From The Editors Desk: Can AI Be The Next Disruptor In The Indian Car Market?

Indian car buyers are not only one of the world's most demanding - if not the most - but have off late shown a different side of themselves. They are also hungry. Yes, our consumer wants comfort, luxury, sexy design, and good, efficient performance - but increasingly she also wants superior tech. The consumer is looking for ways to make their lives more uncomplicated, in an era where everything digital has taken over our lives. Just think about it; in the past 18 months that digital drive has only been accelerated. A seamless journey of services and user experience is then the natural transition for any player in this space. From your desktop or laptop to your car - you want the same experience (or as close to it as possible) as your smartphone. You don't just want to access all your apps and music, but you also want to be able to do things on the go - engage, shop, listen. And that is where AI or artificial intelligence comes in.

The 10.24-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the Hector and Hector Plus is the centre of the connected car technology introduced by MG

Some may recall, and others may have forgotten that when MG Motor India entered our market with the Hector - the message was 'Drive.in'. Very apt, given it was the 'Internet inside' car! And here "in" could also imply India, besides driving in, to the consumer's consideration! The Hector sure did all that and the big USP was that giant touchscreen and its claim of being India's first connected car. A lot has happened in the two years since, as we know. Today, we have a dozen connected car models on sale - in just the mass space alone. Next from MG we got 'DrivEV' - when it launched the all-electric ZS EV. Between it and the Tata Nexon EV - they sell more cars in a month today than we saw EVs sell in a whole year pre-2018. And now MG is teasing 'DriveAI' for its next offering - likely called the Astor. The Astor name may mean many things, but my mind goes straight to the flower. And just like it, AI is the next thing set to bloom in the buyer's mind - or at least could be.

The Honda City was recently updated with the voice-based Google Assistant feature

You might think this editorial is about MG Motor India. Well, in a way it is, but it is more about the consumer. We already use AI in ways we don't realise. AI has permeated our daily lives, be it a simple Google search, or indeed other algorithms that show you your favourite products on say Flipkart - that intelligence is at your service. So now while you already have Alexa in cars like the Honda City, and a virtual assistant like 'Hey Mercedes' that will show you the nearest charging station for your EQC, things will go further. MG for its part is launching the Astor with something it is calling Car as a Platform or CAAP. This means using the i-Smart tech interface that its cars have, to also bring on a suite of services and possibilities for the user. So yes, this goes beyond adding Gaana or Sygic apps as many cars now have. So the idea is to allow software developers the chance to create apps and services - indeed subscriptions too - for users of cars. I say users, as in this scenario not everyone will be an owner.

In an exclusive interview with Rajeev Chaba, President and MD, MG Motor India, he told me, "With developers getting involved, there's no end to the addition of services on this platform as we go forward. We have talked about personalisation of certain things like having a family photo on the infotainment screen and then there's the favourite route to your destination, placing an order from the car, book tickets to a play or movie, start making payments. So a lot of things are possible and our new car will enable it."

MG Motor drove into India with new technologies under various banners

So the car will talk to you, suggest ways to make your day easier or more efficient - or simply your drive itself. And it may also offer you that pick me up you need, by ordering you a coffee on your way home. It will allow seamless transitions from your favourite music, to even shopping and integrating with digital payments through your phone. All of this already exists - but just not completely in your car. That is where the world is headed. Of course in India - where we bemoan our mobile networks at least twice a day - this won't be easy. For its part Mukesh Ambani's Jio seems to be going aggressively into ensuring at least a string 4G footprint nationwide - and no doubt the likes of Airtel will too. MG for its part has announced a tie up with the former, moving away from its association with the latter for the Hector. And others like Hyundai/Kia will need to watch the story playing out at Vodafone-Idea closely to chart their next steps.

The Hyundai venue was the company's first connected car and uses services driven by Vodafone-Idea

But I digress! The larger point is how will this affect you, and how soon. For anyone who tells you this is the future, I say the future is now. Look at the response to even high-end niche tech heavy offerings like Audi's e-tron range. That proves the consumer is here, is willing and most importantly she won't mind the spends - so long as they deliver. So MG's first moves will be an interesting insight to see how she reacts. And then how the competition does.