Smart mobility solutions from Bosch India
Smart solutions developed by Bosch will address future mobility needs.
Working closely with almost all the CV makers in India to turn out products that address the needs of the market, Bosch is banking on smart solutions. It is confident of them addressing future mobility needs. Keeping a close tab on the changes visiting the Indian auto industry, the tier-one supplier is well-aware of the needs for an integrated approach to address the demand for personalised solutions and services, which would include autonomous, shared and connected vehicles. Looking at new emerging technologies like Blockchain, which are poised to make a significant impact on the functioning of mobility solutions in the future, Bosch, as a leading supplier of technology and services, is looking at how Blockchain technology will create trust in devices and ensure the provision of correct information.
Using Blockchain technology in non-mobility business, Bosch is evaluating its application in the mobility space with high impact. The first area of application in the mobility space, according to Sri Krishnan V, Senior Vice President, Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd., will be to identify spurious parts. “In our non-automotive business, we use Blockchain in various applications. Being a global systems supplier, we are now looking at using it to find spurious components in an automotive supply chain,” he mentioned. Using the same principle at an abstract level, Bosch is working on the proof of concept. Terming Blockchain concept as ancient, the Group is keen to see it successfully applied in the mobility space. Also keen to realise the full potential of the technology to address the future needs of mobility, the Group is looking at mirroring the successful use of Blockchain technology by diamond traders.
Highlighting the menace of spurious spares, and the damage to life as well as property it could cause, Bosch is also looking at applying Blockchain technology to other areas of mobility once it succeeds in the area of spares. Confident that the Blockchain technology will help weed out any attempt by the unorganised aftermarket to push low quality or spurious spares, which make up 30 to 40 per cent of the total spares in the market, the Group is keen to stop the malpractice of parts lacking rigorous testing and routine quality checks under the guise of genuine spares. Also keen to highlight the fact that most genuine parts purchased and fitted at authorised outlets are backed by a six months warranty against manufacturing defect, Bosch is employing Blockchain technology to identify as well as take the necessary steps to prevent duplication. Beyond identification and prevention of spurious spares, the tier-one supplier is looking at applying Blockchain technology to electric charging. It is of the opinion that Blockchain
Technology could soon become a megatrend. It could make two or three different cases when it comes to electric charging, according to Krishnan. The technology could help check the history of a battery, which has been swapped, or is ready for a swap. In the absence of Blockchain, it may be impossible to maintain as well as access history about the number of cycles the battery has gone through, or whether it is good or bad, with ease. Using Blockchain technology, Bosch, said Krishnan, did a proof of concept to trace the original source of energy, and whether it came from a green source or a conventional source like a thermal plant. Blockchain could help get answers to the origin of energy and if it is really ‘green’. It could also help address the challenges pertaining to the energy supply chain.
Particularly interested in applying technologies like Blockchain across automotive and non-automotive businesses that it participates in, Bosch is looking at a ‘cutting point’ and domain knowledge. It is looking at what it would like to term as a horizontal plane of new age technology. Leveraging its automotive domain knowledge, the Group is scavenging business opportunities. It is doing so by innovating, by identifying new technologies that could apply to multiple verticals, by identifying platforms, by creating platforms and by working to create new value. Moulding itself into a hub of innovation, Bosch is focusing on AI as much as it is on Blockchain. Gauging the future requirements of the markets, it is striving to build a sustainable ecosystem across industries. As one of the global innovation centers for AI, Bosch is investing in Bengaluru. It is pushing its 3S strategy with the use of sensors, software, and services.
Pushing growth through robust distribution networks, India-specific innovations, consumer centricity, and by entering new market segments, Bosch is also accelerating the digital transformation of enterprises beyond mobility and developing solutions that are designed to be usable and affordable for Indian customers. A key component is Industry 4.0. Supporting the erection of smart factories with focus on automation, digitisation, AI and IoT to ensure superior productivity, quality, and safety, the Group is leveraging a unique dual-strategy of being a leading user as well as a provider of Industry 4.0 solutions. It is thus positioning itself as a well-placed entity to build an ecosystem of business and technology partners that creates affordable digital solutions for SMEs among others. Promoting nonautomotive business through smart solutions based on growing infrastructure and consumer demand, Bosch, according to Krishnan, is in the process of profound transformation from a hardware intensive entity to the one that focuses on services and data. “We have the capability to develop greenfield technologies that can power industries in a manner that is new and unique,” said Soumitra Bhattacharya, Managing Director, Bosch Limited, and President, Bosch Group India.
Contributing up to 35 per cent of the overall business the Group has been conducting over the last few years, the beyond mobility solutions are leading the Group’s entry into new verticals and domains. At the core are digital technologies. Seeking growth through the successful collaboration of various teams without upsetting the engineering heritage and strong presence, it has come to gather, Bosch is integrating local talent to cater to the needs of various industries. It is collaborating and leveraging synergies within the Group and outside. It is combining capabilities and integrating hardware and software with the belief that it will successfully transform into a leading service provider in the digital age. CV