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MG Motor India, which is launching its connected car Hector in India next month, is in talks with payment gateways for partnerships.
The company on Tuesday showcased its internet car technology iSmart Next Gen, developed in partnership with global tech players. MG Motor India has partnered with Adobe, Cisco, Bharti Airtel, Microsoft, Cognizant, Gaana, Tomtom and SAP and their features will be loaded in Hector, a sports utility vehicle.
“We are talking to a lot of partners right now and we are ready. The only thing is, it is not clear yet how many uniform resource locators (URLs) are allowed in a car so we could do it. Secondly, there are some Reserve Bank of India guidelines and we need to crack. When we get clarity on regulations, we will be able to do that,” Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India, told BusinessLine on the sidelines of the event here.
The partnership with payment gateways will help customers in many ways, like paying the toll on highways and paying utility bills sitting in the car, said experts. For instance, Paytm has FASTag that works on the radio-frequency identification technology. It needs to be fixed on the vehicle’s windscreen. Each tag is linked to a registered Paytm Payments Bank account to facilitate instant automatic deduction of tolls.
iSmart Next Gen
iSmart Next Genwill be a part of Hector making it one of the first Internet cars in India. .
iSmart would ensure that its customers remain protected against advanced threats, while enjoying the benefits of technology. MG car owners will be able to locate their vehicles remotely and geofence it so that the car cannot be taken out of a predefined zone, thus enhancing the safety of passengers.
The app uses driver analytics data to help people drive smarter. iSmart is hosted on Microsoft Azure Cloud providing impregnable cyber security for all data.
Voice Assist
The MG Hector will have voice assist ‘Hello MG’ that allows over 100 commands, including opening and closing windows and sunroof, AC control, navigation , and it works even under poor connectivity. Developed by Nuance for MG Motor India, it has been specifically designed to understand Indian accent. MG has set up a first-of-its-kind customer management service centre, called the Pulse Hub, which will enable eCall emergency response in all MG cars.
5G services
On asked about the possibilities of more services when 5G is launched, Chaba said ‘it will be a different subject altogether’. However, it is not likely to come fast, he felt.
“Telecom companies have to recover theinvestments in 4G first and then they may launch 5G. But, when it comes, the whole vehicle infrastructure like vehicle-to-vehicle communication and short range communication… a lot of capabilities will be possible,” Chaba added.
Apart from MG, Hyundai Motor India will also be launching its first ‘connected car’, the ‘Venue’ compact SUV next month, loaded with similar technology-rich features.
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