Safety measures for automobiles hit DoT roadblock

Bosch Chassis Systems India Limited a subsidiary of Bosch India.

By: Sharmistha Mukherjee

Even as spectrum auctions are set to commence next month, car makers and component suppliers have raised the pitch for delicensing short range frequency required for introducing automotive safety applications in vehicles.

Bosch Chassis Systems India Limited a subsidiary of Bosch India, is the latest among a clutch of automobile and auto component manufacturers which has written to the ministry of communications and information technology (MoC&IT) requesting delicensing of frequency in the 76-77 GHz range for low power, short distance radar for automotive applications.

Delays in delicensing of spectrum for implementation of radar-based safety technology has prevented the introduction of safety features such as blind spot detection, lane departure prevention system, collision avoidance system, adaptive cruise control in made-in-India cars.

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“We would like to highlight that in order to make the vision of ‘Make in India’ a reality, OEMs in India need to manufacture vehicles with advanced safety and driver assistance technologies (for both domestic and exports markets), for which Indian automotive industry needs a range of frequency bands which are internationally used for such technologies”, Umesh N, managing director, Bosch Chassis Systems India Limited has written in a letter date February 4, 2015. A copy of the letter has been reviewed by The Indian Express. Adoption of internationally used frequency bands will help in harmonisation and ease of adoption of new technologies, the letter says, rooting for delicensing of frequency in 76-77 GHz.

While Bosch is immediately looking at importing automotive emergency braking (AEB, which uses short distance low power radar operating in the frequency range of 76-77 GHz) for use by Maruti Suzuki in cars manufactured for exports to Europe and Japan, delicensing of frequency would spur the introduction of these technologies in the Indian market as well, says the company.

Last year, the International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers , European Association of Automotive Suppliers and industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) too had written to the MoC&IT requesting delicensing of a range of frequencies required for automotive safety applications.