,000 customers globally, with companies using an average of 22 apps.

The biggest update is on the intelligence layer powered by Zia, Zoho’s AI assistant. The company said Zia can now aggregate and contextualise data from across Zoho apps and third-party platforms to deliver consolidated, actionable answers.

New tools like Zia Hubs automatically organise documents such as contracts and meeting recordings, while Ask Zia has been placed within the bottom toolbar for quicker prompt-based insights.

The new UX introduces Spaces, grouping apps under Personal, Organisation and Department views. Zoho said Spaces reduces app-switching by allowing search, task automation and workflow actions within one interface. A customisable action panel and an expanded dashboard further consolidate tasks, messages and data points.

Zoho has also added Vani, a visual-first virtual workspace, to support contextual collaboration.

Under integrations, the platform now includes a centralised panel for managing connections, a unified Portal for cross-app control and workflow-driven features like offboarding. The administration console now includes anomaly detection, Bring Your Own Keys and detailed audit logs.

The company said pricing remains unchanged at ₹1,250 per employee per month for the All-Employee plan and ₹3,500 per user per month for the Flexible plan.

The post Zoho Upgrades Zoho One With AI-Powered Context Abilities appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

A brand manager commissions consumer research, waits three months for an agency to deliver a report, and by the time they present it to stakeholders, the trend it identifies is already dead. Consumer behaviour that took years to shift now flips in weeks.

Bengaluru boy Abhilash Madabhushi is tackling this problem head-on.

This October, his company, Consuma, raised ₹12 crore in seed funding to replace that model. It counts Britannia, Godrej, Pepsi, IPL, Rapido and WPP Media among other big brands as its clients.

It delivers research in 30 minutes instead of the industry-standard three to six months.

Traditional research methods fail because the mechanics are flawed. Surveys attract the wrong crowd — people motivated by gift cards, rather than genuine opinions, and their responses tend toward convenience or fabrication.

Even the best focus groups top out at a few dozen well-screened participants, and scaling them to a few thousand doesn’t solve the extrapolation problem, primarily when representing a market of millions or billions of people.

“A trend cycle itself is 60 to 90 days,” said Madabhushi in an interaction with AIM. However, traditional market intelligence reports can take up to six months to compile when agencies are in operation.

Madabhushi says that consumer needs don’t form over months anymore — they spark and vanish within a few seconds of exposure on Instagram or YouTube.

For instance, watching one reel about a specialised pillow instantly made him question how he sleeps.

“Yesterday morning, I didn’t even know the category existed; 10 minutes later, I’d bought it,” he said.

When discovery, evaluation, and purchase all happen inside the same burst of social media exposure, slow research becomes pointless.

The Solution

Madabhushi’s answer to this mess is a system that treats consumer intelligence like a real-time data problem, not a survey problem.

Consuma scrapes through billions of digital interactions, runs them through autonomous analysis models, and produces insight-ready reports in minutes.

Madabhushi argued that the old advantage of traditional agencies, decades of archived datasets no longer matters. What counts today is real-time relevance. Because Consuma’s cost structure is so low, it can produce more fresh reports in a year. “We give you 1,000x more usage of data in one day,” he said.

“We see ourselves as a Palantir or a CIA for consumer intentions.”

The team realised early that a PDF report, an immovable, two-dimensional artefact, was fundamentally at odds with how modern decisions get made.

“Reports are two-dimensional. You can’t interact,” Madabhushi says. They were built that way because agencies needed to control variables.

The team flipped the UX entirely. Every “slide” became a dashboard page you could manipulate: drag data, inspect sources, open the raw conversations behind an insight, even ask a voice agent to talk you through the findings.

Underneath that interface sits the Rapid Research Platform—a multi-agent system designed to mimic, and then exceed, the structure of a human research team. Traditional firms put 10 analysts on a project; Consuma spins up “10 agents that are infinitely duplicatable.”

Each agent specialises the way a senior researcher would, but scale turns them into a workforce that can analyse millions of conversations instead of a few hundred survey responses.

For example, the tool revealed that people who enjoy deep-roast coffee also tend to read romantic novels, an insight that no human team would have stumbled upon because no one can sift through that breadth of behavioural data.

Consuma’s system begins with real-time “smart scrapers” that adapt to each page and collect only conversations relevant to the brief.

Because every query is contextualised, the engine knows where to look and filters out noise before enriching the data to fill gaps — enabling concrete behavioural answers without surveys.

The collected data then moves through a multi-agent pipeline that works like a digital research team. Different agents handle context, analysis and verification, each operating within controlled windows to prevent drift.

A supervisory agent monitors confidence and triggers deeper checks when needed.

‘Deep Research Sucks at Consumer Research’

But there also lies another crucial question that Madabhushi says nearly every VC has asked him: what happens when deep-research tools catch up?

“Deep research relies on one data source only, which is SERP [pages ranked in search engine results]… consumer-driven data is not publicly indexed. Roughly 5% of public social media is indexed by Google,” he said.

This includes the conversations buried in YouTube comments, e-commerce reviews and forum threads — most of which never make it into Google’s index.

“They’re [deep research tools] excellent at secondary market research,” he said, but quite poor at consumer research.

However, Madabhushi believes deep-research tools can’t evolve into what Consuma is building because their core business model doesn’t push them toward the hardest problem: crawling.

This is where Consuma’s technical differentiation sits.

The company has spent years building scraping systems that can reliably pull real consumer conversations from places search engines don’t index — comments, reviews, forums, Reddit threads, and YouTube discussions, while still operating within legal and ethical limits.

“So, how does an e-commerce platform charge one for damages? If I conduct a DDoS-level attack and put undue stress on someone’s servers, it costs them a large amount of budget. I’m not doing it,” he said. Neither is the company training its models on the data.

Another aspect Madabhushi stressed is transparency. Every insight in a report links back to its source, “which is good for the end customer because they understand where the insights are coming from.”

He also clarified that the system never circumvents paywalled content, adhering strictly to material that is already publicly available.

Madabhushi said that reviews on major e-commerce and content platforms are intentionally public. They’re published for anyone to read at no cost, and the platforms themselves benefit from that visibility. As he puts it, this is public terrain — but “if there is a gate, we won’t enter.”

100,000 Employees with PhDs

That said, Consuma still has to navigate the shifting terrain of web scraping. Platforms continually change policies, tighten access, and close gates, as tech giants grow more wary of automated tools, even those operating ethically.

Another challenge is the wave of new tools, APIs and open-source models that make it easier for individual developers to replicate pieces of Consuma’s workflow. As models get cheaper and more capable, barriers to entry inevitably drop.

But Madabhushi doesn’t see that as a threat.

“I have 100,000 employees with PhDs sitting in the US, funded by Sequoia, Lightspeed, Accel, to make my product cheaper,” he jested — referring to the fact that every improvement in foundational models only strengthens the stack Consuma builds on, keeping him several steps ahead.

However, Consuma also sits at a strange moment in the tech cycle, one where building with AI has never looked easier.

“Anyone can just spin up a product on Replit,” Madabhushi said, adding, “What differentiates the product that I’m building on Replit versus you is the intelligence that goes into what I’m building versus what you are.”

The post The Bengaluru Startup Building the CIA for Consumer Intelligence appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.

Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to set up a 500-acre autonomous combat aircraft manufacturing and testing facility. The project, located in the state, will support research, design, assembly, testing, and systems integration of autonomous combat aircraft. The agreement outlines an investment of about ₹1,169 crore and aims to create more than 1,000 jobs.

This comes just after Bengaluru-based Sarla Aviation announced an investment of ₹1,300 crore in another facility. Under the project, the company will develop electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, aiming to accelerate India’s transition to aerial mobility.

The facility will be India’s first integrated hub for autonomous combat aircraft. The project seeks to support national priorities related to self-reliance in defence manufacturing and reduce dependence on foreign platforms.

It will enable end-to-end development processes for autonomous platforms. FWDA said the project aligns with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India programmes. Founder and CEO Suhas Tejaskanda said, “This understanding will not only create high-value employment but will also catalyse an entire ecosystem of skilled talent, component suppliers, and academic collaborations in the region.”

The announcement follows defence reforms introduced earlier this year that encouraged deeper government–private collaboration. The MoU supports a push towards domestic capability in AI-led defence systems, unmanned aerial platforms, and swarm intelligence technologies.

The project also builds on FWDA’s recent programmes in autonomous and AI-enabled aircraft systems. The company has developed certified unmanned platforms and has expanded its portfolio in both defence and agricultural drone applications.

The post Flying Wedge Defence Signs MoU with AP Govt to Build Autonomous Aircraft Hub appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.